Funny Holidays - Charcoal Drawing Day

Rock painting arose almost simultaneously with the advent of fire among primitive people. Charcoal was used to depict scenes of hunting animals and everyday scenes. The material is still used today by painters to hone their artistic skills. Charcoal is easy to use - it easily lies on paper and is erased, allowing you to draw contour lines of an image and create rich tonal transitions from deep black to light gray. The material, which was used by artists before the advent of graphite pencils during the Renaissance, is one of the most common painting techniques. July 15th is Charcoal Drawing Day. The first mention of this technique dates back to the 15th century. At that time, artists actively used charcoal. Pressed, leaving blacker and greasy marks, was invented only in the 20th century. To transfer the image, rough paper or special paper produced for drawing with charcoal is used. A perfectly smooth surface is not suitable for this, as the material crumbles from it. An interesting effect can be achieved by using charcoal to transfer an image onto canvas, linen or watercolor paper. The material is in demand both for sketches, sketches on primed canvas, and when creating full-fledged works of art of various genres: portraits, still lifes, landscapes. In graphics, he conveys light and shape well, volume and clear details: shadows, cracks and wrinkles on faces, creating multi-layered and deep images. Coal is very expressive and differs from other artistic materials in the softness of its lines, matte and velvety strokes, as well as the subtlety of transitions. With its help, incredible and very realistic paintings are created. The famous American sculptor and artist Robert Longo chose coal as the main material for drawing on paper. Looking at his graphics, it’s hard to imagine that we are looking at paintings rather than photographs. The artist compares the results of his work with the etchings of Francisco Goya and the black and white films of S.M. Eisenstein, sketches, storyboards and paintings by the director, considering his work to be quite primitive. R. Longo claims that charcoal helps him convey the imprints of the collective unconscious: what people draw while thinking about something of their own or talking on the phone. The black and white image, despite its apparent simplicity, very well conveys the complexity and versatility of the surrounding world. Leonardo da Vinci, Giovanni Tiepolo, Edgar Degas, Paul Gauguin, Pablo Picasso and Ilya Repin knew this. Charcoal drawing uses rubbing, soft shading and cross-hatching techniques. At the end, the work is sprayed with varnish or other fixative, covering the paper with a thin layer of film. Charcoal Drawing Day is a good reason to try your hand at one of the most ancient techniques and compete with famous painting masters.