Sunday 11 November 2012

A charcoal revelation

The lovely people at Pegasus Arts showed me this fantastic 'new' product - compressed charcoal made by Nitram.
I've given it a go and it works brilliantly. This is starting to sound like an advert, sorry, its not intended to be! I was just so taken with the revelatory performance that I felt it was right to share.

 
Its easy to work on a large scale, marks are quick to lay down and build up. the charcoal rubs out successfully with plastic and putty rubbers, and achieves a good range of marks and tones.
 



The best thing about this charcoal is the lack of dust and mess, even your hands stay relatively clean.
I also loved the fine points I was able to get and the way that the rubber could cut through the blacks.
The draw back is the cost - prepare yourselves, but it does last very well, I've barely touched the large stick.

 
Could this be the start of a series of charcoal drawings... I've got so many ideas on the go, I think I will have to stand back and take stock, and not try any more new products!

3 comments:

Patricia G said...

Really lovely marks here Wendy. Charcoal is great for working quickly isn't it. It also encouraged me to work larger. How are you finding working on your own?

LAC EMP 2020 said...

Beautiful marks emerging here Wendy. They all have a lovely soft black velvety-ness to them.Is the cost really that bad? I think I'll google it to find out!

Wendy Rhodes said...

Lesley - The velvety black is very appealing, and large scale work is calling me loudly. Thank you for your comments.
I've been very lucky - I don't feel on my own Patricia. I'm in contact with people from the MA course and the print co-op provides a good place to meet up with other artists. Then there's also the blog...