Author: kencrocker

Fine artist; graphic artist; draughtsman; digital artist

Got My Charcoal Working

After much searching and experimentation, I've found a good working combination, using compressed charcoal on Strathmore #400 18 x 24 inch paper plus a really hard eraser. I've been forcing myself to get the whole figure down in one minute before refining. This drawing is 25 minutes, the longest I can handle without getting bogged… Continue reading Got My Charcoal Working

No Where to Hide

Four-hour charcoal drawing at the P&C, drawing with the “pros.” It's been a long time since I went to a Monday long pose open studio, and I was really intimidated to go back. But I “toughed it out” and came up with this drawing, which I like. Of course, the face and arm are over-worked,… Continue reading No Where to Hide

Down the Rabbit Hole

I wasn't having much of a day drawing at the Palette and Chisel, first in the morning and then in the evening yesterday. I was getting discouraged, so I thought I'd try something different—nothing to lose after all. Then I came up with this drawing using compressed instead of vine charcoal. I was trying to… Continue reading Down the Rabbit Hole

Charcoal in Chicago

    One day's half-hour poses at the Palette and Chisel, trying to do things á la Graves's Life Drawing in Charcoal. 12 x 18 or 18 x 24 inches using vine charcoal and a kneaded eraser for the highlights. I'm working on my edge control. Right now I'm doing too much line drawing and… Continue reading Charcoal in Chicago

Practice, practice, practice

This is a half-hour charcoal drawing from a photo on the http://artists.pixelovely.com/practice-tools/figure-drawing/ Web site. My new large monitor makes it fun to draw at home. Although it's often-repeated that you shouldn't draw from photographs, I think it's helpful for practicing the basics such as proportion, layout, etc. and makes it easier to draw from a… Continue reading Practice, practice, practice