Drawing landscapes with charcoal
Explore the expressive qualities of charcoal to create rich and interesting tonal drawings with this most ancient of drawing media. You will experiment with and explore the different qualities of charcoals, papers, erasers and fixatives to develop a language of mark-making that will help you make the most of this versatile drawing medium. The tutor will then guide you on how to build up layers of marks to create finished drawings inspired by the landscape.
Ability: Suitable for all
The minimum time required to watch and respond to the video content and complete the tasks is 9 hours. The tutor also recommends how you can develop your work further so that you can continue to use the skills acquired on this course for future projects.
Access: Six months of online access to all of the course content.
Ability: Suitable for all
The minimum time required to watch and respond to the video content and complete the tasks is 9 hours. The tutor also recommends how you can develop your work further so that you can continue to use the skills acquired on this course for future projects.
Access: Six months of online access to all of the course content.
Learn more about gift vouchers.
Introduction to tutor Kate Boucher and workshop overview
Getting started
- Health & safety, materials and equipment
Workshops
Completion
- Mark-making – getting to know your materials and tools
- Gathering source images – photographs and sketches
- Rendering a simple composition
- Combining materials and building complexity
- Fixing your charcoal drawings
- Developing your own complex drawing and insights into charcoal making
Completion
- Ideas going forward
- Further information and resources
Course includes:
You will need:
Equipment
Kate uses
Materials
- Access to our Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) with course content
- A series of instructional videos to work through and repeat at your own pace
- Practical tasks to complete
- Helpful materials suppliers list
- Student online gallery where you can post images of your work for tutors to review and comment on
- Support from the college and tutors via email should you need it during the course
- Additional notes and ideas
You will need:
Equipment
- Spatula
- Templates (edges that can be used to create clean lines – made from card or acetate etc)
- Brushes – rough and soft bristles, makeup brush
- Tortillion blending tool
- Blending stump
- Pot to collect charcoal dust
Kate uses
Materials
- Large plastic box (bought on Amazon)
- Small plastic boxes – empty business card boxes
- Pencil case to hold travel kit
- Compressed black charcoals (e.g. Seawhites, Jakar, Conte)
- Natural charcoals (Kate uses Wildwood clematis charcoal made in the woods on West Dean Estate)
- Charcoal pencils
- Drawing cloths – use pre-used fabrics
- Spectrafix natural fixative
- Varnish fixative
- Staedtler mars plastic eraser
- Masking tape
- A1 Cartridge paper, 220 gsm hot press or smooth cut down into smaller pieces
- Sketchbooks – various sizes
- Sandpaper
- Travelling kit: small range of charcoals, 2 x erasers, 2 x tiny rags, mechanical pencil, small sketchbook
- Plastic sheeting or equivalent, to use when fixing your drawings to protect your workspace
Have a question? Read our FAQs.
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Tutor
Kate Boucher
Course content
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