Introduction to Drawing with Chalks and Charcoals (Online)

Special Information

Materials to bring to first class:

• Willow charcoal

• Compressed charcoal 

• Charcoal pencil

• Putty rubber

• Masking tape

• Hair spray or fixative

• Sketchbook

Remaining course materials:

• Conte pencils

• Willow charcoal

• Compressed charcoal

• Chalk pastels (black, white, greys, browns and muted colours plus a few brighter colours) Sets such as ‘Inscribe’ are good value 

• Oil Pastels (black, white, greys, browns and muted and a few brighter colours)

• Putty rubber

• Masking tape

• Hair spray or Fixative

• Sketchbook A3

• Craft knife

• Zest or similar eco Turpentine substitute for use with oil pastel-optional

• 2 x hard bristle paint brushes for using with oil pastel -optional

• Additional coloured/ textured/ repurposed paper 

Content of Course

1.Introduction to materials and techniques.
Presentation of works created by artists who make a special feature of chalk and charcoal. Students will then produce a series of test sheets and sketchbook experiments based on the techniques demonstrated.

2.Using charcoals, chalk and conte pencil students will work in monochrome then muted colour from photographic imagery and direct observation to create compositional drawings which capture light, form and tonal range. 

3.Pastels-working in colour, muted then bright. Learning to layer materials and experiment with more complex combinations and pictorial composition. 

4.Spotlight on techniques-for example, using materials wet and dry, using resists and masking techniques and utilising the putty rubber.

5.Resolving and evaluating work to develop a Personal Project which employs techniques and skills learned to create a series of related and ambitious drawings using chalks and charcoal.

This course will focus on two main skills; 
1.A range of specific drawing skills and approaches using Conte, charcoals and pastels
2.Pictorial compositional design derived from primary and secondary source material.

Outline Content
This course involves a series of creative skill building, such as:
A range of specific drawing skills and approaches using Conte, charcoals and pastels
Pictorial compositional design derived from primary and secondary source material.
Introduction to Conte, charcoal and compressed charcoal techniques.
What is pictorial composition and what makes it work? 
Using primary sources and home studio set ups to trigger an imaginative and inventive responses through drawing and composition.
How to record compositional ideas in a sketchbook
Introduction to chalk pastel techniques with muted colour and then brighter hues
Developing compositions using chalk pastels from sketchbook ideas and secondary sources. 
How to consider light sources and tonal range 
How to collect and develop secondary sources as visual research
Introduction to oil pastels techniques using muted colour and limited palette then moving on to stronger use of colour
Consider mood, subject and context of compositional drawings.
Develop a series of relate and ambitious compositional drawings.

Teaching method(s)

Ideally you should have;

• An up-to-date web browser (Google Chrome recommended) 

• Microphone (ideally headset) and Webcam 

• Strong Internet connection

Teaching will be fully online and will typically include a range of practical exercises, introductions to techniques, processes and concepts, and set projects which lead to more focused and personal exploration. Over the course, students’ progress will be monitored and supported by the tutor.  Teaching will include practical demonstrations, one to one tuition, group discussions and critiques.

Learning outcomes

On completion of this course, students will be able to:

• Use Conte pencils, charcoal, chalks and pastels effectively and with confidence;

• Use drawing to develop a range of complex compositions derived from primary and secondary source materials;

• Resolve and present a series of intensive and coherent compositional drawings.

Sources

Core Readings

Research some of the charcoal or chalk drawings made by the following artists:

• Seurat                               

• Lowry

• Toulouse Lautrec

• Van Gogh

• Odilon Redon

• Yayoi Kusama

• Kathe Kollwitz 

• Per Kirkeby

• Henry Moore

• Jim Dine

• Milton Avery

• Robert Rauschenberg 

• Richard Diebenkorn

• Frank Auerbach 

• Paula Rego 

• Jenny Saville

• Joan Mitchell

• Kate Downie 

Web Sources

www.nationalgalleries.org

National Galleries of Scotland

www.moma.org

The Museum of Modern Art, New York

www.tate.org.uk

Tate gallery, London and other

www.royalacademy.org.uk

Royal Academy London

www.metmuseum.org

Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York

www.drawingcenter.org

This is a gallery and education space in New York showing contemporary works.

www.drawingroom.org.uk

This is a London gallery space and resource centre. Here you’ll find lots of information such as an artists directory, archive material etc.

Queries

If you have questions regarding the course or enrolment, please contact COL Reception at Paterson's Land by email COL@ed.ac.uk or by phone 0131 650 4400.

Student support

If you have a disability, learning difficulty or health condition which may affect your studies, please let us know by ticking the 'specific support needs' box on your course application form. This will allow us to make appropriate adjustments in advance and in accordance with your rights under the Equality Act 2010. For more information please visit the Student Support section of our website.