Page 2 of 2
Working from a middle tone.Because you have techniques in charcoal to darken an area but also techniques to lighten it, you can work well from a middle tone. This gives a completely different look to your work than drawing on white paper. |
  Cover your entire sheet with charcoal or Siberian chalk using the hatching technique. You don't have to worry about the direction now because we're going to blend it. Try to cover your sheet as evenly as possible. |
 Now, use a cloth to blend your entire sheet. Try to get the color as even as possible. If you want a part darker, just apply more charcoal or Siberian chalk, which you then rub out again. |
 When you're done, you have an evenly gray background on which you can work. You can now apply dark lines and areas with charcoal. This can be done with both the blending and hatching techniques. Lines and areas that you want to be lighter in color can be highlighted. |
 As you can see, charcoal is a medium that can yield beautiful and interesting results. Although it is usually only used for studies, you can indeed create beautiful artworks with it. |