The Washington herald., 1911-08-27

/ are aware OF the artistic work, the
~ varied and beautiful effects the mani.
go told tints, which can be produced
with charcoal by those who know how to use
IT: After painting, it is at once the most
effective and the most artistic kind of draw
ing; for neither chalk, crayon nor pencil can
give such exquisite gradations of grays, such
varieties OF blacks, such brilliant lights as
can be produced with piece of charcoal on
sheet OF white drawing paper. 1t has the
power--and in this consists its chief virtue
OF giving the exact value of the different
tones~on which the harmony of picture de-
pends, and without which a drawing is value
less from an artists point of view, in a way
that nothing ese-except of course, color
can give it,; and the quickness with which it
can be applied renders it easy to seize pass
ing effect of light and shade before it. has
vanished.
Needless to say, whoever attempts charcoal
drawing from nature-and in this, as in every
thing else, "a bad original is better than
good copy must possess true artists eye,
and be able to seize at once the brightest
light in his picture, and bring all the rest Of
the drawing into harmony with it, making the
high light the centre of attraction, to which
all else must be subordinate.
For clouds and misty atmospheric effects
charcoal is Incompatible, for it is so plastic
that the smoothest, softest tones of every
and made to melt into each other, as clouds
and mist, mountains and sky, melt away in
nature.
But it is not all softness-that would be
weakness; and the strength of charcoal con-
sists in its equal capacity for vigorous, Sc
we're, black strokes, for stern, dark shadows,
for sharp, firm touches, as for soft, tender
tints
AS in school, wise schoolmaster will
deal differently with different boys, so in
drawing, different objects require different
treatment. Trees, buildings, clouds, noun
fain rncka afar Ey all
be represented with similar strokes; they
each require separate execution, and charcoal,
by its suppleness as well as by its frmness,
is capable Of almost an endless variety of
touches.
II is more particularly adapted to land
scapes, though it is often effectively used for
heads and figures. But it is of its application
TO landscape drawing we are more particularly
treating here, though the mode of using it is
precisely the same in all cases. And, first of
coal drawing any more than to anything
else; nothing of any value can be produced
in this world without labor. "In the sweat
Of thy brow shalt thou eat bread" applies
alike to art and literature, and science and
agriculture; it is law of nature from which
would-be artist in charcoal must learn, if he
does not already know it, is to draw; let
him once know how to draw correctly, and all
the rest will be comparatively easy.
But to all who can draw we would whisper
a word Of comfort which they must not re.
veal to those who are too lazy to learn-name-
ly, charcoal drawing is very easy. Perhaps
there is no other art in which you can with
80 little trouble and labor produce such effec-
tive results in SO little time-for it is very
fee to produce large and finished charcoal
drawing And in sketchng from nature, too
its quickness gives it very great advantage;
though, unless you carry your work home very
carefully, you must set it in the open air
But to this business of setting we viii return
presently-it is the last but not the least i'm.
portant part of it.
But before we proceed to explain the proc
ess, it may be well to enumerate the necessary
articles required, all Of which can be easily
obtained. There is a paper prepared on pur
pose for charcoal drawing called "Papier
will do almost equally well; it must be thin
to take the fixing, and with rather a rough
surface to take the tint.
Ordinary charcoal will answer the purpose
but it must be Of the best, for q greasy sticl
viii spoil the drawing. A knife for taking
out the lights and sharpening the charcoal j,
indispensable; and add to this piece o
bread, and you will have all that is absolute
ly necessary.
We have forgotten one thng-the fixing
which must on no account be fogotten, fol
without it a strong flip of your handkerchief
would destroy your drawing, and rub oblit
crate it entirely. A very good fixing can bs
made with mixture of turpentine and white
varnish-two-thirds turpentine and one thirc
white varnish. Another good fixture is shell
lac dissolved in spirits of wine. tn
The paper should be stretched on draw
ing board in preference to using stretching
block, as the former is more supple. Having
first sketched your subject in, and being SURF
that your outline is correct, go ovr it il
chalk, making the darkest lines firmly-indeed
the whole outline must be firmly marked, ol
in the after process it will be lost, and yo,
will have part of your work to do over again
At the same time, be very careful to have
no chalk lines in the hghtest part of you
picture; for, remember, the brightest light
are to be represented by the white paper il
sell. Inc h outline nfnsn nGIsneo you proceed e