Charcoal Primer

Nearly every beginning artist is exposed to the use of charcoal. Charcoal is inexpensive, so even the hungriest of "starving" artists can afford to buy it; and it is easy to find - nearly every art and craft store handles some form of charcoal. But despite its commonness, charcoal is an expressive creative tool, valued for its richness and ease of application.

Charcoal is marketed in several different forms. The most widely recognized type--that used in beginning classes and for initial drawings on canvas prior to painting--is vine charcoal. It is actual vines (or in some cases willow twigs) slowly heated to remove moisture and to extract all but the carbon in the plant tissues. This process converts the raw material into smooth uniform sticks, perfect for artistic uses. These sticks are packaged in a number of ways, usually found in envelopes of 3 to 5 sticks to boxes of around 48 sticks.

The second most common type of charcoal is compressed charcoal. It is usually formed into square sticks from 3 to 5 inches long. Packaged in small sets or up to 25 sticks per box, this high quality charcoal is a bit firmer and blacker than vine charcoal. It is the choice of artists who work extensively in charcoal and want the capabilities of the wide strokes and coverage possible with compressed charcoal.

The third form in which an artist might encounter charcoal is pencil. Charcoal pencils are offered in a wide range of softness degrees. The softer the charcoal, the richer and darker the line will be. These pencils are much neater than either vine or compressed charcoal and are easily brought to a sharp point in a hand sharpener.

Sets of all types of charcoal are available and often contain one more item. Remarkably, sold in conjunction with the charcoal is what is called "white" charcoal. It is a smooth, opaque white that can be worked over black charcoal to create a full spectrum of gray tones. This white charcoal is available in both stick and pencil form and closely resembles conte crayon or hard pastel.

Erasing charcoal lines can be done with almost any eraser, but the best results occur with a kneaded eraser. The slightly "oily" feel and absorbency of the surface of a kneaded eraser lifts and removes more charcoal than most other erasers. Drawings could be diminished by simply blowing across them to remove eraser crumbs. Kneaded erasers leave few crumbs to disturb the drawing or smear during removal. Stumps and tortillons can be used with charcoal to smooth and blend any area of a charcoal drawing, to softly feather the edges of a design or to blend an erased area.

Special papers, designed specifically for pastel, are available by the sheet or in pads and come in several sizes. These papers are often toned in pastels and gentle earth colors, sometimes in assortment packs, to complement the sharp contrasts created with the rich black (or white) lines of charcoal. Pastel boards are also available. Other surfaces that lend themselves well to charcoal include velvet or velour papers and any that are designed for pastel work. These extra rich and toothy surfaces hold the charcoal powder better than hard surfaces such as conventional drawing papers. A fine granular surfaced paper, actually a specially made sand paper, is now marketed that works very well to grip charcoal powder and hold it in place. The texture is easy to work with and can be sprayed with fixative.

Speaking of fixatives, they are very useful in holding the powdery surface of charcoal (and pastels) in place. They help "seal" the surface to prevent smearing and smudging and loss of detail.

In the actual application of charcoal, there are several tips that might help you get the results you want. Since the powder generated by dragging charcoal across paper tends to create a lot of dust, one suggestion is to set a tilted drawing board above a slightly dampened studio towel. This dampness attracts the dust and holds it, creating less mess.

When applying fixative, there are two tips that pertain to charcoal. Use a permanent fixative, not a workable one. You will still be able to work over the sprayed surface (once dry), but it will be far less likely to smudge. When applying the fixative, stand well above the work and allow a shower of spray to float down to the surface. This avoids any possible pooling and wetting of the charcoal surface. Apply several light coats or one heavy application through the back of the paper. Saturate the back of the drawing, allowing the fixative to soak through the sheet. This will anchor the charcoal and cause no loss of line or detail and should be done with the work hanging rather than lying facedown.

Transporting charcoal is very much like transporting pastel. Avoid rolling the drawings if at all possible, as this is the easiest way to smear or distort a finished charcoal. For optimum protection, use any slick surfaced paper that is non-absorbent over the drawing and transport in a folder or artist's portfolio. The slick surface and rigid surround will neither attract the powdery surface nor allow the drawing to come into contact with mishap.

We might have started our art education working in charcoal, and it may seem an elementary art material, but it has a richness and velvety quality that is appealing to almost everyone. Charcoal is inexpensive, expressive, fun and ready in an instant. What could be better?

Pioneer Dyes and Paints

Have you ever wondered how early settlers colored fabrics or created art without manufactured dyes or paints? They used plant materials that gave them a range of colors for both cloth and paper decoration. You can experiment with those same methods and have fun learning how earlier civilizations made colored fabrics or watercolor-style paintings.

Materials you will need are easy to locate. Simply go to the grocery store or produce stand and search out the vegetable plants that have rich colors. Some that work very well include beets (red, purple or magenta), greens such as kale or spinach (light green to dark green), dry yellow onion skins (amber to yellow) and any nuts (beige to dark brown). If you are able to collect nuts, choose those with their outer husks attached. They will yield a darker color. Without additional cooking, very strong coffee can be used to create a rich brown tone.

Softer tones can be achieved with other plant materials, and there might even be berries or leaves in your yard that will yield great colors--but first get a parent's approval for health and safety reasons. To extract the paints/dyes, you will need a crock pot and perhaps help from a parent. To apply the colors you will also need artist's paintbrushes and thick paper or cloth cut into small, manageable sizes.

Begin by tearing leaves into small pieces, separating onion skins into individual layers, cutting vegetables into chunks and breaking nutshells. (A hammer works great here.) Put your choice of material (one at a time) into the crock pot and add water to barely cover. Cook overnight to draw out the color. For a mixed palette of colors, repeat with as many items as you want.

When you have all the colors you desire, lay out a piece of thick paper and sketch out a drawing. Use the "paints" you have created to color in the drawing. For added detail, use an ebony pencil or other dark leaded pencil to line designs within your painting. Allow to dry completely; then press lightly with an iron (from the back side) to set the colors and flatten the paper.

For use on cloth, brush the colors over the surface slowly, allowing them to soak into the weave of the material. Allow each color to dry before proceeding so that layers and depth can be built up. Rich colors will require several layers of stain to be vivid when dry. Ironing the finished, dry cloth painting will help to set the colors and make them more permanent. However, they are not designed for washing and should be protected from excessive moisture.

You'll have fun experimenting with these materials and discovering how lucky we are to have so many great art materials available at our local art supply center. Have fun!!

Dr. Seuss Celebrated

The Dr. Seuss National Memorial was recently unveiled in Springfield, MA, where Theodor Geisel aka Dr. Seuss was born. The memorial consists of a $6.2 million sculpture garden on the green that links the city's library and four museums. Designed by accomplished sculptor and stepdaughter of the late author Lark Grey Dimond-Cates, five bronze sculptural installations include Dr. Seuss working at his drawing board with the Cat in the Hat at his side; Horton Court, a life-size 14 ft. Horton the Elephant; The Storyteller, a fanciful oversized storytelling chair backed by a 10-foot-high book with the text of Oh, the Places You'll Go; a 4-ft.-high statue of the Lorax on a stump with the environmental warning "Unless "; and Yertle Garden, a 10-turtle-tall tower of turtles from Yertle the Turtle above a granite reflecting pool in a Seussian garden. In addition, "The Seuss, the Whole Seuss and Nothing but the Seuss" will be at the Connecticut Valley Historical Museum through Jan. 5; and "Springfield Celebrates Seuss: The Making of the Dr. Seuss National Memorial" will be at the Museum of Fine Arts through Sept. 8.

Did you know: Oh, the Places You'll Go! is celebrating its tenth year as a New York Times Bestseller? That Green Eggs & Ham is the third best selling book in the English language?

Children's Art Archive

PaPa iNk is an international children's art archive whose work highlights the socially critical efforts of organizations and individuals who sponsor and enable children's artistic endeavors. It is comprised of a volunteer network of academicians, artists, teachers, parents and children and provides an open archive and no-cost archival services to organizations and individuals worldwide. See www.papaink.org or write papaink.org, P.O. Box 467, Guilford, CT 06437.

Award Winners Selected

The Parents' Choice Foundation has selected the Summer 2002 winners of children's media. One hundred twenty entries in six categories were recognized at one of five award levels. Silver Honor winner of the Doing & Learning/Toy category was Stampin' Fun Series: ABC/Nature/Heart, Flowers + more (ages 5-12) from Francis Family Toys. See other art/crafts-related winners at www.parents-choice.org (doing and learning/toy).

Painting Faces

Face painting has become an exciting activity at birthday parties, fairs and flea markets, school group activities, fundraisers and more. SNAZAROO provides a complete line of professional quality water-based make-up for face painting. The products meet all FDA and European safety guidelines as well as ASTM standards. Available are a full line of two- and three-color theme kits that paint 10 to 15 full faces (Clown, Mermaid, Special F/X, etc.); a choice of several 8-color pallets; Sports Paint in the colors of your favorite teams; and a full complement of kits designed for the serious face painter as well as most fund-raising. To add to the fun, there are Burpo Face Painting Stamps, Neat Streaks for hair, Special Effects products/kits, temporary tattoos, peel-and-stick Gems and Jewels and more. See your local retailer.

Thomas Eakins (1844-1916)

Born in Philadelphia on July 25, 1844, Thomas Eakins studied drawing at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts from 1862 to 1866 and concurrently studied two years of anatomy at Jefferson Medical College. This study of anatomy led to a lifelong passion for scientific realism.

Thomas Eakins is now regarded as one of America's foremost realists of 19th century painting, but it did not begin that way. His paintings were strongly influenced by his scientific study of the human form and his commitment to perfect pictorial representation. To him, the human body was the most beautiful thing in the world -- not the body as an object of romance or as a set of proportions, but as a construction of bone and muscle. He was never interested in a fast track or instant capture, but in a total reality where every part of the body served and depended upon every other part. He described this as "an expression of every part of the body as a working part of a perfectly integrated structure." And his subjects were most often involved in simple, everyday activities, again lacking in the idealistic looks so popular with critics and the public as Eakins built his career.

This profound realism coupled with strong scientific clarity was not well accepted by a public that was more accustomed to the subtlety of natural landscape paintings, especially the work of the Hudson River School. He was often the butt of artistic controversy for his realism as well as his unwavering devotion to this style. Indeed, imagine if his critics were aware of a recent revelation: Eakins concealed the fact that during the 1870's and 80's he often relied on projected images and traced photographs to make paintings and watercolors!

Eakins also practiced photography, and he used his images not only as studies for paintings but also as artworks that stood on their own. He carefully printed the best images on platinum paper, often changing the format or cropping to create the perfect balance of subject and background. Even though this seems elementary today, it was considered manipulation of the media during this time. As in his other creative work, Eakins had specific goals with everything he did. In 1866, after attending the Pennsylvania Academy of Art, Eakins ventured to Paris to study under master painters and sculptors. His love of Rembrandt and the way he used the element of light had a lifelong effect on Eakins' work. Before his return to the United States in 1870, he also visited Spain and saw the work of Diego Velazquez and Jusepe de Ribera. Their sharp realistic styles, the psychological impact of their work and their use of light excited him. All these elements had a profound impact on the young American painter and added dimension to his work.

In 1876 Eakins returned to The Pennsylvania Academy and began teaching, but he became uneasy with the methods of teaching. He abhorred the use of cold, lifeless statues for teaching body structure and took it upon himself to revamp the teaching process. Eakins implemented a study not only of anatomy from an artistic approach, but also through the use of dissection as scientific perspective, revolutionizing the way art was taught in America. Although dissection is no longer a part of art education, the fundamentals of anatomy are taught today in all major art institutes.

With his keen ability to inspire, Eakins built a following of students, devoted to all the principles he followed. But despite his love of teaching, his determination and excellence and the following of devotees, Eakins was dismissed in 1886. This termination dealt with the sensational events resulting from the use of nude male models in a life drawing class attended by women.

During the latter part of his career, Eakins began to stray from scientific interests and was preoccupied with psychology and personality. His work was primarily portraiture, concentrating on domestic scenes and images of friends, scientists, musicians, artists and clergymen. When a subject was involved in any sort of motion, Eakins was meticulous with the anatomy. As always, these works show his extreme realism and near sculptural sense of form, most obvious in the sitters' heads, bodies and hands. He is best known for these portraits, done near the end of his painting career. They exemplify him as one of the finest 20th century American painters. It was said that Eakins "drove a wedge between expectations and reality, making the viewers aware of the differences between artistic convention and 'new' art."

Although none of his paintings brought him financial or popular success, Thomas Eakins had a very strong influence as a painter, a photographer and a teacher on the course of American realism. His vision, techniques and methods were well ahead of his time. His dedication to the foundation of a working knowledge of human anatomy influenced painters as to the importance of realism of form. He was also the first major artist after the American Civil War to produce a body of work that was drawn entirely from the experience of American life.

Thomas Eakins is on exhibit at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City through September 15. This exhibition displays more than 150 works in all media from institutions nationwide, reveals recent scholarly discoveries about his intentions and methods, and introduces a new generation to the full range of his accomplishments.

New FriskFilms and Template from Artool

Artool Products Company is proud to announce the availability of ART MASK Friskfilm and STRETCH MASK Friskfilm. ART MASK is a medium-tack masking film that adheres to nearly all porous surfaces. It is especially suited for all canvas applications but also works beautifully on gesso board, illustration board and Claybord and is great with watercolor papers. ART MASK is very easy to cut and lift. Plus, it is easy to apply, even on larger flat surfaces, and it will not wrinkle, bleed or flutter under airbrush spray. It will not lift up paint when removed and/or repositioned, but will stay in place thanks to the smart-tack adhesive backing. ART MASK can be used with water-based and solvent-based paints, and is available in two convenient sizes: 18" x 10 yd. and 18" x 25 yd.

Artool's STRETCH MASK Friskfilm is a multi-medium, stretchable and repositionable masking film, which is especially suited to conform to curved and irregular surfaces for painting, e.g., motorcycle tanks, helmets, and automotive shapes. STRETCH MASK is a clear film, so artwork is always in view. It is thin, has a medium tack and cuts very easily with an art knife or single-edged razor and can be effortlessly manipulated and repositioned without lifting up any paint. It will not wrinkle, bleed or flutter under airbrush spray. Artool STRETCH MASK is completely solvent-proof! It is excellent for fine artists, auto graphics painters, sign painters, hobbyists, modelers, sculptors and general airbrushers and is available in two convenient sizes: 18" x 10 yd. and 18" x 25 yd.

Artool's new Americana series Freehand Airbrush Templates, "Patriotica," were designed by renowned artist Craig Fraser. "Patriotica" comes in four easily recognizable motifs: "Red," "White," "Blue" and "Eagle One"; or ask for all four: PTR-5SP. And, as always, the Artool "Patriotica" Freehand Templates are completely solvent-proof. Visit Artool online at www.artoolproducts.com.

New Airbrush Restorer from Createx

Createx is pleased to introduce its new Airbrush Restorer. Createx Airbrush Restorer safely dissolves hardened and dried acrylic and enamel paint from airbrushes and also safely rejuvenates O-rings and PTFE packing. It is non-toxic, biodegradable, non-flammable and low vapor. To use, simply submerse the airbrush or parts for one to two hours; then rinse and spray with water.

Createx Airbrush Restorer is perfect for revitalizing any airbrush no matter how used, old or neglected it may be, and it is reusable!

New Watercolor and Automotive Airbrush Sets from Iwata-Medea

With the new Iwata-Medea Watercolor Airbrush Set you can learn how to airbrush and incorporate it into your watercolor work. Everything you need to get started airbrushing with watercolors is included: The Smart Jet Compressor with Auto Shut-off; Iwata HP-C gravity-feed; dual-action Airbrush; 8 oz. bottle of Medea Airbrush Cleaner; Schmincke Watercolor Sampler Set of six 5ml tubes; three daVinci Cosmotop Watercolor Brushes; Ampersand Claybord; Fabriano Watercolor Paper; and Six-Well Mixing Palette for thinning and mixing your own watercolor combinations.

The new Iwata-Medea Automotive Graphics Set supplies you with most of what's needed to get started airbrushing on vehicles, helmets, tanks, and virtually anything metal. Included are the new Smart Jet Compressor with Auto Shut-Off, moisture filter and air hose; Iwata Eclipse SBS side-feed, dual-action Airbrush; Pam Shanteau's new "Introduction to Airbrushing Flames" Video; Artool Freehand Template designed by renowned Flame Master Mr. J; and House of Kolor Paint Samples (three 1-oz. bottles of world famous urethanes). Visit Iwata-Medea online at www.iwata-medea.com.

See your retailer for these great new products from Artool, Createx, and Iwata-Medea!

In the Spotlight:
Schmincke Horadam Watercolors and Extra Soft Pastels

Schmincke Horadam Watercolors

All 110 colors of Schmincke HORADAM WATERCOLORS are loaded with the most lightfast pigments. And with 72 single-pigment colors, clean, brilliant mixing results are guaranteed. Schmincke's patented wetting agent system allows for seamless color blending in washes, yet ensures that the flow of color remains easily controllable, even on soft watercolor papers. HORADAM WATERCOLORS squeezed from the tube are completely usable after drying on the palette, so no paint goes to waste. All HORADAM WATERCOLORS are labeled according to lightfastness, translucence, opacity and staining capacity.

Why are Horadam pans simply the best? Schmincke takes the time to do it right, pouring their pans in a four-stage process that can take up to 48 days from the same creamy smooth formula that goes in their tubes. Because other so-called "professional" watercolor pans are actually punched or pressed from a semi-dry dough, additional gum Arabic or stabilizers must be added to the watercolor formula, and the outcome is a hard tablet that must be scrubbed before it will relinquish any pigment. With HORADAM WATERCOLOR, the first stroke of a wet brush on the surface of the pan captures the maximum pigment load, and the colors flow and blend as exactly as they should.

Schmincke Soft Pastels

Superbly creamy with rich lustrous color, Schmincke Extra Soft Pastels are the "Chocolate Decadence" of Pastels. They begin with only the most brilliant and permanent artists' pigments in the highest concentrations, bound together with minimal binder and no unnecessary chalks or fillers, so each stick is so soft the pigment practically melts into the paper, making them perfect for both soft blends and the finishing layer of highlights. At Schmincke, they make their pastels primarily by hand, and their meticulous lab ensures that if you buy their gorgeous 45D blood red or heavenly sky blue 62M this year, it will match the one you bought back in the 20th century. Treat yourself!

The complete range of 299 colors begins with 54 pure colors (designated "D"), and from each of these pure colors come 4 additional shades: one with black added to the pure color ("B") and three others with increasing additions of white added to lighten the color ("H", "M" and the palest, "O"). To round out the palette, there is a series of 11 neutral greys, black, white, a new cold black called "Serious Black," 13 gorgeous extra dark colors, and metallic gold and silver.

What's Happening to My Spray?

Many things can affect paint that is sprayed from the airbrush: hand movement, distance from the work, volume of paint, angle of spray, triggering, air pressure and more. Depending on one or more of these factors, while learning airbrush technique, the beginner will likely encounter various undesirable effects. Following are some to watch out for:

Barbell Effect. This is when globs of paint appear at the beginning and end of an airbrushed line. It is caused by hesitation of arm/hand movement at the beginning and end of the stroke. Prevent this by keeping the hand moving before and after the line is painted, i.e., before you draw back on and after you release the trigger. Another type of barbell is the flared stroke, and this is caused by two factors--the hesitation as described above and also the fact that the artist is not moving his entire arm when spraying (but is simply moving his wrist). This means the airbrush is closer to the surface in the center of the movement and further away at both endings.

Freak Drops. Every beginner makes these and at first they are fun to do. These are "spider" drops that you get by holding the airbrush in one place and spraying a large amount of paint, so much that the air blows the paint around into a "spider" shape. Again, this is fun for beginners, but you certainly don't want it to happen in the middle of an illustration. The factors for this happening are three: holding the airbrush in one place, too much paint, and being too close to the work surface.

The "centipede" effect is an offshoot of the freak drop. Again, this elicits oohs and aahs when first done, but later is considered a mistake. The centipede resembles just that and is a line in which too much paint was applied, the hand movement was too slow and most likely too close to the work surface, thus blowing the paint into an undesirable configuration.

Blow Outs. These occur in freak drops, centipedes and anything else when the artist accidentally applies only air, which then hollows out the wet paint that has been applied. This air pressure, in turn, causes the white of the paper to show through.

Curved Stroke. When you make a short, straight line but it ends up being curved, it is because you are airbrushing by moving just your wrist and not your entire arm. When using the airbrush, hold it directly at the work surface and move your entire arm as you spray. Keep your arm, hand, and airbrush straight toward the work--the only way to achieve a consistent spray of a given width.

The Speck. This is always an annoying occurrence. It's the glob of paint that comes out of the airbrush as you begin to spray and hits the work surface (when all you wanted was air)! Unbeknownst to you, this tiny droplet of paint was transferred to the front of the airbrush the last time you sprayed. When the trigger was released to shut off the airbrush, the droplet traveled forward with the needle; it was then blown off onto the work when you next began to spray. Therefore, whenever you start to spray, it is highly recommended that you do a test spray to insure that there is no droplet lurking. A couple spritzes of air and you will know that it's safe to continue. To prevent the speck in the first place, be cautious when turning off the airbrush spray. Don't just flick the trigger off; rather, gently lift it.

There are many variables in the proper use of an airbrush. Practice makes perfect, and having the knowledge to prevent potential mistakes will allow you to spray with ease and encounter minimal frustration.

New Museum Debuts--The new $21 million National Cowgirl Museum & Hall of Fame has opened in Ft. Worth, TX. Its mission is to honor and document the accomplishments of pioneering women, and artist Georgia O'Keeffe is among the 158 women included in the hall of fame.

Sculpture Completed--"Ascent," a 70 ft. tall abstract swirling silver spire by noted sculptor John Safer, has been completed and is temporarily on view at Tallix in Beacon, NY. The work is to be installed at the Udvar-Hazy Center at Washington Dulles International Airport in northern Virginia, a new extension of the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum.

Painting Sets Records--A painting recently attributed to Flemish Master Rubens has set several records at auction at Sotheby's-London. At $76.7 million, "The Massacre of the Innocents" (1609-1611) received the third highest price ever paid for a painting at auction as well as the highest auction price ever for an old master painting.

Surprise Discovery Made--While visiting New York recently, the director of the National Galleries of Scotland in Edinburgh rummaged through boxes of old drawings of light fixtures at the Cooper-Hewitt Design Museum. And he discovered what he and authorities believe is likely a 17 x 10 inch chalk drawing by Michelangelo!

Exhibitions

Chadds Ford, PA -- Brandywine River Museum -- A Summer Idyll: Landscapes of the Brandywine Valley features approximately 70 original landscapes by many of America's greatest artists depicting southeastern Pennsylvania and northern Delaware during the summer months. Through Sept. 2.

Princeton, NJ -- Princeton University Art Museum -- Japanese Woodblock Prints: Gifts from Anne van Biema includes 16 prints organized to show the development of woodblock printing techniques, pigments, and styles from the mid-eighteenth to the nineteenth centuries. Through Sept. 1.

San Francisco, CA -- Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, Legion of Honor -- Eternal Egypt is the first major exhibition to take an art historical approach to this great culture and the first in this country to be drawn solely from the British Museum's outstanding collection of Egyptian antiquities--nearly 150 renowned masterpieces and other treasures. Opening Aug. 10 through Nov. 11.

Portland, OR -- Portland Art Museum -- Beyond Beads and Feathers consists of approximately 36 recent works of art (painting and sculpture) by six contemporary Native American artists who live outside the greater Portland region. This exhibition will enable visitors to experience a variety of works that expand the concept of what Native American art is and also to see how contemporary Native American artists continue to be inspired by their own cultural traditions while also being influenced by the contemporary world in which we all live. Through Dec. 1.

Poughkeepsie, NY -- The Frances Lehman Loeb Art Center at Vassar College -- Made in Woodstock: Printmaking from 1903 to 1945 traces the diversity and richness of original prints made in Woodstock, NY, one of the most well-known art colonies in the U.S. Through Sept. 15.

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Copyright ARTtalk Vol. 12 No. 10 -- August 2002