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Playing with charcoal is fun... messy, but fun. Here are some demonstration works from my recent Thursday morning classes: Reductive drawing of Sunflowers by Linda Weil ©

Reductive charcoal drawing (or reverse/negative drawing) is a creative method where you first darken the entire sheet of paper with the side of a charcoal stick, then smudge back with your hand or rag to create an even grey tone. Your eraser then becomes your drawing tool and you use a white eraser to define the main forms. A kneadable eraser or blue tack or even tape can be used to further define white highlights. Darker elements are added with soft charcoal. It is a very malleable and almost sculptural way of drawing - but make sure your paper can handle the process.
Positive charcoal studies with white charcoal highlights on toned paper by Linda Weil ©

Drawing in a positive method is often more intuitively comfortable for students, and charcoal is a quick and expressive medium for fast studies. By using a toned paper and white charcoal for highlights you can get some good effects. These little were done quite quickly, each shell between 5 to 15 minutes.

These are fun ideas Linda, especially the reductive drawing method. It sounds like it might be a forgiving way of drawing even though the idea of negative drawing takes a little getting used to. I love the idea of drawing with an eraser.

Super subject, Linda, and I totally love your results!

The shell at the left does remind me of "Hot Lips" our goldfish. Just to be different, she's a white goldfish wearing bright red lipstick

Named after Hotlips Houlihan from MASH of course

Seriously, I do love both the technique and the results.

...even though the idea of negative drawing takes a little getting used to. I love the idea of drawing with an eraser.

So do I. And sometimes it produces very unexpected but perfect results. Results I would never have consciously thought of drawing. If anyone's new to the technique, check out this video from the Basic Techniques series,

The reductive method sounds interesting. I have charcoal from years ago, but have never really used it because it IS messy. I’ll have to try this. One of my hobbies is card making and this looks like an interesting style for cards (after a fixative is added, of course).

Hotlips-What a great name for a red lipped fish Mike! Mash- That was one of my, as well as my husband’s, favorite shows

Hot Lips was always an inspiration to me... after she dumped Frank that is. lol, interesting you see fish lips. All I could see when I finished it was a frog.
and I love that video - it is a great one - I often recommend your Basic Technique series to people.

Laurene and Shmush - reductive is a great way to draw. it is malleable and can be quite forgiving, but when using charcoal you do have to give up some control to the medium as it does not allow slow detail like graphite. You have to be willing to play with it and let it win the argument sometimes.

The only thing I did with charcoal a a main medium were those loose free hand sketches of cats fo my sister...
I did enjoy it!
I never tried negative technique...
Interesting!
Thank you for share