Charcoal

Tips about Charcoal:

• There are three main kinds of charcoal: Powdered, Compressed and Willow or Vine

• Dark grey residue consisting of carbon and any remaining ash

• Its made by heating wood with the absence of oxygen

• Its important to preserve your work with some kind of fixative

• No amount of fixative will ever make a charcoal smudge proof

• You can protect your work with glassine sheets or frame under glass

• Matte fixatives ( workable ) can be erased

• Do not blend charcoal with your bare fingers, the oils on your fingers will yellow the surface, darken your charcoal and create less even blotchy ground

• Use blending stumps and tortillions ( drawing tools made of tightly wrapped paper) available just next to the charcoal in our store.