Charcoal or Graphite? A Medium Choice
30 Nov 2017I love drawing. Always have.
The biggest problem is figuring out what I love drawing with the most. It’s like letting a children loose in a candy store; there are so many options to choose from that they can’t simply pick a favorite. Ever since I was a kid, using graphite pencil had always been my go-to medium. It wasn’t until my freshman year in high school that I discovered another love – charcoal. From then on, finding new things to draw with and figuring out how to use them became an addiction. I tried everything from colored pencils to pastels. And at one point, I also experimented in painting with acrylic and watercolor. However, the connection I felt while using graphite pencil and charcoal was undeniable. I really love the challenge of instilling life into an art piece by only using one color—black (or technically gray). Although graphite and charcoal are in the same drawing media, these two rivals tend to differ in convenience, sensitivity, and value.
Since I’ve used it for the majority of my life (whether it be for writing or drawing), I immediately turn to graphite pencil for its familiarity and convenience. The pencil feels so comfortable in the hand that it makes drawing all the more enjoyable. I can’t seem to get the same feel with vine or compressed charcoal due to the vine’s blocky shape and thick volume and the compressed charcoal’s awkward size. Charcoal also smudges very easily, which can be both a weakness and a strength.
I can’t express how many times I’ve found myself covered in charcoal, whether it be my clothes, hands, or face. The charcoal is so sensitive that even the slightest touch will leave fingerprints all over the canvas. Unlike charcoal, when drawing with graphite pencil my hand can rest anywhere on the paper with ease, and it doesn’t have to resort to uncomfortable contortions to keep from smudging. The downside to graphite is that it is so controlling and precise that any harsh line work done on the piece sticks to the paper like an annoying younger sibling that never leaves your side.
However, with charcoal, it’s so delicate, it makes for a nice smooth application. The easily blendable characteristic of charcoal also makes it faster to work with, giving an artist the opportunity to work on a larger canvas, which is more visually attractive to wider audiences. So, although the sensitivity of charcoal can be frustrating at times, it’s well worth it for a beautifully rendered final product.
With charcoal, artists can easily achieve a full tonal range of value without being hindered by precise detail work. The main thing I love about working with charcoal is that it allows an artist to be more expressive and fluid. My movements become more open, and the atmosphere is very free. When working with graphite pencil, I notice myself intensely moving closer to the paper until my face is nearly inches apart. I get so caught up in drawing every little detail that I don’t take a second to step back from my work and look at it from the audience’s perspective. During my closed-off, tense state, I don’t notice the problems with my piece—hurting the overall value of the art. All in all, graphite pencil can be very appealing in the amount of precision it gives an artist while charcoal is animated and unrestricted.
In the end, I really enjoy both of these mediums when drawing. Determining which one I want to use usually has to do with either my mood or the subject I’m drawing. They are so different and fun to work with, but if I had to pick one—I’d choose charcoal. Graphite pencils are great. They are clean, easy to travel with, and comfortable to hold. It is, however, so much faster to get a good quality art piece with charcoal versus graphite. I never feel the rush when working with charcoal because I’m always able to maximize the results I get in whatever little time available. Maybe this is because charcoal is faster to work with or perhaps it’s easier to achieve a larger range of value. It also has richness to it, making drawing with charcoal a completely unique experience. If you are new to learning how to draw, use graphite pencil for a few drawings and then get your hands on some charcoal supplies; you won’t regret it.