Title: Charcoal duck
Size: 28 cm x 43 cm Medium: Charcoal on paper Completion date: August 30, 2021 Exhibition Text: The main purpose of this charcoal drawing was to practice ones skill set regarding charcoal and shading. This project had no artist attached to it and furthermore, was not connected to any specific art movement. Success was evident in proficiency of shading and reflection skills. |
Planning
I began my charcoal still life project by first taking a picture of my duck taxidermy and deciding what part of it I wanted to focus on. I decided to focus on the head portion and feathers. I would try and work with the charcoal to depict the duck's fluffy texture. It was important for the success of this piece that I spent adequate time examining little things such as the direction of the birds feathers and the way said feathers overlapped. I made sure to spend a decent amount of time just noticing things about the bird from all different angles, not just the angle I would be working from. After that I took a picture from the exact angle I would be depicting and noted the shadows and reflections present from that angle. |
Experimentation and Process
I started my process by laying down a base layer of charcoal to give my paper some color. This is important in ensuring that white spaces are not left on the paper at the end, therefore helping the drawing to appear much more realistic and completed. Then I sketched out a rough estimate of what I wanted the duck to look like. I tried to work on keeping the different parts of the animal to scale as well as providing a nice outline for myself come time to work on more detail. For this part of the drawing, I used a type of charcoal called line charcoal which is especially good for sketching as it is thin and easy to erase. I implemented short, quick strokes into my work in order to keep the rough sketch malleable in the next steps. Finally, I compared the sketch to the bird one last time to check scale and angles before moving onto the next step.
Finally, it was time to start using my compressed charcoal. Compressed charcoal is beneficial when it comes to getting deeper blacks in your artwork, however it is hard to erase and should be used in moderation. I used the compressed charcoal to start working on the deep blacks of the head and feathers of the bird.
Reflection
Overall, I’m proud of the skill set that I displayed in my bird drawing. I enjoyed working with solely black, grey and white because it caused me to reevaluate shadows and highlights and focus on perfecting said elements of my art. If i had more time I would have finished shading the rest of the bird and focused more on details such as the feathers of the bird. Furthermore, I would spend more time on the background, adding needed detail to create a more realistic picture. I did an incredible job with contrast and emphasis, not being afraid to lay down those deep blacks.