The Secrets to Drawing: Charcoal
This course features:
5 Hours of Instruction
28 Videos
26 eBooks
30 Day Money Back Guarantee
Lesson Description
A look at the drawing medium, charcoal. Concepts covered include charcoal forms and applications.
Lesson Materials
Vine charcoal, compressed charcoal (white and black), white or gray drawing paper, kneaded eraser, blending tool.
Lesson Resources
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Course Curriculum
Lesson 1: Introduction (5:03)Lesson 2: Line (14:25)Lesson 3: Shape (8:19)Lesson 4: Form (13:00)Lesson 5: Value (11:59)Lesson 6: Space (6:13)Lesson 7: One Point Perspective (12:58)Lesson 8: Two Point Perspective (12:13)Lesson 9: Three Point Perspective (10:27)Lesson 10: Basic Drawing Techniques (15:03)Lesson 11: Drawing From Life (9:01)Lesson 12: Drawing From Photos (15:25)Lesson 13: Composition (12:20)Lesson 14: Graphite (9:00)Lesson 15: Charcoal (10:32)Lesson 16: Ink (9:00)Lesson 17: Color (14:28)Lesson 18: Colored Pencils (11:56)
Lesson 19: Oil Pastels (11:51)Lesson 20: Soft Pastels (11:21)Lesson 21: Facial Proportions (13:56)Lesson 22: The Eye (14:05)Lesson 23: The Nose and Mouth (12:24)Lesson 24: The Ear (4:51)Lesson 25: Hair (14:02)Lesson 26: Figure Drawing (20:00)Lesson 27: Foreshortening (12:54)Lesson 28: Conclusion (2:58)
Hi my name is Hyesuk! I am a new student! I really like the way your teaching!
I can’t download the e-book. Perhaps the link is broken? Loving the course and I am noticing an improvement in my drawings.
I can’t download the lesson on Charcoal either! Very disappointing!
Hi Marlyn,
Could you tell me the error message you are receiving? It seems that everything is working normally. There is a slight delay before the download begins.
Hi Matt.
I am in the process of buying some charcoal for this assignment. Is there a difference between compressed charcoal and charcoal pencils? Should I stick with the compressed charcoal sticks and vine?
I just watched the video, so disregard my question.
Charcoal is a media that is amazing to me for some reason. I feel like the simplicity to it, combined with the amazing work you can create with it just blows my mind. Charcoal is something I would really like to keep practicing and become a lot better with. Great Video!
This video was great but kept stalling and freezing ….it took forever to watch it…. I closed all the other tabs I had open. I am using a Safari browser; have you had issues with it before???
Hi Frankie,
This is called buffering and occurs when your internet connection cannot keep up to play the video in high definition. You can scroll over the player and click on the “HD” logo to turn off high definition which will allow the video to load faster.
This lesson represents a breakthrough moment for me. I knew about shades and tints but didn’t really grasp the understanding of lights and darks until I followed this lesson. It was a perfect A-hah moment.
Awesome Michelle!
I loved working with charcoal! Thanks for your clear instructions.
Absolutely Donna! Thanks for your comment!
My questions may be naive but I’m a beginner to drawing and art. Is there any concern on the effects charcoal may have on the skin? Also, will a fixative or finish keep the charcoal from smudging after the drawing is completed or does the charcoal become permanent on its own? If a fixative is needed, do you recommend any particular kind or brand? I have a can of Krylon Low Odor Clear Finish; will that work okay? Thank you.
Hi Marc,
Not sure how it may effect the skin, but it’s definitely not good to inhale. Charcoal will always smudge unless you apply fixative. I typically don’t apply fixative because it affects the values. But if smudging is a big concern, then fixative may be the best option for you. I would look for “Final Fixative” – you can usually find it at the local art store with the drawing supplies.
Is charcoal used mostly for landscapes ?? Can it be used for drawing people?
Hi Salvador,
Charcoal can be used for drawing any subject. It can definitely be used for portraits. Here’s a look at using charcoal with portraits…http://thevirtualinstructor.com/how-to-draw-portrait-charcoal.html
I just watched the charcoal module and then tried the apple exercise. The result was surprisingly good for a first attempt with charcoal. I loved working with this messy medium!
Your lessons are addicting. I just joined a week ago and find myself going through as many videos as I can fit into the day. What a great teacher you are – very precise, organized and easy to follow. This is a life changer for a 75 year-old retired teacher who was playing far too many computer games before I found The Virtual Instructor.
Thank you.
Hi Matt, just wondering about the oil in your skin, in previous videos you have mentioned that rubbing your finger over pencil drawing will leave an oil mark, this doesn’t seem to apply to charcoal?
Regards Tracey
PS. Loving everything your teaching us
Hi Tracey,
Thanks! For whatever reason, the graphite behaves differently from the charcoal. The charcoal seems to resist the oils from our skin, but graphite is another story.
Hi Matt, Are there any specific brands of vine charcoal that you would recommend? What about charcoal pencil brands?
Hi Meenakshi,
Any of the well known brands of charcoal will do. I like General’s products, but with charcoal, there’s not a broad spectrum of quality.