Charcoal portrait commission
Charcoal is a form of a dry art medium made of finely ground organic materials that are held together by a gum or wax binder or produced without the use of binders by eliminating the oxygen inside the material during the production process. These charcoals are often used by artists for their versatile properties, such as the rough texture that leaves marks less permanent than other Visual arts media. Charcoal can produce lines that are very light or intensely black, while being hard to remove completely. The dry medium can be applied to almost any surface from smooth to very coarse. Fixatives are often used with charcoal drawings to solidify the position to prevent erasing or rubbing off of charcoal dusts.
Material used in a charcoal portrait commission
Pitt compressed charcoal stick, oil free, medium
Natural charcoal sticks are the oldest sketching and drawing material in the world and is particularly valued in the drawing of commissioned charcoal portraits. The greyish-blue shade glides softly across the paper, rubs and smudges easily, and can be erased without difficulty and repeatedly overlaid. Their blueish hue has always held a fascination, even with the old masters. The charcoal pencils leave a much blacker line. Compressed charcoal with soot and clay give the charcoal pencils their deep black colour and can be produced in different degree of hardness.