The Crowns at Botallack, charcoal plein air sketch, A3 sketchpad

The Crowns at Botallack, charcoal sketch, A3, Vivien Blackburn

I was determined to sketch these old engine houses in charcoal on this visit - the wildness of the place, the old stone buildings - it just seems so much the right medium.   I'd like to do an A1 version of this - or if I've got a sheet of the larger Fabriano paper left, an even larger one.


I do like charcoal.   It's such a painterly medium for drawing, so easily adjustable - smudging out to pale soft washes or left intense and black, drawn back into with an eraser to 'draw' lights back in, like the flowers at the front.  Endlessly pushaboutable!