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!

Comments

Unknown said…
This is really atmospheric, Vivien. I love charcoal too - but A3, wow that's a lot of paper! Pushaboutable - that's a brilliant new word and should be in the dictionary !
9:47 pm
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