LEARN TO DRAW IN CHARCOAL

Class starts on January 22, 2024

This is a drawing class for those of you who would like to learn the secrets of this wonderful medium, and those of you who may have some experience but want to learn more. This class will teach you the difference between different types of charcoal and blending techniques. Each class will start with samples of art created in charcoal and I will teach you: how to make different marks, linear & side strokes, ways to blend white and black charcoals on various supports, using your erasers to pull out highlights. Charcoals are very versatile and you can create simple or complex drawings.

WHAT TO BRING 

Charcoal set with compressed charcoal, charcoal pencils in black and white, vine charcoal, 2 kneaded erasers, 9 x 12 newsprint pad, 9 x 12 charcoal paper pad, fixative spray, paper stumps, pencil sharpener, sandpaper pad for sharpening. Also bring newspaper for under your work each week, paper towels, drawing pencil, roll of waxed paper, masking tape, drawing board if you have one, or make one from a sheet of foam core cut in half & taped together. Please wear clothing you do not mind getting dirty.

I have created a Wish List on Dick Blick if you would like to consult it for the types of supplies needed. You do NOT need to order from them. You can find similar items on Amazon.

https://www.dickblick.com/lists/wishlist/3R6680U2G2JAP

CLASS STARTS 

Monday, January 22, and is for 8 weeks. We will have class on Monday holiday. Class is from 12:30pm to 2:30pm cost is $180.00, no refunds. Minimum 3 students, maximum 6 students. To hold your spot please mail a check directly to: Revelle Taillon, 26 West Pine Street, Plaistow, NH 03865. For more information, and to see if there is room left in this class, call 603-548-6694 or email rtaillon@comcast.net. A percentage of each tuition is donated to the Seacoast Artist Association Scholarship Fund. 

CLASS WILL BE TAUGHT

by Revelle Taillon, a member of the Seacoast Artist Association in Exeter, NH. She holds a BFA from the University Lowell and has won regional and national awards. Her blog has samples of her artwork and techniques and information on this class and other classes she teaches. http://revelleimagemaker.blogspot.com.

Class is taught at Seacoast Artist Association

130 Water Street, Exeter NH

seacoast artist.org

Finally finished this charcoal portrait of one of my grandaughters

I've started teaching charcoal drawing classes and with that, I have rediscovered how wonderful they are! I did a Corgi a while back and then it was no stopping me! I like toned paper as it gives me a third color to use within the piece. If you haven't started using charcoal, have a try. They can be messy on your finders, but you can just erase your fingers with your kneaded eraser!

New Summer Art Class: Learn to draw in Charcoal. June 2017. Click on image to enlarge.

Blake Blanco Intense Artist. Check him out on Instagram!

https://www.instagram.com/blake_blanco/

The wind is howling!

It's the second day of spring and the ground is covered with snow and the wind is howling! Had to go out, but glad to be back inside. I have to teach a charcoal drawing class tonight, and I believe I will have them draw crows. Should be fun and messy.

NEW DRAWING II CLASS BEGINS MAY 20!

New May Drawing Class!
Intermediate Drawing 2 Class

If you have learned all the basics in a beginners drawing class, perhaps you are ready to move up to an intermediate class. Here you will work more on adding finesse to your drawings and paying closer attention to detail, perspective, proportions, shading, blending, composition, contrast. You will work in pencil, charcoal, and pen and ink and explore more fully the different papers that are available for drawing, and what a difference they can make to your final artwork. You will work from still lives and photos.

What to bring: A small sketchbook for daily practice (5”x 8” is fine). Fine tip black markers, a set of drawing pencils, kneaded eraser, hard white eraser, black and white charcoal, sharpener, and paper stumps for blending. Bring a selection of drawing papers in your choice of colors to class, at least 9" x 12". Some great papers are: plate or vellum bristol board, Canson Mi-Teintes, Stonehenge, Strathmore, Arches Hot Pressed watercolor paper. Large sheets can be folded and torn into smaller sheets. Check these out online if you are not sure where to find them, at dickblick.com.

Class starts: Tuesday, May 20th, 2014, and runs 5 weeks, 10:30 to 1:30 pm. Cost is $135.00.
To hold your spot please mail a check directly to: Revelle Taillon, 26 West Pine Street, Plaistow, NH 03865.
Phone: 603-382-3397
Email: rtaillon@comcast.net
Blog: www.revelleimagemaker.blogspot.com

Class will be taught by Revelle Taillon, member of the Seacoast Artist Association. She holds a BFA in graphic design and illustration, runs her own design/illustration studio, and has been teaching art for 4 years.

First attempts to use charcoal

I am giving a young student some private lessons and these are the first assignments he turned in, using charcoal. He is so talented! Awesome is not even the best word. This young man is blowing my mind with his natural talent. Can you tell on the skull, which is the photo and which is the drawing?

"Do Not Disturb"

My two elephants drawing is finally complete and is hanging in a show at Seacoast Artist Association. I'm including some more of the steps I did before I got to the final piece. I used both graphite and charcoal, smudging along with a stump to keep my fingers off the piece. I did a lot of research before I settled on the background. I'm pretty happy with the way it turned out. All told, I probably spent over 20 hours on this piece. I'm including some detail shots also. Final size is about 8.75 x 11.75 inches on Canson paper. My title is "Do Not disturb" because I believe all animals deserve dignity and to be left alone in areas where they can thrive. I want my great great great grandchildren to still be able to appreciate their beauty and dignity when they grow up.

When I start a drawing, I look closely at what to leave in and what to take out, what changes to make overall to the composition and how to make it more unique. I love working on the animals eyes and usually change them somewhat. With these guys, they were just big black dots so I added in detail after researching close-ups of elephant eyes. Google makes it so much easier to find reference material. Never just settle on the photo you have in front of you. Make it your own. You'll be happier with the results.

So I start my drawing laying out the large shapes and outlines of the animal in pencil, turning my paper around several time as I go to be sure I have the positive and negative shapes correct. Then I usually start on the eyes and then start adding light details, which I will later build up in layers. I have my trusty gummed eraser in case I get too dark or want to bring out some highlights. It's all very relaxing and meditative, no matter how many times I draw. I just love it. Time flies by and I loose all sense of time. Enjoy!

Elephants in graphite and charcoal

version 1

version 2

I've been fooling around in graphite and charcoal for a month or so and started this portrait of two elephants. It's going slow, slower than I thought. Their skin is so complex! I started with pencil and now I'm adding charcoal to get the tone right. Lots of blending with a stump as I go along, and removing highlights with a kneaded eraser. I'll keep posting as I go along.

version 3