OUTFIT NECESSARY FOR CHARCOAL AND CRAYON DRAWING.
The first thing to be provided is an easel, which is used now entirely
for drawing, it being considered much better practice to work in an
upright position than in the old-fashioned way of leaning over a table.
This easel may be of the simplest character, and is made of three
straight bars of pine wood jointed so as to stand upright, with holes
perforated through two of the bars about two or three inches apart.
Through these holes pegs are stuck upon which to hold a narrow wooden
tray. Upon this the stretcher, drawing-board, or portfolio is placed.
DRAWING-BOARD.
This board is made from any light wood, and should measure about 20×24
inches square, and be as thin as it can be made without warping.
[Illustration: THE EASEL.]
In place of the drawing-board, many artists prefer to use a large
pasteboard portfolio made with covers stiff enough to serve as a
foundation in drawing, while its convenience as a receptacle for the
reserve sheets of paper and finished work is obvious.
The portfolio which is now most in use, is generally covered with
smooth mottled paper outside, and should be large enough to hold
without folding the regular sheets of charcoal paper; 20×24 inches will
be sufficient for this.
THE PAPER.
There are a great many varieties of charcoal and crayon paper, some
smooth, some rough. For ordinary purposes, such as making studies
and life drawings, the rough French charcoal paper is the best. That
used in the French schools is of two kinds; the roughest is called
the “Michelet” paper, and the other is known as “Lalanne.” They are,
however, very similar in texture, and either one will serve the
purpose. These come in sheets of uniform sizes, costing from three to
six cents each.
For more careful drawings, such as finely finished portraits in
charcoal and crayon, a more expensive paper is to be preferred. This
comes in much larger sheets and should be stretched before using.
Whatman’s rough crayon paper is among the best for this purpose. In
all cases, both for studies and finished portraits, the white paper,
generally a yellow-white, being preferable to blue-white.
HOW TO STRETCH PAPER.
Paper is stretched and mounted for this work in the following manner:
A simple frame of wood is made an inch or two wide and three-quarters
of an inch or more in thickness, according to the size of the drawing
to be made. This is covered with cotton cloth stretched as tight as
possible and tacked all along the four sides. The cloth is turned over
and tacked on the outside of the stretcher, not on the face of it,
which should present a perfectly smooth, flat surface.
The paper having been cut the proper size, that is, large enough to
turn over nearly an inch all around, is dampened on the wrong side. To
do this take a clean cloth dipped in cold water, lay the paper flat
upon a table and pass the cloth rapidly all over the surface, wetting
it evenly.
Have ready some good flour paste and put this all around the edge of
the paper for about an inch. Now begin to spread the paper while still
damp upon the cloth-covered stretcher, starting at the bottom and
working upward, carefully smoothing out with the hands all creases or
air bubbles. Turn over and press down the edges of the paper which have
been covered with the paste, holding them till they stick to the cloth,
and cut a V-shaped piece from each corner of the paper, so that it will
fold over neatly.
This takes time and experience to do well, but is worth the trouble,
for crayon portraits especially.
For ordinary studies and drawings, the Michelet or Lalanne paper
fastened to the portfolio or drawing-board with thumb tacks is quite
sufficient.
CHARCOAL.
There are many different kinds of charcoal offered by dealers. All that
is necessary, however, is a medium quality of imported charcoal, such
as the Fusains Venitians, costing 30 cts. a box of fifty sticks. Finer
and more expensive kinds are the Conte and Rouget charcoal.
CRAYON.
Among the various manufactures of crayons that most generally preferred
by artists is the French crayon Conté. This comes in several numbers,
and is to be had in two forms. First, the wooden pencils, which are
very convenient, and again, the short sticks of black crayon, which
are sold by the dozen. These are much cheaper than the pencils, and are
fastened in a holder while using. The Conté crayon No. 2 is sufficient
for all purposes, therefore it is unnecessary to have the several
different numbers so often recommended.
Another kind of crayon is also used by some artists in addition to the
stick crayon. This is a fine, black, powdered crayon, called the “sauce
crayon,” and comes put up in little tin cases. It is very useful when
large masses of dark are necessary, and is rubbed on with a stump,
while the stick crayons and charcoal sticks are sharpened to a point
before using.
Stumps are made variously of leather, chamois-skin and paper. The most
useful in charcoal and crayon drawing are the paper stumps, which will
be found to answer every purpose. The paper stumps come in two forms;
first, the gray, rough paper stumps with points on both ends; these are
made in various sizes, from the smallest, which measures only about
one fourth of an inch in diameter, up to those measuring an inch and
more.
[Illustration: STUMPS.]
The other form of paper stump, known as the tortillon, is made of
strips of paper rolled to a point like spills, and sold in bundles of
a dozen for a few cents. Some artists prefer these, but for general
purposes, the double-pointed paper stump is the best. About six of
these are necessary: two large, two medium, and two very small ones;
for it is always better to have a clean duplicate of each size.
BREAD.
A supply of the soft part of home-made, if possible, or good ordinary
baker’s bread, one day old, is indispensable. This should not have any
butter, or even milk, in its composition, otherwise it will grease the
paper, which naturally should be avoided, as grease spots are most
difficult to overcome.
The bread is used for rubbing out charcoal or crayon, erasing mistakes,
and for taking out lights from a mass of dark. The soft crumb is rolled
between the fingers until a point is formed, and then applied to the
paper. It is surprising what brilliant effects can be obtained by means
of this simple process; its full resources can only be understood by
practice.
THE RUBBER STUMP.
This consists of a long, narrow bar of fine artist’s rubber, ground to
a point on each end. It is used for rubbing out small spots in places
where the bread can not be so easily managed, and where a firmer point
is needed.
It is also useful in modeling fine details of the features, and in
places where, the surface of the paper being worn by rubbing, the bread
will not act satisfactorily.
These cost from five to ten cents each, according to size.
RAGS.
A fine, soft cotton rag is one of the most important adjuncts to our
outfit, as it is impossible to work without one. The rag is used
sometimes to dust off charcoal from the paper, and if the charcoal has
not been very heavily used, the rag is often sufficient, neither bread
nor rubber being necessary.
A rag is also useful when too much charcoal or crayon has been rubbed
on a tone.
Let us say, for instance, a shadow appears too black. A soft rag is
passed gently over the surface, taking care not to rub too hard, and
the superfluous charcoal or crayon will come off, leaving a beautiful
soft tone of much lighter quality behind.
This tone can of course be darkened somewhat, or worked over in any
manner desired.
The rag is often used in sketching landscapes, to spread a smooth, even
tint for the sky. Many artists prefer it to a stump for this purpose.
A fine, soft cotton rag is rolled in a long, smooth roll, and applied
lightly to the surface of the paper.
The charcoal may be powdered in such a case if preferred, or for
crayon drawing the “sauce crayon” is used.
TO “FIX” DRAWINGS.
Charcoal will of course rub off, and drawings become smeared and
defaced if left unprotected. For that reason it is customary to “fix”
the drawing by the application of some preparation to its surface.
This should be done with much care, and only the very best materials
should be used for this purpose. Amateurs and students sometimes
endeavor to manufacture fixative for themselves out of shellac and
alcohol. This may succeed in fixing the drawing, but will be very
liable to turn the paper yellow in time. Artists, therefore, prefer to
buy an imported fixative, which is made by a reliable manufacturer.
That most generally in use, and which we have found by experience to
be in every way satisfactory, is the _Fixatif Rouget_, which comes in
good-sized glass bottles, costing at retail fifty cents each.
There are two methods of fixing drawings. First, that in which the
fixative is applied to the back of the drawing. This is preferred by
some artists; and the French students, who are only anxious to preserve
their drawings, without regard to the changing of color in the paper,
use milk, with which they wash over the back of the drawing.
In cases where a large design or cartoon is made in charcoal for
temporary use, this way will answer perfectly, being very much less
expensive than the other. The fixative Meusnier, which is imported by
all dealers, is also applied to the back of the paper with a large
brush.
The other method, and that generally preferred, is to apply the
fixative to the front or surface of the drawing.
This process should of course be managed with care, as too much
fixative will cause the charcoal to run down in streaks, while too
little will cause it to come off in spots.
The fixative for applying to the surface of the drawing is sprayed
through a glass atomizer by blowing through one tube while the other
rests in the bottle containing the liquid.
These atomizers are now sold by all art dealers, and may be had from
the simplest and most inexpensive kind up to those represented by quite
a costly apparatus. The cheapest consist of two small tubes of glass,
pointed at one end and straight at the other. These are connected by
two bands of metal, which in turn are fastened together by a small
hinge or pivot.
This is so arranged that the two tubes of glass meet at a right angle,
the small pointed ends coming in contact, but so as to leave both
orifices open.
One end, as already mentioned, is now placed in the fixative, while
through the other the breath is blown. This causes the liquid to mount
in the lower tube and dissolve in a cloud of spray which is so light as
not to dislodge the delicate particles of the charcoal and yet will
attach them firmly to the paper, so that ordinary rubbing will not
efface the drawing.
Great care should be taken in blowing through an atomizer to make
the breath as steady as possible, avoiding short, unequal puffs. The
atomizer must not be held too near to allow the particles to vaporize
sufficiently, or else the fixative will run down in streams and ruin
the drawing. Again, if held too far off, it will vaporize too much, and
will fail to fix the charcoal at all.
The more expensive vaporizers, while conducted on the same principle,
are supplied with air from one or sometimes two rubber globes or balls,
which have the advantage of transmitting the air in a regular stream,
and one is thus saved the fatigue of blowing with the mouth, which, in
case of a large drawing, becomes very tiresome.
These atomizers are generally made with metal tubes, which will become
clogged and useless unless washed out after using each time, with warm
water. The simple glass atomizers must also be kept clean in this way,
for they are very easily broken if a pin is used to clean the openings,
and the slightest break at the joints renders them useless.
OUTFIT FOR SKETCHING.
Charcoal is used by artists for sketching out of doors in preference to
any other material, as by its means such quick results are obtained and
large effects produced with comparative ease.
As one never knows how long a tramp will be necessary before the proper
subject or view appears, it is well to make every thing as compact as
possible.
A small sketching easel which can be reduced to a thin bundle of sticks
is considered indispensable by some, but as this is rather awkward to
carry, most artists prefer a block.
THE BLOCK, OR PAD.
This consists of a number of sheets of charcoal paper, cut exactly
the same size, laid together and pressed so as to greatly reduce the
bulk of the paper in its ordinary shape. These form a block or table of
sufficient substance and firmness to be held comfortably upon the knees
while sketching.
The upper leaf is used for the drawing, and is then loosened with a
penknife passed around the edges, which are held together with a band
of paper. This leaf is then easily detached from the block, and being
fixed is laid aside while another drawing is commenced on the clean
sheet exposed on the top of the block.
These blocks can be bought already prepared at any good art dealers at
reasonable prices, which vary according to the size and quality of the
paper.
A block made of ordinary French charcoal paper measuring 4½×6 inches
costs at retail, 25 cents. A small block like this is only good for
pocket sketches and notes. A more useful size is 6×9, which may be
obtained for 35 cents.
A still larger one, measuring 10×14, can be procured for 70 cents. Any
thing beyond this must be made to order, and will in that case be more
expensive in proportion.
A small camp stool is necessary to the sketching outfit, and this
should be made as light as possible. These are made in various shapes,
so as to fold up as tightly as possible, and are provided by all
dealers at from fifty cents up.
Some are even to be found combined with the sketching easel. These are
very convenient, being made in so compact a form as to occupy very
little more space than either an easel or camp stool separately.
Such an apparatus costs $5.50 at retail. The small, light folding easel
for sketching, which is only 4½ feet high, costs $2.50, while a
stool which stands upon three legs when open and folds into the shape
of a thick cane can be bought for $1.00.
THE UMBRELLA.
A sketch can not be truthful to nature and carefully studied, with the
sun shining in one’s eyes or upon the paper; it is therefore well to be
provided with an umbrella.
The sketching umbrella is generally of creamy white or very light gray
cotton. It is so constructed as to be separated from the long stick
upon which it is arranged when in use, this stick itself being divided
into two or more parts, according to its length. These are arranged to
fit into each other firmly, the lower end terminating in a long, sharp
iron point which is to be planted in the ground.
The umbrella itself is furnished with a rather short handle, and is
attached to the long staff by a movable screw joint which permits of
its being arranged at any angle necessary to protect the sketcher from
the sun.
The whole outfit complete with a waterproof gingham umbrella costs
$8.00.
The long folding stick is sold separately. This is 6 ft. high with an
adjustable joint to which any ordinary umbrella can be fastened. These
cost about $3.00.
A long and narrow tin box with compartments completes the outfit. This
holds the charcoal, crayon, stumps, bread, rag and rubber. The charcoal
and crayon must always be kept shut up in their separate compartments,
or failing that, in respective boxes, as, if allowed to knock around
loosely in the box, they will soil the stumps, rubber and rags.
The paper generally used in sketching blocks is the ordinary grade
of French charcoal paper with a rough surface already mentioned.
This paper comes in a variety of tints, the most popular being the
cream-white and the gray. The white paper is generally preferred for
serious studies involving careful drawing and correctness of value.
Some artists, however, prefer to use gray or light brown paper in
sketching, as if one is skillful a very effective result may be
obtained with little labor by using the local tone of the paper for the
half tints, quickly rubbing in the shadow with charcoal or crayon, both
being sometimes used.
The high lights are then cleverly touched in with white chalk or
pastel. Chinese white water-color paint is sometimes substituted for
the chalk in putting in such lights. It has the advantage of being more
permanent in one way as the chalk rubs off, but in the course of time
this white paint so used has a tendency to turn yellow, especially if
the sketch is shut up in a book or kept from the air.
On the other hand, the white chalk will turn yellow if fixed, so that
the high lights must not be put in the sketch until it is all finished
and fixed, which is of course a disadvantage to the artist who wishes
to study the relations of his tones as he proceeds. This method will be
explained at length later on.