Beyond the Pencil

Put away your pencil. Instead, experiment with the many tools that create gorgeous and innovate drawings.

Charcoal- With the advantage of its rich black color and ease of spreading with your fingers, but the disadvantage of being messy, you should definitely experiment with this medium. You can use charcoal dust, sharpened charcoal (to use like a pencil), and sticks of charcoal. Use a putty eraser to remove errors and create contrast. A fixative keeps stray dust from getting everywhere when you’re done or at different points in your work.

Colored Pencils – add some color to your drawing with colored pencils. Don’t just buy the grocery kind. Get PrismaColor pencils, the artists’ choice – at your arts and crafts stores.

Pastel- pastel pencils are good for line drawing. Get pastel sticks to create a more impressionistic piece.

Pen and Ink – Pens come in different “nib” sizes, from fine to thick. “India ink” is a common type and is a permanent ink (impossible to get out of clothes)