This is where I started, as a child with just a pencil and later, in life-drawing classes, I fell in love with charcoal. For me, they are both still the most expressive mediums.
A gallery of expressionist charcoal and pencil drawings by British figurative artist Jenny Neill. My other galleries are at: watercolour, acrylic gouache, ink.
About Charcoal and Pencil drawing
The use of charcoal for drawing dates back at least 28,000 years. Throughout the history of Western art, charcoal has been used for preliminary studies prior to final paintings, although for some it remains their primary medium. The marks left by charcoal can be bold and expressive (ideal for figurative artwork) but are less permanent than some other media as the lines can be blended or erased. The final drawing can be preserved by using a spray-on fixative.
Pencil drawing began in the 18th and 19th centuries, succeeding the old metal point drawing stylus. Modern artists still use graphite pencils for artwork and sketches. All my work begins with a pencil sketch and I still find the first movement of my pencil on a blank piece of paper extremely satisfying.
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