Chalks and Cont’e crayons

Structure

Chalk

Chalks are soft white sticks made from the mixture of clay, zinc and titanium oxide which are
dyed into various color solution.

Crayons

The structure of crayons is similar to pastels in consistency and appearances but crayons are
slightly harder and oily as it is formed by heating pigment mixed with clay, gum and a little
grease.

The cont’e crayons are traditionally available as square sticks. The colors available in traditional
set are:

1. Sinopia

Sinopia is a red ochre natural pigment whose reddish color is extracted from iron oxide. It can be
understood as a permanent and natural red chalk. It is used as under drawings for frescos.

2. Sanguine

Sanguine is a reddish-brown terracotta color.

3. Bistre

Bistre is a cool brown color which is extracted from burning the beech wood.

4. Sepia
It is a warm brown color extracted from ink sac of cuttlefish.
5. White
6. Black

Nowadays, cont’e crayons are also available in pencil forms and it also includes wide ranges of
colors including the traditional color set.
Support

For chalks and cont’e crayons, mid toned papers are better to use and ground can be toned as
desired with acrylic paint.

Techniques

The chalk and cont’e crayons can be applied by using mid toned colors such as red or brown or
the mid toned ground itself combined with white and black. Rather than overlaying, direct
drawing method with blending is recommended. As multi-range of colors are available
nowadays, the techniques same as with pastels such as overlaying, blending, hatching and cross-
hatching etc. can be done.

Charcoal
History

Charcoal is one of the oldest drawing mediums as the medium has been found in cave art.
Charcoal is made by putting the willow or vine twigs in an air tight container to not let the
oxygen pass and then it is fired form the outside. For instance, the works Cennino Cennini
earthen vessels in 15th century and Volpato in iron tubes in 17th century.

Manufacture

The willow branch is harvested annually in winter from the organized willow farming. There are
mainly two types of willow which are Triandra and Osier.

The harvested willow is boiled for 9 hours in water. Then it is peeled (stripped) off and dried in
the sun. It is then cut into the standard sizes and fired in kiln.

Structures and varieties

1. Charcoal Stick

Charcoal stick is a natural stick that are available in thick, medium and thin structure.
 2. Compressed charcoal

Compressed charcoal are the sticks made from lamp black pigment and a binding agent such as
gum or wax. It is available in square and round shape.

3. Charcoal pencil

It is also a compressed charcoal which is encased in a wood or a rolled paper. It’s grade ranges
from HB to 6B and hardness is available in soft to hard.

4. Charcoal powder

Charcoal powder is a ready-made medium which is produced by rubbing stick on the sandpapers
and scraping stick with blade.

5. Oil charcoal

Oil charcoal is obtained by soaking the charcoal stick in vegetable oil (linseed) and then thinned
with turpentine.

Supports

Charcoal can be used in any fairly toothed papers except smooth ones. It can also be used in
panels, boards, walls and canvases.

Eraser

For charcoal, kneaded putty eraser is the best one as modifications can be done as required. It
also helps in simply removing unwanted parts and detailed corrections.

Fixatives and framing

PVA (Polyvinyl acetate resin) solution spraying can be used as a fixative for charcoal and under
glass framing is better.
Techniques

Uses and advantages

Charcoal is used for under drawings for large mural and also for oil and acrylic paintings. It is an
expressive medium in its own right. It can be easily dusted off and can be easily manipulated
with finger, stump and cotton.

Line

Charcoal is used for sketching on any kind of support where the nature of line depends upon the
texture of the ground. Ghost lines drawing technique can also be used from charcoal where it is
finger erased after drawing. For larger scale line drawings like murals and frescoes or even larger
canvases, charcoal attached to the cane can be used.

Tone

Various tone can be given to the drawing from charcoal by using paper texture, rubbing, paper
stump, working and reworking, tonal wash etc.

For reverse drawing, correction and highlighting, it can be combined with other materials like:

1. Erasers (putty/kneaded)
2. White crayon/ pastel (on tinted paper
3. White opaque paints (gouache, acrylics)