Figure drawing: Encyclopedia II - Figure drawing - Media

Figure drawing - Media

The French Salon in the 19th century recommended the use of Conté crayons, which are sticks of wax, oil and pigment, combined with specially formulated paper. Erasure was not permitted; instead, the artist is expected to describe the figure in light strokes before making darker, more visible marks.

A popular modern technique is the use of a charcoal stick, prepared from special vines, and a rougher form of paper. The charcoal adheres loosely to the paper, allowing very easy erasure, but the final drawing can be preserved using a spray-on "fixative" to keep the charcoal from rubbing off. Harder compressed charcoal can produce a more deliberate and precise effect.

Ink is another popular medium. The artist will usually start with graphite pencil to sketch or outline the drawing, then the final line work is done with a pen or brush, with permanent ink. The pencil marks may be erased after the ink is applied, or left to blend with the background with the dark inks overpowering them.

A favored method of Watteau and other 17th and 18th century artists of the Baroque and Rococo era was to start with a colored ground of tone halfway between white and black, and to add shade in black and highlights in white, using pen and ink or "crayon".

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "Media", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki