Draw this Gargoyle in hard
charcoal in 5 easy stages
STAGE 1 STAGE 2
Begin your drawing by outlining your subject in Lightly shade and hatch the entire drawing,
hard charcoal pencil on to smooth paper... strengthening the linework as you go.
STAGE 3 STAGE 4
Now let’s build up the density across the whole Keep the dark tones coming for added contrast
drawing with the same hard charcoal pencil. and definition.
STAGE 5
Share your version of the
hard charcoal Gargoyle drawing
on Facebook or Instagram
#castlearts
www.castlearts.co.uk
www.castlearts.com
A few final details and touches and your gargoyle
is complete.
www.castlearts.co.uk
www.castlearts.com
#castlearts
www.castlearts.co.uk
www.castlearts.com
#castlearts
Draw this Gargoyle in medium
charcoal in 5 easy stages
STAGE 1 STAGE 2
Begin your drawing by outlining your subject in Lightly shade and hatch the entire drawing,
medium charcoal pencil on to smooth paper... strengthening the linework as you go.
STAGE 3 STAGE 4
Now let’s build up the density across the whole Keep the dark tones coming for added contrast
drawing with the same medium charcoal pencil. and definition.
STAGE 5
Share your version of
the medium charcoal
Gargoyle drawing
on Facebook or Instagram
#castlearts
www.castlearts.co.uk
www.castlearts.com
A few final details and touches and your gargoyle
is complete.
www.castlearts.co.uk
www.castlearts.com
#castlearts
www.castlearts.co.uk
www.castlearts.com
#castlearts
Draw this Gargoyle in soft
charcoal in 5 easy stages
STAGE 1 STAGE 2
Begin your drawing by outlining your subject in Lightly shade and hatch the entire drawing,
soft charcoal pencil on to smooth paper... strengthening the linework as you go.
STAGE 3 STAGE 4
Now let’s build up the density across the whole Keep the dark tones coming for added contrast
drawing with the same soft charcoal pencil. and definition.
STAGE 5
Share your version of
the soft charcoal
Gargoyle drawing
on Facebook or Instagram
#castlearts
www.castlearts.co.uk
www.castlearts.com
A few final details and touches and your gargoyle
is complete.
www.castlearts.co.uk
www.castlearts.com
#castlearts
www.castlearts.co.uk
www.castlearts.com
#castlearts
Holding your Charcoal
Charcoal
Pencils
Position your hand closer to Gripping further up the Holding like a brush can
the end of the pencil for more pencil gives less control give you a more flexible
control but heavier strokes. but lighter strokes. ‘painterly’ technique.
Charcoal
Sticks
and Willow
Sticks
Grip the stick about Holding away from the Holding the willow stick
25mm (1”) from the tip gives more freedom at about 25mm (1”) is
end for more control. of movement but less ideal for gently adding
control in detailed areas. finishing touches.
Try it yourself
Shading with Charcoal
Making
your mark,
and
blending
Use varied lines
with subtle shifts Hatching: Cross Hatching: Stippling:
in width and Medium Pencil Medium Pencil, Soft Stick Willow Stick
darkness for a more
interesting sketch.
Control takes
some practice, but
experimenting with
grades and holding
the pencil at
different angles will
allow you to create
a variety
of marks. Kneadable Eraser Twin-tipped Blender: Paper Blender:
removal technique: Medium Pencil, Soft Pencil
Soft Charcoal Stick Willow Stick
Try it yourself
Hatching: Cross Hatching: Stippling:
Medium Pencil Medium Pencil, Soft Stick Willow Stick
Kneadable Eraser Twin-tipped Blender: Paper Blender:
removal technique: Medium Pencil, Soft Pencil
Soft Charcoal Stick Willow Stick
Understanding values of light with
this top lit charcoal Goblet
Any image is composed of values, this simply means the range
from white to black on a scale of one to ten. Therefore one is
the white of the paper and ten is the blackest charcoal.
To get to grips with this, try working from the lightest values to
the darkest.
Why not try covering your smooth paper with solid charcoal
and remove the tones and creating highlights using a
kneadable eraser and blenders.
www.castlearts.co.uk
www.castlearts.com
#castlearts
Understanding values of light with
this top lit charcoal Goblet
STAGE 1 STAGE 2
Begin the Now from
drawing by lightly shading
outlining and hatching
your subject, the goblet
then mask off centrepiece with
around the charcoal pencil,
edges using gradually build
masking tape. up density and
Using a ruler form. Smooth
and charcoal your drawing by
pencil, draw using the paper
lines to blender after
describe the direction of the light from the light every stage.
source, and a line of ‘horizon’.
STAGE 3 STAGE 4
With the Add further
side edge of charcoal pencil
a charcoal dark tones to the
stick, start goblet and begin
adding the the foreground
background area. Deepen the
areas of foreground with
shadow, texture from a
following the charcoal stick.
‘direction of With a paper
light’ lines you blender, smooth
drew earlier — out the black
intensify these areas with a charcoal pencil. background shadows and foreground.
STAGE 5
Now smooth Share your version of the top lit
out the paler
background Goblet charcoal drawing
area and on Facebook or Instagram
continue
blending the #castlearts
goblet itself.
Then with www.castlearts.co.uk
a touch of
charcoal pencil
www.castlearts.com
and a bit of
blending, your
goblet is complete — carefully peel off the masking
tape to reveal the finished drawing.
Top lit
The charcoal media used
to create this drawing:
www.castlearts.co.uk Charcoal Pencils, Charcoal Sticks, Willow Sticks
www.castlearts.com all three grades soft and medium
#castlearts
Understanding values of light with
this side lit charcoal Goblet
Any image is composed of values, this simply means the range
from white to black on a scale of one to ten. Therefore one is
the white of the paper and ten is the blackest charcoal.
To get to grips with this, try working from the lightest values to
the darkest.
Why not try covering your smooth paper with solid charcoal
and remove the tones and creating highlights using a
kneadable eraser and blenders.
www.castlearts.co.uk
www.castlearts.com
#castlearts
Understanding values of light with
this side lit charcoal Goblet
STAGE 1 STAGE 2
Begin the Next we add
drawing by tone to the
outlining your background
subject, and using charcoal
‘horizon’ line, pencil against
then mask off a paper mask
around the along the
edges using ‘horizon line’.
masking tape. Add dark
With charcoal charcoal pencil
pencil, build tones to the
up gradually foreground area,
the density and form of the goblet. and a few touches to the left side of the goblet itself.
STAGE 3 STAGE 4
Add dark With the paper
charcoal pencil blender, smooth
tones to the the mid tones,
foreground, with more
and to the left emphasis on the
of the goblet. right areas of
Intensify the the drawing.
shadow with Now returning
pencil and to the charcoal
stick. Smooth pencil add some
out these fine details and
black tones some subtle
with kneadable eraser and paper blender. See the shadows to the goblet.
contrast between left and right halves of the drawing.
STAGE 5
Then with Share your version of the side lit
a touch of
charcoal pencil Goblet charcoal drawing
here, a bit of on Facebook or Instagram
blending and
eraser there, #castlearts
your goblet
is complete, www.castlearts.co.uk
ready to
carefully peel
www.castlearts.com
off the masking
tape to reveal
the finished drawing.
Side lit
The charcoal media used
to create this drawing:
www.castlearts.co.uk Charcoal Pencils, Charcoal Sticks, Willow Sticks
www.castlearts.com all three grades soft grade
#castlearts
Understanding values of light with
this three-quarter lit charcoal Goblet
Any image is composed of values, this simply means the range
from white to black on a scale of one to ten. Therefore one is
the white of the paper and ten is the blackest charcoal.
To get to grips with this, try working from the lightest values to
the darkest.
Why not try covering your smooth paper with solid charcoal
and remove the tones and creating highlights using a
kneadable eraser and blenders.
www.castlearts.co.uk
www.castlearts.com
#castlearts
Understanding values of light with
this three-quarter lit charcoal Goblet
STAGE 1 STAGE 2
Begin outlining Lightly shade
with a medium and hatch the
charcoal pencil goblet with a soft
onto a smooth charcoal pencil,
paper, mask build up density
the edges and form with
using masking the emphasis on
tape. Using the right side, the
a ruler and opposite side to
medium the light source.
charcoal With the side edge
pencil, draw of a charcoal stick,
lines to describe the direction of the light from the add background shadow following the ‘direction of
top left light source, and add a line of ‘horizon’, plus light’ lines you drew earlier — intensify with a charcoal
secondary guidelines for later gradating. pencil using a sheet of paper to mask your drawing.
STAGE 3 STAGE 4
Now we shade WIth the large
the secondary paper blender,
light source. smooth out both
Add texture background
and shadows and foreground,
with the soft observing the
compressed ‘direction of light’.
charcoal stick. Add mid tone to
Add tone to light areas and
the foreground blend shadows,
using charcoal merging with the
stick, further base of the goblet.
charcoal pencil dark tones to the goblet and begin the Continue to blend and intensify the shade and
foreground area. Deepen with texture from a charcoal shadows on the right side, the furthest areas away
stick, gradating the light source as you go. from the light source.
STAGE 5
Then with Share your version of the
a touch of three-quarter lit Goblet
charcoal pencil
here, a bit of charcoal drawing
blending and
erasing there,
on Facebook or Instagram
your three- #castlearts
quarter lit
goblet draw- www.castlearts.co.uk
ing is almost
complete. Now www.castlearts.com
carefully peel
off the masking tape to reveal the finished drawing.
Three-quarter lit
The charcoal media used
to create this drawing:
www.castlearts.co.uk Charcoal Pencils, Charcoal Sticks, Willow Sticks
www.castlearts.com soft and medium soft grade
#castlearts
Drawing lines with Charcoal
Exploring
line
thicknesses Charcoal Pencil
Alternating thick
and thin lines in your
drawing can make it
so much livelier. In
Charcoal Stick
a charcoal drawing,
if every line has
the same width or
is drawn using the
same pressure, it
ends up looking
like a coloring book
drawing and can
come across as
one-dimensional Willow Stick
and less engaging.
Try it yourself
Charcoal Pencil
Charcoal Stick
Willow Stick
Draw this ancient Castle
in 5 easy stages
STAGE 1 STAGE 2
Begin your drawing by outlining your subject in Start to create form by shading and hatching your
charcoal pencil on to smooth paper... drawing in willow stick...
STAGE 3 STAGE 4
Build up a layer of density using the end edge Create pleasing tonal values and darken
of a charcoal stick... the shadows with a paper blender...
STAGE 5
Share your version of the
charcoal Castle drawing
on Facebook or Instagram
#castlearts
www.castlearts.co.uk
www.castlearts.com
A final touch up with kneadable eraser and charcoal
pencil and you’re done!
www.castlearts.co.uk
www.castlearts.com
#castlearts
The charcoal media used
to create this drawing:
Charcoal Pencils Charcoal Sticks Willow Sticks
www.castlearts.co.uk
www.castlearts.com
#castlearts
Draw this jocular Jester
in 5 easy stages
STAGE 1 STAGE 2
Begin your Start to build
drawing by up tone with
outlining your a layer or
subject in two of
black on to charcoal
smooth paper... tones...
STAGE 3 STAGE 4
Continue to add Now use a paper
layers to achieve blender to
more density intensify your
and depth... drawing...
STAGE 5
Share your version of the
charcoal Jester drawing
on Facebook or Instagram
Complete the #castlearts
drawing with final
details in charcoal www.castlearts.co.uk
pencil and some www.castlearts.com
subtle blending.
www.castlearts.co.uk
www.castlearts.com
#castlearts
The charcoal media used
to create this drawing:
www.castlearts.co.uk
Willow Sticks
www.castlearts.com
Charcoal Pencils Charcoal Sticks
#castlearts
