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PORTRAIT DRAWING MATERIALS
KEY MEDIUMS & TOOLS
Vine Charcoal and Willow Charcoal
I use vine and willow charcoal sticks for my portrait drawings to achieve the chiaroscuro technique. Chiaroscuro, an Italian term meaning light (chiaro) and dark (oscuro), is used to enhance the dimensionality of drawings by creating smooth, subtle transitions among values.
Artists use vine and willow charcoal, which are made by burning vines or branches in a kiln, for their versatile properties. Sticks of vine and willow charcoal, which are fragile and break easily, are available in a variety of lengths, thicknesses, and densities or degrees of hardness. These ...
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