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Artsmarts…
A Spotlight on Denison’s Art Community

Drawing

The arts community of Denison is incredibly diverse. There are many professional artists, but also student artists, apprentices, architects, and other interested individuals that are just starting out in the field. What is one thing almost all of them have in common?

Drawing

There is hardly anyone over the age of two that has not made a drawing. People of all ages and backgrounds can identify with a doodle, a quick sketch, or a stick figure. We do it everyday. However, we often forget drawing as a primary and outstanding fine art medium. It is the most basic, and one of the toughest, mediums out there. Alone it can constitute a complete artwork, but also plays a crucial role in the preparation of artworks in almost every other medium.

Drawing started long before paper was invented by the Chinese in 105 A.D. Substrates (rigid backings) used for drawings before paper include silk, papyrus, clay, parchment (animal skin), or natural surfaces like leaves, cave walls, sand, and stone. The unique characteristics and texture of the substrate directly affect the look of the finished drawing.

Now that we have the substrate, what can we make a mark with? There are literally hundreds of different drawing mediums and techniques, but here are a few that you will see regularly in this area and abroad.

Graphite

The most familiar form is the common pencil. It can make a wide variety of subtle marks with the tapered point or bold marks in the stick form. Graphite comes in many degrees of hardness which is noted on the pencil or stick. Bold dark lines are achieved with very soft leads, while light fine marks are made by hard leads.

Charcoal

Charcoal is literally burned wood. Specific types of wood are burned in a high temperature oven until only the carbon residue remains, and then it is compressed into useable sticks. The marks are often dark, bold, and have a velvet-like texture. Delicate charcoal effects can also be achieved by using vine charcoal (thin sticks made from burnt vines), blending with the fingertips, or by using charcoal in a pencil form.

Chalk, Crayon, Conte, and Pastel

These mediums are closely related, but there is some controversy in the field as to which particular products fit into which category. Generally, all of these mediums contain colored pigments suspended in either fat or non-fat based binders. Chalks are soft, dry, and held together by a non-fat binder. Crayons are waxy, soft, and moist with a fat-based binder. All of these mediums are blendable and render somewhat soft effects on the substrate. Many look remarkably like paint!

Ink

Traditional inks are made from a variety of naturally-occurring materials, but synthetic inks are also available in a wide variety of colors with better resistance to fading than some traditional varieties. They can be applied with pens and brushes, but also by mechanical devices like printers (for drawings generated in digital art programs). Pen or brush application determines the individual qualities of the line- thick, thin, bold, or delicate.

When looking at drawings, remember to look at the quality of the lines… Are they hard, soft, broken, or rhythmic? Are they diverse within the work of art? What is the purpose of the drawing? Is it illustrating something, or expressing an emotional response? Is it a finished work, or preparation for another piece of art? Can you see drawing elements through the surface of a painting? Happy viewing!

Want to learn more about what is happening in the arts community? You can find a listing of upcoming art events here on the Events page or check the Chamber Works calendar or by visiting the Chamber of Commerce Website.


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