Looking ahead to our first Monday monthly meeting on March 21st, it seemed a coincidence that the Painters Online newsletter that I got today was all about monochrome styles. If you check our programme page you will see that the theme for March 21st is ‘Simply Black and White’ and members attending will be working in just black and white pastel, chalk or charcoal.
The Painters Online newsletter offered some useful resources that members might find interesting in advance of Monday’s session.
BACK TO BLACK
Charcoal with Robert Dutton
Charcoal is one of the oldest and most traditional drawing tools available. It comes in a variety of grades from soft to hard, and the colour varies from black to an almost brown, depending on the original material.
Understanding the different varieties will go a long way to helping you to create the exact type of marks you want with this expressive and versatile medium.
MONOCHROME FOR LANDSCAPES
‘We are accustomed to seeing the landscape in colour, which makes us presuppose that we are aware of the tonal contrast,’ says Paul Riley. ‘Breaking down the tonal values into light, mid and dark doesn’t come naturally. This probably accounts for why so many watercolours can end up wishy-washy rather in the same way as the colour can get muddy’.
