Vine charcoal

In Sherrie's class I learned how to use vine charcoal in a wooden holder. The top photo shows all the materials; charcoal, sanding block, and holder. The next photo shows how to sharpen the charcoal. You actually hold the sanding block while you sharpen it but I couldn't do that and hold the camera at the same time. Voila, sharpened charcoal in a holder.

This was quite a revelation to me and I can't believe I got through four years of art school without learning this. Finally, I noticed that Sherrie holds her charcoal as in the final photo when she draws. This allows for a much lighter touch. This too was a revelation because I could never understand why my charcoal drawings would get so dark so quickly. It's very helpful to see how artists hold their tools, it's usually different than the grasp used for handwriting, but most beginners don't know this.