This week, Dave takes a closer look at the history of charcoal, and gathers willow sticks from Whitworth Park that will be used to make his own charcoal.

History

Lovely rich black dry charcoal has a drawing history going back many thousands of years.

 

 

Charcoal sticks from ‘domestic’ fires from basic habitats long ago, would have been used to draw and  decorate cave walls with wonderful animals and hunting scenes. In Africa,  the image of a Zebra found in a Namibian cave was dated to be at least 28,000 years old. Even more recently a drawing of a Babirusa, or pig-deer, on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi has been dated at 35,000 years old. Lasted well you have to say.

 

 

This is a medium that is swift, direct, easily rubbed out and often messy. William Kentridge is a master at inspirational charcoal drawings, as is Robert Longo and Kathe Kollwitz.

For more detailed drawings have a look at the work of Albrecht Durer. ‘Portrait of his Mother’ (1514) is very fine indeed and produced when she was 63. We also know how brilliant Durer was at drawing hands, but have a look at Walter Cranes (1845-1915)  ‘Study of Hands’ showing hands exquisitely drawn in charcoal.

 

 

One of my favourite charcoal drawings, by local Manchester artist Ghislaine Howard, is ‘Pregnant self portrait,’ which the Whitworth has in its collection. An original piece from 1987, it is the mirror image of Jacob Epstein’s marble sculpture ‘Genesis’ from 1929-31. Epstein was an accomplished sketcher in charcoal working out swiftly solid forms to be worked up.

 

 

The immediacy of charcoal is something that is liked a lot by artists, and a particular favourite for scenic artists working on scenery and drawing up backdrops for the theatre and television. Daler Rowney produce an extra-large stick called ‘Scenic Charcoal’.

Sometimes you want to get drawn into fine detail when drawing but Charcoal doesn’t allow you to get that bogged down.

 

Gathering willow

 

 

The willow we chose came from picking up branches and twigs found on the ground under two weeping willow trees in Whitworth park, close to the Edward the 7^th  statue.

 

Dave and Rosy picking up fallen twigs and branches in the park end of November.

 

I had, some time ago, used willow that had dropped off of Gustav Metzgers ‘Flailing Trees’ and fired those. The ultimate ‘Auto-Destructive’ use of his sculpture recycled back into drawing material.

 

Join us next week for part 2, where Dave fires the charcoal and leads a William Kentridge inspired workshop with the team.