Charcoal - Arcy Art Original Oil Paintings Art Dictionary

Charcoal
A blackish residue, charcoal consists of impure carbon which is obtained by removing water and other volatile constituents from animal and vegetation substances. Charcoal is usually produced by heating wood in the absence of oxygen. Charcoal is soft, brittle, light and resembles coal.

Artists use charcoal for finished drawings or as rough sketches for paintings. Artists use charcoal in its three following forms: vine charcoal, compressed charcoal and powdered charcoal. Vine charcoal consists of burned sticks of wood, compressed charcoal is charcoal powder mixed with gum binder compressed into round or square sticks and charcoal in its powdered form is used to tone and cover large sections of a drawing surface.

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