Basic Life Drawing Kit

Compressed Charcoal gives you a strong, dark line. It encourages you to think big and bold – try using it on large sheets of paper.

Willow Charcaol gives a softer, less dark line than compressed charcoal. Use it to get a softer line, or to add variation to the tone of your lines. Use willow charcoal on its side to add tone to your whole sheet of paper before you start drawing, then use compressed charcoal to add darker lines, or a kneadable eraser to reveal a lighter tone.

Of course, you need something to draw on. Now, you can find plenty of excellent quality, expensive sketchbooks, but I want to encourage you to draw BIG not constrain yourself to the confines of small sheets. Drawing big loosens up your lines, and frees your imagination. Charcoal is great for getting you to draw bigger. I also want to encourage you to practise, practise, practise – and you are likely to be less worried about using cheap paper. So, I suggest you get butcher’s paper, or Wrapping Paper – cut or tear a piece off, clip it to your drawing board and draw!

Ever tried drawing with an eraser? A kneadable eraser
allows you to lift charcoal to reveal the paper. it removes tone so it’s like drawing with light! You can shape (knead) them to be the shape you need, such as a fine point. They are also good for cleaning up around a finished drawing.

Now all you need is a cheap piece of hardboard or MDF (Medium-density fiberboard) from your local hardware store – this will serve as an excellent drawing board, and a couple of bulldog clips to hold your paper to it. Oh, and someone to draw!

Related Links:
More on using willow charcoal to provide a background of tone for your drawing: Shading your paper
The magic of Kneadable erasers.
If you’re not sure about drawing on wrapping paper – this page has some of my drawings, including one drawn on brown wrapping paper: Drawing on cheap paper!