Why do professionals use charcoal instead of pencils for sketching?

Answer 1

Regular school type pencils don't have the necessary graphite content to get very good contrast. The typical school pencil also doesn't have the longevity needed for art.

Artists use pencils to do their sketches and line variety and to work out ideas that can be easily erased. Regular #2 school pencils are great ways to begin your art! And if you get enough pencils together in one place, you might have enough wood and graphite to build yourself a nifty cool pencil sculpture! Pencils also create Lines.... the most basic element of art.

Pencils do not need to have graphite, pencils are nothing more than a tool to make a mark onto something. Ever go to the beach and draw in the sand with stick? Your stick was your pencil!

Answer 2

Most artist do!

They shade in their work because it can give a drastic effect in the art.

An Artist's Perspective

The ability to use shading accurately is what will take a line drawing into a picture that appears to have dimension. As you build up shade the objects you are drawing look more real. Shading can also add texture to a drawing.

To experiment with this idea draw several (5) circles on a piece of paper.

1) Leave the first one blank.

2) Colour the second one in with a pencil, be sure the colour is all one intensity.

3) Colour the third one in, using any colour but black/grey, but again be sure the colour is consistent throughout.

4) Shade the fourth one in with a pencil, as if it were a sphere. (follow the instructions below)

- Choose the direction of your light source (from the upper left - for example).

- Establish your highlighted area (leave this area untouched).

- Give the entire sphere a base coat of pencil (use the side of your 2B pencil - be sure not to encroach into the highlight).

- Use an artist's stub (a blending tool) to soften the overall look of the sphere, use curved strokes on a rounded surface and straight strokes on a flat surface.

- Add more colour to the edges and blend well.

- Add more colour to the aide furthest from the light source and blend well.

- Finally add a cast shadow below and to the side of your sphere away from the light source.

5) Do the same thing with the fifth circle, this time using colour.

6) Stand back and look carefully at the results. You can see how a plain circle looks flat, as does a circle with a uniform colour within it. The shaded circle looks much more dimensional.

Answer 3

It allows them to switch from "thin" to "thick" instantly, and allows fill-in and shading much more easily, also.