Charcoal Still Life Sketching Session

Vine charcoal sticks (soft, light, easy to erase)

Compressed charcoal stick (darker, for deep shadows)

Drawing paper or newsprint

Kneaded eraser (moldable, lifts charcoal without damaging paper)

Blending stump or cotton swab

Fixative spray or hairspray to seal the drawing

Objects for the still life arrangement

Set up a simple still life on a table — a vase, a piece of fruit, and a draped cloth give you interesting shapes, textures, and folds to draw.

Position a single lamp to one side. The directional light creates clear shadows on one side of each object and highlights on the other.

Hold vine charcoal on its side and lightly sketch the basic shapes. Big circles, ovals, and rectangles. No details yet — just placement and proportion.

Begin building up darker values. Press harder in the shadow areas. Use the compressed charcoal for the deepest, darkest shadows under and behind objects.

Blend with your finger or a blending stump. Drag charcoal from dark areas into mid-tones for smooth gradations. This creates realistic-looking form.

Pull out highlights with a kneaded eraser. Mold the eraser into a point and press it into the charcoal to lift it away, revealing the white paper underneath.

Add the final details — the darkest darks next to the lightest lights create the most dramatic contrast.

Once finished, spray lightly with fixative from 12 inches away to prevent smudging.

Charcoal is gloriously messy. Cover the table and wear old clothes. Embrace the mess — it is part of the medium.

The beauty of charcoal is its range — from the palest gray to the deepest black, all from one stick.

Hold charcoal loosely. Use the side for broad strokes and the tip for fine lines.

A kneaded eraser does not just erase — it is a drawing tool that creates highlights.

This is how art students begin in every art school. Charcoal still life is the foundation of observational drawing.