Charcoal is a versatile and dramatic medium with incredible potential for expression。 This stunning book shows you how to create a drawing using its subtle， complex and bold qualities to best effect。

Through step-by-step demonstrations and tasks， it explores the process， explaining how to capture a scene or the feeling of a scene， and， essentially， how best to fix an image to the page。 With over 200 illustrations， this beautiful book is a compelling guide for everyone who wants to work with this elusive and powerful medium。

Topics covered include:

Basics of charcoal – explains the material， its qualities and ways of using it

Charcoal lenses – advises on how to choose interesting subjects with the use of photography and sketchbooks， and how to build a library of visual references

Mark making – includes techniques for complete beginners， as well as more advanced ideas for those hoping to develop and refine their work

Demonstrations – shows how to use the techniques and build a body of work

Soft pastel – suggests ways of combining charcoal with pastel to add color to your work

Tasks and extensions – gives tips for trying and exploring ideas further to develop your own skills and to create a unique style to your work

Protecting your work – advises on the key techniques used for fixing， photographing， storing and framing your work。