When working from photographs make A4 print-outs so that you see all the detail – but don’t copy it all! Add to and subtract from the scene to make more drama. Remember why you took it in the first place. Evoke those feelings in your drawing. Charcoal powder. Liquid fixative is especially effective to use with Nitram Charcoal Powder. Apply liquid fixative to a support and then sprinkle the charcoal powder into the media for some great textural effects. There are many more techniques to discover with this exceptional medium.

Much easier to create broad, expressive marks, so may be more suitable for beginners working on a large scale. Charcoal and graphite do have their similarities. Typically you use both on paper or card, where they rely on the tooth of the surface to adhere. You can also layer both of them to create deep shadows, or apply delicately to render areas of light. Both charcoal and graphite are compatible with a variety of drawing accessories – like tortillions, putty erasers and blending stumps. They are also inexpensive, so they are great as the first stepping stones in your creative journey. Charcoal (left) is matt and dusty. Graphite (right) is less dusty but more reflective Sparking is a lot cheaper and is how rail dies are made. I use 600 grit wet and dry paper on my rail, wipe it with clean dry cotton and then use the carpenters pencil. Graphite turns out to be an excellent conductor of heat and electricity, even in small quantities. In fact it's often used in motors. And because of its hexagonal molecular structure, graphite slides easily across other graphite molecules, making it an excellent dry lubricant. Graphite is found in artists' materials and pencils, in various ratios of graphite to clay (which binds it together); a 2H would have a higher clay content, while a 2B would have more graphite. Derwent Graphitone is a very stylish and pure graphite water-soluble pencil available in 2B, 4B, 6B and 8B. I find they dissolve better than other brands to create sumptuous passages of tone. Layering one tint over another is pure joy.The word pencil comes from the latin ‘pencillus’ that means little tail and originally referred to a small brush used for working in ink during the medieval times. Our modern pencils earnt this name by having a wooden pencil and a small pointed tip like a tiny brush, or ‘pencillus’, would have. As you build up your confidence using graphite and charcoal separately, you could move onto combining them both in a drawing. Using both materials alongside each other can create an interesting contrast between matte and reflective areas. With the above in mind a hard lead makes sense. Worst case possible, a Triang/Hornby Nellie chassis, original clank clank motor. Stripped down to its individual parts, motor, wheels, axles and con rods, all cleaned in Jizer. Commutator filed flat, wheels polished both sides. Robert Dutton is a UK ambassador for Canson papers and Nitram Charcoal and an associate artist for Unison Colour pastels and Derwent. He has won awards for his work and is a popular tutor, leading a number of creative painting and drawing holidays and short breaks in the UK and Europe. For more information, visit www.rdcreative.co.uk You can find out more about Graphite Pencils in our Choosing the Right Graphite Sketching & Drawing Pencil article. Tinted Graphite Caran d’Ache Technalo RGB Water-Soluble Tinted Graphite Pencils (left) and Derwent Graphitint Tinted Graphite Pencils (right)

Charcoal has a considerably different chemical structure than Graphite, despite both being made from carbon. The make-up of charcoal is much more non-uniform and irregular. The structure folds in on itself, which gives charcoal its soft, crumbly texture. This structure not also makes charcoal a fantastic drawing tool, but also makes it suitable for other applications like filtering. How do you make Charcoal? Everything You Need to Know about Graphite How is Graphite Made? What is Graphite Types of Graphite Liquid charcoal (see above). Without doubt one of the most exciting media for artists keen on exploring expressive drawing techniques is liquid charcoal. Wallace Seymour Original Liquid Charcoal (60ml tube) and Nitram Liquid Charcoal (50ml tube) are both excellent. Use to create fantastic expressive drawings and tonal painting effects. A variety of graphite tools are available – each bringing their own unique working properties to your art. Graphite Pencils

If you’re working on a small scale then the precision tip of a pencil is more suitable for rendering small details. Graphite pencils are made in different degrees of hardness by regulating the amount of clay added. The greater the quantity of clay, the harder the lead and the lighter the overall drawn line will appear. The grades available range from H (hard) to 9H (very hard). And B (soft) to 9B (extremely soft). HB and F are intermediate grades. Working with graphite and charcoal can be a really rewarding experience. Here are some hints and tips to help you get the most out of these mediums: