Day 3 & 4 Update Mastering Charcoal Tutorial : Techniques to Create a Stunning Blizzard Artwork.

Introduction

Welcome to this interactive, work‑in‑progress tutorial, where you can follow the creation of a new Charcoal Artwork and Tutorial - Creating Blizzard from the first idea to the final detail. This is the Day 3 & Day 4 update. To read Day 1 & Day 2 please click here.

I hope this evolving record of the creation of my artwork Blizzard helps you expand your skills and feel inspired to experiment, make mistakes, and try again. Please feel free to ask questions, share your experiences, or suggest ideas in the comments below. Your input has already influenced how this tutorial continues to take shape.

Final Updated Product Kit List

Paper - Canson Cartridge Mi-Teintes White 550 x 370 mm

Charcoal Powder - Coates Willow Charcoal

Charcoal ( White, Black, Coloured)

Charcoal Willow Sticks Artists Sketchingy

Charcoal Pencils

Derwent Tinted Charcoal XL Blocks

Derwent Tinted Charcoal Pencils

Caran D’Ache Light Blue Pastel Pencil 788 (Possibillity after tests)

Silicone blending tools various - Royal Sovereign

Rubbers - Tombo & Putty

Fixative

Glassine Paper

The objective: To Create blizzard conditions with charcoal

My aim, to create a haunting piece of three figures emerging through blizzard conditions from the depths of the snow. The stark contrast between white and black is intended to heighten the eerie atmosphere of the scene and reproduce those original images catalogued by Wilson and Skelton.

Image 7 The Explorer Group with first background layers.

Sunday 8th March

Day 3 Update Charcoal Tutorial - Creating Blizzard

Image 7 shows where we left off at the end of Day 2. The charcoal layers have been fixed with a spray fixative and after trialing different approaches I decided to amend my original ideas.

Image 5 Final Trial Results both to be used as a part of the background.

Creating snow flakes

Image 8 Creating Snow Flakes

The trials that I ran using the Canson Paper and tinted charcoals made me reconsider my original methodology.

For completness I have included a small version of the two trial pieces, (Image 5) as I decided to use both elements in finalising the background and adding further drama.

Quite a lot of care was needed in application to ensure that the figures are partially obscured by the blizzard. What the right hand trial of the dark figure taught me is how far I could take this. Image 8 shows the technique used to add the acrylic snow flakes with a stiff oil brush.

Blending Tools

I promised in the previous post that I would update the kit list which I have now done aswell as the details of the various blending tools I used on this work.

They are branded Royal Sovereign and come in different shapes and sizes.

Mine came from Amazon but they are readily available from any good art retailer. See Image 9 below.

Image 9 - Silicon Blending Tools

In summary I hope that you have found these two posts useful and interesting reads.

I must admit that to get the final effect I was looking for I did use quite a lot of white and blue acrylic during the final detailing so, to be correct, I should really call this piece a mixed medium artwork.

Something that developed as the artwork progressed and I refined my ideas as I am sure you will as your confidence and knowkedge grows..

Please do add your thoughts and comments we love to read them and always try and respond.

Here it is "Blizzard" which is also now on sale including Giclée prints in both A3 and A4 in The Eyecon Gallery.

“Blizzard” by Art-Marco

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