Mediums

Charcoal
The quickest way to make a mark

Charcoal is one of the first tools humans used to make artwork, appearing in cave paintings dating back 28,000 years. Artists have refined the medium from burnt wood to finely-ground charcoal bound with wax or gum into sticks, crayons, and pencils. During the Renaissance, charcoal was often used to create gestural sketches to prepare for a painting, but charcoal’s range of expression makes it a beautiful medium for finished work, from the gentle ochre used in Da Vinci’s Study of a Woman’s Hands to the intense black of Redon’s spiders.

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Apollo 11 Cave Stones, Upper Paleolithic

Apollo 11 Cave Stones 25500 – 25300BCE

Study of a Woman's Hands, Leonardo da Vinci

Study of a Woman's Hands Leonardo da Vinci, 1490

Tears, Odilon Redon

Tears Odilon Redon, 1878

Note in Pink and Brown, James McNeill Whistler

Note in Pink and Brown James McNeill Whistler, 1880

The Cube, Odilon Redon

The Cube Odilon Redon, 1880

The Crying Spider, Odilon Redon

The Crying Spider Odilon Redon, 1881

The Smiling Spider, Odilon Redon

The Smiling Spider Odilon Redon, 1881

Unemployed, Ferdinand Hodler

Unemployed Ferdinand Hodler, 1891

Feeling of Dependency, Sascha Schneider

Feeling of Dependency Sascha Schneider, 1894

The Halberdier, Ferdinand Hodler

The Halberdier Ferdinand Hodler, 1895

Christ In Silence, Odilon Redon

Christ In Silence Odilon Redon, 1897

Village Church, Piet Mondrian

Village Church Piet Mondrian, 1898

Girl looking up, Adolf Hirémy-Hirschl

Girl looking up Adolf Hirémy-Hirschl, 1900

Woman looking away, Adolf Hirémy-Hirschl

Woman looking away Adolf Hirémy-Hirschl, 1900

Trees on a Yellow Background, Odilon Redon

Trees on a Yellow Background Odilon Redon, 1901

Pearl Oyster, Mikhail Vrubel

Pearl Oyster Mikhail Vrubel, 1904

After the Concert, at the Fireplace, Mikhail Vrubel

After the Concert, at the Fireplace Mikhail Vrubel, 1905

Serenity, Mikalojus Konstantinas Čiurlionis

Serenity Mikalojus Konstantinas Čiurlionis, 1904 – 1905

Music (Sketch), Henri Matisse

Music (Sketch) Henri Matisse, 1907

Before the Bath, Suzanne Valadon

Before the Bath Suzanne Valadon, 1908

Young Woman Reading (Ines), Umberto Boccioni

Young Woman Reading (Ines) Umberto Boccioni, 1909 – 1910

Sketch for States of Mind: The Farewells, Umberto Boccioni

Sketch for States of Mind: The Farewells Umberto Boccioni, 1911

Sketch for States of Mind: Those Who Go, Umberto Boccioni

Sketch for States of Mind: Those Who Go Umberto Boccioni, 1911

Sketch for States of Mind: Those Who Stay, Umberto Boccioni

Sketch for States of Mind: Those Who Stay Umberto Boccioni, 1911

Studies of Self Portrait, Ferdinand Hodler

Studies of Self Portrait Ferdinand Hodler, 1911

Illustration for Souz Molodyozhi, Olga Rozanova

Illustration for Souz Molodyozhi Olga Rozanova, 1913

Illustration for Souz Molodyozhi, Olga Rozanova

Illustration for Souz Molodyozhi Olga Rozanova, 1913

Pier and Ocean, Piet Mondrian

Pier and Ocean Piet Mondrian, 1914

André Eglevsky (of the Russian Ballet), Glyn Philpot

André Eglevsky (of the Russian Ballet) Glyn Philpot, 1937

The Rhine at Duisburg, Paul Klee

The Rhine at Duisburg Paul Klee, 1937

Young Boy, Charles Alston

Young Boy Charles Alston, 1938

Vase, Palette, and Mandolin, Georges Braque

Vase, Palette, and Mandolin Georges Braque, 1944

Self-Portrait, Elaine de Kooning

Self-Portrait Elaine de Kooning, 1946

Harvest Talk, Charles White

Harvest Talk Charles White, 1953

“I’ve Been 'Buked and I’ve Been Scorned”, Charles White

“I’ve Been 'Buked and I’ve Been Scorned” Charles White, 1956

Two Palettes, Jim Dine

Two Palettes Jim Dine, 1963

Untitled, 1965, Brice Marden

Untitled, 1965 Brice Marden, 1964 – 1965

J’Accuse, Charles White

J’Accuse Charles White, 1966

Open No. 122 in Scarlet and Blue, Robert Motherwell

Open No. 122 in Scarlet and Blue Robert Motherwell, 1969

Elegy to the Spanish Republic No. 110, Robert Motherwell

Elegy to the Spanish Republic No. 110 Robert Motherwell, 1971

Future Indicative, Lee Krasner

Future Indicative Lee Krasner, 1977

More Art Mediums
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Etching, Mediums

Etching

Marble, Mediums

Marble

The stone that glows like human skin

Pencil, Mediums

Pencil

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