I’ve done these four 11″x14″ abstract charcoal drawings with the intention of painting over them with acrylic (and maybe oil over that?). The lines and values will show somewhat in the final work, but I thought you might like to see some process photos midway. These drawings could be an end in themselves, but I have other plans for them.

I recommend playing with charcoal: vine, compressed, and pencil, to get a range of marks and values. Maybe try it in your sketchbook?

Especially fun is drawing and editing back into it with an eraser to reclaim whites or interesting lighter values. These areas will be helpful when it comes time to paint over them. I have sprayed them with non-yellowing fixative, so they are ready for the next stage without smudging. I’ll blog the finished product, when done, and you can compare that with these under paintings.