Drawing From Imagination with Graphite and Charcoal
A course by Shaun FriendVisual Artist
A course by Shaun Friend, Visual Artist
Embrace the freedom of drawing and create art that tells a story through mark making, composition, line work, and tone
Illustrating with graphite and charcoal gives you the opportunity to draw freely, embrace your creativity, and watch your ideas develop on the page in front of you. Visual artist Shaun Friend uses these materials, along with other artistic mediums, to create artwork that has been exhibited in Germany, Japan, the UK, and Australia. He also sells his work online and shares it with over 140K followers on Instagram.
In this online course, Shaun teaches you how to unlock your creativity and build a narrative with graphite and charcoal. Learn to transform the ideas from your sketchbook into unique pieces of art by exploring mark making, composition, line work, and more. There's no right or wrong when experimenting; enjoy the freedom of drawing with graphite and charcoal.
What will you learn in this online course?
16 lessons & 14 downloads
Materials
6 minutes, 46 seconds
Pencilling the First Marks 1
12 minutes, 7 seconds
Pencilling the First Marks 2
11 minutes, 2 seconds
Making Marks with Charcoal
17 minutes, 22 seconds
Beginning to Explore Ideas
18 minutes, 37 seconds
Composition and Narrative
9 minutes, 24 seconds
What's included in this course?
Begin the course by getting to know visual artist Shaun Friend. Discover how he turned his passion for art into a full-time career along with the influences that inspire him and the work he creates.
Dive into the tools and materials needed for the course. Then discover the importance of building a visual library of references to help you develop your own style. Experiment with mark making using a pencil and do the same with charcoal to enhance your sketches.
Use the techniques learned so far to explore ideas for your illustration and play with composition and narrative to develop them into more refined sketches. Scan and resize your drawing, before learning how to transfer it to paper in preparation for your final piece. Then use a pencil to define the line work.
Discover how to create tone using hatching and blending techniques, and put the finishing touches to your work. To wrap up the course, Shaun shares his advice for archiving and protecting your image.
What is this course's project?
Create an illustration based on your imagination using graphite and charcoal.
Projects by course students
Who is this online course for?
This course is for anyone who wants to learn how to embrace their creativity and create unique artwork with charcoal and graphite.
Requirements and materials
No previous experience is required.
In terms of materials, you will need charcoal pencils, paper, a sketchbook, blending stick, graphite transfer paper, glassine paper, and fixative.
Reviews
- 4 months ago
Bueno
- 5 months ago
Molto interessante. Mi e piaciuto molto
- 10 months ago
It gives many resources to help you to develop your creativity and charcoal technique. It is really inspiring!
- 1 year ago
corso stimolante e accattivante
- 1 year ago
Todo muy bien , un curso muy completo
Shaun soon began posting his work online and connecting with creatives from all over the world. Since then, he’s exhibited his art which combines a variety of artistic mediums, in Germany, Japan, the UK, and Australia. He also sells his illustrations via his website and shares them with over 140K followers on Instagram.
Content
- U1
Introduction
- About Me
- Influences
- U2
Preparation and Making Marks
- Materials
- References and Visual Cues
- Pencilling the First Marks 1
- Pencilling the First Marks 2
- Making Marks with Charcoal
- U3
Ideas and Sketches
- Beginning to Explore Ideas
- Composition and Narrative
- Transferring to Paper
- Defining Linework
- U4
Rendering the Drawing
- Ways to Create Tone 1
- Ways to Create Tone 2
- Building Dark Tones, Highlights, and Details
- Adding Elements to Create a Narrative
- Finishing Touches and Last Thoughts
- FP
Final project
- Drawing From Imagination with Graphite and Charcoal
What to expect from a Domestika course
Learn at your own pace
Enjoy learning from home without a set schedule and with an easy-to-follow method. You set your own pace.
Learn from the best professionals
Learn valuable methods and techniques explained by top experts in the creative sector.
Meet expert teachers
Each expert teaches what they do best, with clear guidelines, true passion, and professional insight in every lesson.
Certificates
PLUSIf you're a Plus member, get a custom certificate signed by your teacher for every course. Share it on your portfolio, social media, or wherever you like.
Get front-row seats
Videos of the highest quality, so you don't miss a single detail. With unlimited access, you can watch them as many times as you need to perfect your technique.
Share knowledge and ideas
Ask questions, request feedback, or offer solutions. Share your learning experience with other students in the community who are as passionate about creativity as you are.
Connect with a global creative community
The community is home to millions of people from around the world who are curious and passionate about exploring and expressing their creativity.
Watch professionally produced courses
Domestika curates its teacher roster and produces every course in-house to ensure a high-quality online learning experience.
FAQs
Yes, this course is designed for intermediate artists who want to expand their skills with graphite and charcoal techniques, narrative development, and sketchbook practices.
You will need graphite pencils, charcoal pencils, a sketchbook, quality paper, blending tools, erasers, fixative spray, and access to references for sketching. A scalpel for sharpening and Photoshop for digital tasks are also helpful.
You’ll learn blending, tonal shading, image transfer, narrative building, sketchbook ideation, compositional techniques, refining details, and digital workflows, plus how to use references and preserve your work.
You can use graphite transfer paper or scan and resize your sketch digitally, then trace or transfer the image onto high-quality paper for further development.
Use blending stumps, tissues, or fingertips for smooth transitions. Layer pencils for depth, and employ putty erasers or kneaded erasers to lift highlights and refine edges.
Yes, a Moleskine sketchbook is suitable for graphite and charcoal drawing, offering a good surface for experimentation, ideation, and refining concepts.
Create highlights by lifting charcoal with a kneaded eraser or putty eraser. Use sharp charcoal pencils or erasers for fine details and to refine areas after blending.