{"id":38551,"date":"2022-06-04T13:42:10","date_gmt":"2022-06-04T13:42:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thevirtualinstructor.com\/members\/?page_id=38551"},"modified":"2026-04-03T00:46:52","modified_gmt":"2026-04-03T00:46:52","slug":"charcoal-drawing-course-introduction-and-materials","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/thevirtualinstructor.com\/members\/charcoal-drawing-course-introduction-and-materials","title":{"rendered":"Charcoal Drawing Course &#8211; Introduction and Materials"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"coursetitlecontainer\">\n<div class=\"coursetitle\">\n<h1><span>The Charcoal Drawing Course:<\/span> Introduction and Materials<\/h1>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/p>\n<div class=\"insertbackground\">\n<div class=\"removep\">\n<div class=\"videoflexwrapper\">\n<div class=\"videotop\">\n  <iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/player.vimeo.com\/video\/816293314?h=69a77c86c5\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"autoplay; fullscreen; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<div style=\"clear:both;\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"sidebartop\">\n<div class=\"vertalign\">\n<div class=\"logoimage\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/thevirtualinstructor.com\/members\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/logosmall75.png\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"sidebarcarddescriptiondark\"><span>JOIN THE VIRTUAL INSTRUCTOR<\/span><br \/>\n    Get ALL of our courses, ebooks, live lessons, critiques, lesson plans and more today.<\/div>\n<div class=\"sidebarbuttonholder\"><a href=\"https:\/\/thevirtualinstructor.com\/members\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"sidebuttonsmem\">START FREE TRIAL<\/div>\n<p><\/a><\/p>\n<hr style=\"background-color:#ffffff;margin-top:1.5em;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/thevirtualinstructor.com\/members\/register-charcoal-drawing-course\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"sidebuttons\">BUY SINGLE COURSE $67<\/div>\n<p><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"clear:both;\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"courseperkscontainer\">\n<div class=\"courseperks\"><span>This course features:<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"courseperks\"><i class=\"far fa-clock\" style=\"margin-right:10px;\"><\/I>Over 2.5 Hours of Instruction<\/div>\n<div class=\"courseperks\"><i class=\"fas fa-film\" style=\"margin-right:10px;\"><\/I>19 Videos<\/div>\n<div class=\"courseperks\"><i class=\"fas fa-book\" style=\"margin-right:10px;\"><\/I>5 eBooks<\/div>\n<div class=\"courseperks\"><i class=\"fas fa-shield-alt\" style=\"margin-right:10px;\"><\/i>30 Day Money Back Guarantee<\/div>\n<div style=\"clear:both;\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"clear:both;\"><\/div>\n<p>\n\n<div class=\"contentfix\">\n<div class=\"favorites\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tabs\">\n<input name=\"tabs\" type=\"radio\" id=\"tab-1\" class=\"input\"\/><br \/>\n  <label for=\"tab-1\" class=\"label\">Lessons <i class=\"fas fa-angle-down\" style=\"margin-left:2px;\"><\/i><\/label><\/p>\n<div class=\"panel\">\n<h2>Course Curriculum<\/h2>\n\n<\/p>\n<p><div class=\"curriculumcontainer\">\n<a href=\"https:\/\/thevirtualinstructor.com\/members\/charcoal-drawing-course-introduction-and-materials\/\" class=\"curriculum\"><strong>MODULE 1: INTRODUCTION AND MATERIALS<\/strong><\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/thevirtualinstructor.com\/members\/charcoal-drawing-course-basic-forms-2\/\" class=\"curriculum\"><strong>MODULE 2: BASIC FORMS<\/strong><\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/thevirtualinstructor.com\/members\/charcoal-drawing-course-landscape\/\" class=\"curriculum\"><strong>MODULE 3: LANDSCAPE<\/strong><\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/thevirtualinstructor.com\/members\/charcoal-drawing-course-animal-portrait\/\" class=\"curriculum\"><strong>MODULE 4: ANIMAL PORTRAIT<\/strong><\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/thevirtualinstructor.com\/members\/charcoal-drawing-course-portrait\/\" class=\"curriculum\"><strong>MODULE 5: PORTRAIT<\/strong><\/a>\n<\/div>\n<\/p>\n<p><\/div>\n<p>  <input name=\"tabs\" type=\"radio\" id=\"tab-2\" class=\"input\"\/><br \/>\n  <label for=\"tab-2\" class=\"label\">Description <i class=\"fas fa-angle-down\" style=\"margin-left:3px;\"><\/i><\/label><\/p>\n<div class=\"panel\">\n<h2>Lesson Description<\/h2>\n<p>\nThe introductory lesson of <em>The Charcoal Drawing Course<\/em> lays the groundwork for a successful and confident journey into charcoal drawing by familiarizing students with the essential tools, materials, and surfaces used in this expressive medium. Whether you're a beginner curious about charcoal or an intermediate artist looking to strengthen your foundation, this lesson ensures you understand the characteristics, strengths, and applications of each material before you begin drawing.\n<\/p>\n<h2>Why Charcoal Is a Unique Medium<\/h2>\n<p>\nCharcoal has been used by artists for centuries because of its flexibility, rich tonality, and responsiveness to touch. It allows for bold, dark values and soft, delicate transitions, making it ideal for expressive drawings that explore light, shadow, form, and atmosphere. This introductory lesson explains how charcoal behaves differently from graphite or ink, and why understanding your materials is the first step toward expressive mastery.\n<\/p>\n<h2>Vine Charcoal: Soft and Versatile<\/h2>\n<p>\nThe lesson begins with vine charcoal \u2014 a soft, lightweight stick made from charred grapevine. Vine charcoal is celebrated for its smooth application and ease of erasure, making it excellent for quick sketches, broad shading, and establishing initial compositions. You\u2019ll learn how to handle vine charcoal to create varied line widths, subtle gradients, and atmospheric effects. The lesson also covers how easily vine charcoal blends and how to use it to build foundational values before moving on to darker materials.\n<\/p>\n<h2>Compressed Charcoal: Deep, Bold Values<\/h2>\n<p>\nNext, the lesson introduces compressed charcoal, which offers significantly darker and denser marks than vine charcoal. Compressed charcoal allows artists to achieve rich black values, dramatic contrasts, and defined edges. The introduction explains how compressed charcoal is made \u2014 by combining charcoal with a binder \u2014 and how its density affects application, blending, and erasure. You\u2019ll learn when and why to incorporate compressed charcoal into your drawings to strengthen form and structure.\n<\/p>\n<h2>White Charcoal and Highlights<\/h2>\n<p>\nTo balance dark values, this lesson also covers white charcoal or white charcoal pencil. Used primarily on toned paper, white charcoal allows you to add highlights, suggest reflected light, and create a sense of dimensional depth. The lesson explains how white charcoal works alongside vine and compressed charcoal to complete value range and enhance visual impact.\n<\/p>\n<h2>Choosing Surfaces and Tools<\/h2>\n<p>\nFinally, the lesson discusses surfaces and paper types suited to charcoal, such as toned papers, textured drawing paper, and heavier weights that can withstand repeated erasure and layering. You\u2019ll also learn about blending tools \u2014 such as tortillons, stumps, brushes, and chamois \u2014 and erasers that help refine and shape drawings.\n<\/p>\n<h2>Starting with Confidence<\/h2>\n<p>\nBy the end of the <em>Introduction and Materials<\/em> lesson, you\u2019ll have a clear understanding of the charcoal tools and surfaces you\u2019ll be using throughout the course. Armed with this knowledge, you\u2019ll be ready to explore technique and begin creating expressive, compelling charcoal drawings with confidence.\n<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>  <input name=\"tabs\" type=\"radio\" id=\"tab-3\" class=\"input\"\/><br \/>\n  <label for=\"tab-3\" class=\"label\">Materials <i class=\"fas fa-angle-down\" style=\"margin-left:2px;\"><\/i><\/label><\/p>\n<div class=\"panel\">\n<h2>Lesson Materials<\/h2>\n<p>None<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>  <input name=\"tabs\" type=\"radio\" id=\"tab-4\" class=\"input\"\/><br \/>\n  <label for=\"tab-4\" class=\"label\">Resources <i class=\"fas fa-angle-down\" style=\"margin-left:2px;\"><\/i><\/label><\/p>\n<div class=\"panel\">\n<h2>Lesson Resources<\/h2>\n<h4>References<\/h4>\n<p><i class=\"fas fa-lock\" style=\"margin-right:10px;\"><\/I>Download eBook<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"sidebarbottom\">\n<div class=\"relatedcourse\">Your Instructor<\/div>\n<div class=\"instructor\">\n<div class=\"instructorimage\">\n<div class=\"instructorpic\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/thevirtualinstructor.com\/images\/mattauthor.jpg\" alt=\"Matt Fussell - Instructor\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"instructorname\">Matt Fussell<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"instructordes\">\n<p>Founder of The Virtual Instructor, artist and teacher. Matt makes learning art easy to understand and enjoyable.<\/p>\n<p><div style=\"padding-top:10px;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/thevirtualinstructor.com\/blog\/author\/admin\">Learn more about Matt<\/a><\/div>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"relatedcoursescontainer\">\n<div class=\"relatedcourse\">Related Courses and Classes<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/thevirtualinstructor.com\/members\/mastering-metal-with-graphite-and-white-charcoal\" class=\"sidebarbottom-curriculum\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"leftlean\"><i class=\"far fa-play-circle\" style=\"margin-right:5px;\"><\/i>Mastering Metal<\/div>\n<div class=\"rightlean\" style=\"background-image: url('https:\/\/thevirtualinstructor.com\/members\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Mastering-Metal-Graphite-White-Charcoal.jpg');\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"clear:both;\"><\/div>\n<p><\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/thevirtualinstructor.com\/members\/figure-drawing-with-charcoal\" class=\"sidebarbottom-curriculum\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"leftlean\"><i class=\"far fa-play-circle\" style=\"margin-right:5px;\"><\/i>Charcoal Figure Drawing<\/div>\n<div class=\"rightlean\" style=\"background-image: url('https:\/\/thevirtualinstructor.com\/members\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/charcoal-figure-drawing-lesson-series.jpg');\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"clear:both;\"><\/div>\n<p><\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/thevirtualinstructor.com\/members\/ostrich-with-charcoal\" class=\"sidebarbottom-curriculum\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"leftlean\"><i class=\"far fa-play-circle\" style=\"margin-right:5px;\"><\/i>Ostrich with Charcoal<\/div>\n<div class=\"rightlean\" style=\"background-image: url('https:\/\/thevirtualinstructor.com\/members\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/ostrich-with-charcoal-drawing-lesson-series-1.jpg');\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"clear:both;\"><\/div>\n<p><\/a>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"clear:both;\"><\/div>\n<p><script>\nfunction myFunction(x) {\n  if (x.matches) { \/\/ If media query matches\n    radiobtn = document.getElementById(\"tab-1\");\nradiobtn.checked = true;\n  } else {\n   radiobtn = document.getElementById(\"tab-2\");\nradiobtn.checked = true;\n  }\n}<\/p>\n<p>var x = window.matchMedia(\"(max-width: 981px)\")\nmyFunction(x) \/\/ Call listener function at run time\nx.addListener(myFunction) \/\/ Attach listener function on state changes\n<\/script><\/p>\n<p><script>\n$(\".curriculumcontainermem a\").click(function(){\n    $('.curriculumcontainermem a.selected').not(this).removeClass('selected');\n    $(this).toggleClass('selected');\n })\n<\/script><br \/>\n<script>\n$(\".curriculumcontainer a\").click(function(){\n    $('.curriculumcontainer a.curriculumselected').not(this).removeClass('curriculumselected');\n    $(this).toggleClass('curriculumselected');\n })\n<\/script><br \/>\n<script>\n    var iframe = document.querySelector('iframe');\n    var player = new Vimeo.Player(iframe);<\/p>\n<p>    player.on('play', function() {\n        console.log('played the video!');\n    });<\/p>\n<p>    player.getVideoTitle().then(function(title) {\n        console.log('title:', title);\n    });\n<\/script><br \/>\n<script>\nfunction PlayVid1() {\nplayer.loadVideo(713840701).then(function() {\n    \/\/ the video successfully loaded\n}).catch(function(error) {\n    switch (error.name) {\n        case 'TypeError':\n            \/\/ the id was not a number\n            break;<\/p>\n<p>        case 'PasswordError':\n            \/\/ the video is password-protected and the viewer needs to enter the\n            \/\/ password first\n            break;<\/p>\n<p>        case 'PrivacyError':\n            \/\/ the video is password-protected or private\n            break;<\/p>\n<p>        default:\n            \/\/ some other error occurred\n            break;\n    }\n});\n}\n<\/script><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Charcoal Drawing Course: Introduction and Materials Lessons Course Curriculum Description Lesson Description The introductory lesson of The Charcoal Drawing Course lays the groundwork for a successful and confident journey into charcoal drawing by familiarizing students with the essential tools, materials, and surfaces used in this expressive medium. Whether you&#8217;re a beginner curious about charcoal [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","template":"paget-iframe.php","meta":{"footnotes":""},"tags":[],"class_list":["post-38551","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/thevirtualinstructor.com\/members\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/38551","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/thevirtualinstructor.com\/members\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/thevirtualinstructor.com\/members\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thevirtualinstructor.com\/members\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thevirtualinstructor.com\/members\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=38551"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/thevirtualinstructor.com\/members\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/38551\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":46131,"href":"https:\/\/thevirtualinstructor.com\/members\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/38551\/revisions\/46131"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/thevirtualinstructor.com\/members\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=38551"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thevirtualinstructor.com\/members\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=38551"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}