Figure Drawing with Charcoal: Fusain Technique (Video)

REFERENCE IMAGE HERE

G Caruso is teaching a fusain technique that allows for shaping and “sculpting” the image gradually, and the using the eraser for highlighting.

What is fusain?

The term fusain comes from Bâtonnets de fusain, or willow charcoal, a drawing medium made from thin sticks of trees such as willow or fusain (spindler). The word fusain, as a drawing instrument, has been used in French since the 18th c. Many artists have used fusain, like Leonardo da Vinci, Georgia O’Keeffe, Delacroix, and Dürer to name a few. Fusain also refers to the style of drawing made with the soft, malleable charcoal. This material lends itself to sculpting forms on the surface of the paper, using both charcoal and eraser as drawing utensils. A process of addition and subtraction that lends itself to three dimensionality achieved with great efficiency.

You can go deeper into your figure drawing journey with our Figure Drawing Workshop Series This is a recording of our Free livestreaming Class that took place on March 28, 2022.

Materials: 

– charcoal/fusain/dark dry pastel

– kneaded eraser/eraser

– paper towels 

– drawing paper