Full Tonal Charcoal Study

Here is the charcoal study we have been working on for a total of 24 hours spread out over four days. This is our first full tonal range study. It wasn't as hard as I thought it would be. When you start out you start the same way as all the other studies. First you get the lights and darks, then move to three tones, then five tones, and, once you have everything working, full tonal. It would be nearly impossible if we just jumped in and worked a full tonal range from the start. There is a lot going on in this composition. The instructor sets these up to achieve the purpose of the study rather than for pleasing effects. I think what always surprises me is just how dark you have to make the white objects. The paper we use is Canson's Mi Tientes in cream. The paper is not white but cream colored.
I must say I enjoyed working on this one quite a bit. I am still getting the hang of working in charcoal though. It has its challenges.
On the home front, I am still unpacking and putting away. I have way too much stuff. Way to much! I have decided that I need to sell at least half of it. I know more now where my focus will be, not only in art but in fiber art. I will be selling off fiber and equipment and using the proceeds to buy a good easel. I will post the nicer items for sell on this blog, on my weaving blog, and also on Craigslist and Ebay. What I don't sell online, I hope to sell in a fiber art yard sale held locally.
Some of the items that I will be posting for sale as soon as I get settled in and figure out prices and shipping: a Fricke petite drum carder, a Louet vertical warping mill (quite large) a large two harness tapestry rug loom (about 48-50" wide), silk bricks, exotic fibers, silk fabrics, etc.
I will also be selling all my Handwoven, Spin-Off, and Threads magazines.
I purged quite a bit before we moved from Washington but not nearly enough! We want to be considerably lighter for the move to Portland in the fall.
I will be keeping all the weavers and fiber artists out there posted!
Hope to have a few items up next week. -Renee