Alternate Transfer Methods - Charcoal

First, let me apologize for missing the Friday post.  It was not my best day :) Anyway, here's the lesson for today: 

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We'll finish up on transfer methods today.  It's super messy charcoal, so keep that in mind as you begin.

Material list:
Charcoal or dark pastels
Paper, pencil, eraser
Masking tape
Photocopied template

I learned how to do this in 6th grade, so really anyone can manage it! And I've been using it ever since…

Step 1:
First, tape a sheet of paper to your drawing surface, just like with the carbon paper.

Step 2:
Next, take a photocopied template and cover the back of it with charcoal or a dark pastel.  Make the layer thick enough that it will leave a mark when you draw on top of it.

Step 3:
Again, I would suggest taping the template over the blank paper.  Just makes for an easier transfer. Draw directly on the photocopy so that the charcoal transfers to the blank paper below.

 
This is the final result.  The lines are a little darker than in the carbon paper method.  They are also harder to erase.  I find this method works ok, especially in short runs.  Overall, I use the lightbox or photocopy methods the most.  The photocopy (printer) method comes in handy when working digitally, which we'll talk about during the digital lessons.

Next up, we'll start transferring our templates to final paper and coloring them using various techniques.  The first will be colored pencil using two methods, then watercolors.  Maybe even a mixture of both!