I came across a chalk drawing of Peter Paul Rubens’ in some reference material I have. It was a lovely sketch of his son done in black, red and white chalk.
Chalk drawing and it’s media are often used to rough out the plans for a major work. They are also used as a note taking devise for future, more elaborate drawings or paintings. But over time they have come to be recognized as works of art in and of themselves. When I was introduced to Conte Pencils I couldn’t get enough of them. I love doing quick sketches of people and this medium added a bit more dimension to my figures. I’ve found that they appear much richer on darker or colored paper. These are some early ventures in seeing what I could do with them. I’ve been away from them for quite some time and am looking forward to experimenting with them again. There’s just something about the softness of chalk that can transport you back to the days of youth and it’s use on black boards and sidewalks.