Having used pencil from our first step towards literacy, wielding it to express emotions has become second nature to most of us. In the hands of an experienced artist, graphite can create powerful images with a character of their own. Seeing the world in greyscale makes us focus more on the mood and emotions. So, let us explore together the qualities that helped graphite create and maintain it’s niche in the vibrant world of colors.
5 Ways Graphite Stands It’s Ground as an Excellent Art Medium
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Versatility:
The potential of graphite pencil as an art medium is way bigger than its seemingly monotone would suggest. From playful little doodles and quick rough sketches to detailed realistic renditions, the versatility of graphite is only limited by the skill of its handler. If you are not on an artistic ramble outdoors, carrying paint tubes, brushes, mixing palette, easel and the rest of the stuff might not be practicable every day. But, you never know when inspiration might strike! The humble pencil is one of the handiest tools to carry along. You can stick it in the coils of your ring binder for quick study sketches.
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Flexible:
With its leeway to correct mistakes almost umpteen numbers of times (depending on your technique), it becomes one of the most lenient medium for creating art on paper. With acrylic to some degree and oil paint, we can keep making changes. But oil paint though being a fantastic medium and preferred by masters, requires extended investment of time. So, it is not suitable for every occasion. I like using graphite sticks and pencils because they let me make changes as I go along. Sometimes, I end up creating something very surprisingly different from what I started with. It is like putting on paper how my imagination worked out an idea. The realisation just feels superb!
“It is like putting on paper how the imagination worked out an idea. The realization just feels superb!”
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Concentrate on Creating:
Graphite is a great medium for impatient creators. It makes it easier to capture details without planning in advance or waiting for the layers to dry up. Charcoal too works great for capturing the mood in a jiffy. With pencil sketches, you do not have to worry much about mistakes, time lapse or even pre-planning. And, it does offer greater control than a brush. Of course, I am still somewhat green as far as being an artist goes and speak only of my experience. Professionals who have made paint their second nature, might feel quite differently about it. Be that as it may, graphite does come across as a very flexible no-fuss medium.
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Indispensable prepwork :
When it comes to using paint, I like creating with watercolor. Here too, graphite comes in handy for planning the layering work better. With little scope for correction and fast pace of work while working with watercolor, graphite comes in handy. It helps planning the layering work better if I create the whole thing in greyscale first. With other mediums too, placement of elements gets easier with a pencil than tackling them directly with paint.
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The power of black:
I feel the escalating shades of grey culminating in ebony black has the power to bring out emotions better. Colors bring along a mood of their own and certainly do add to the appeal. But if I am trying to create an aura focused on the details, concentrating on a single color works best for me. Just like some photographs look more elegant in monochrome, some ideas are expressed better through graphite.
“Just like some photographs look more elegant in monochrome, some ideas are expressed better through graphite.”
Being able to convert the technicolor world around us into monochrome fills the artist with pride. The ability to showcase the whole gamut of emotions with strokes from a single pencil is truly incredible. I believe, graphite preserves the beauty of a subject while bringing mood and feelings under the spotlight. Monochrome brings along with it an element of elegance and nostalgia.
“Monochrome brings along with it an element of elegance and nostalgia.”
I would love to hear about your take on graphite as an art medium. So, are you a fan of greyscale creations?
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