Charcoal Birds

Last week on top of running the "Hello Vancouver" spring break camp out of the studio, I also ran an art camp for the North Vancouver Community Arts Council called, "Birds of a Feather". There were 12 children in the camp, ranging in age from 5 to 9 years old.

One of the projects they created on the first day of camp were these charcoal drawings. Needless to say, the kids looked like they had been in the coal mines when finished but I am so proud of the work they accomplished.

For the  younger ones, this project required that I introduce a new step each time they hollered, "I'm DONE!" To their testament however, they were open and eager to each new step suggestion I offered so in the end it is hard to imagine six year olds created some of these pieces. They even surprised themselves and from that point on were happy to listen and try anything I might suggest.

Wish my own kids behaved that way, I wouldn't need to break open the scotch some evenings.

7 year old

I began by simply having the students rub charcoal all over the paper and then take a paper towel and blend it.

6 year old

8 year old

From there I asked them to pick up the charcoal and find the shapes of the bird reference they had chosen. When they were happy with the shapes, they connected them together and sketched in the main details of the bird, the beak, the eye, and any 'feather caps'.

9 year old

At that point, I asked each artist to pick up the gummy eraser I had provided them and erase away all the light areas of the bird. Once they each got over their fascination with the gummy eraser, they enjoyed drawing with an eraser instead of a pencil.

6 year old

9 year old

The above eagles were created by a brother and sister. How lucky are the parents to have these lovely matching pieces to hang side by side? I was so impressed with the relationship between this brother and sister throughout the entire week, so very supportive of each other.

5 year old

Once they finished erasing out all the lights, I asked them to pick up the charcoal and begin adding all the darkest areas of the bird and then softly blending it into the piece.

6 year old

7 year old

By blending each time they added a dark, they began to create shades of grey into the work. I had them do this until they felt they are finished and then asked them to put in the blacks one last time. What you have is a lovely charcoal filled with tones of black.

7 year old

Then finally I asked them to go back and look at their reference and find some details they wanted to draw into the bird. What way do the feathers fall? Does the bird have any interesting marks? What happens around the eye? It was interesting to watch how each child interpreted this instruction.

6 year old

With a final instruction to add a little white highlight dot on the eye with the eraser, the works were complete. Although we were all a dirty mess at the end, the artworks were worth it.

Their beauty speaks for itself.