International Journal of Research in Humanities and Social Studies

Volume 5, Issue 11, 2018, PP 47-51

ISSN 2394-6288 (Print) & ISSN 2394-6296 (Online)

Art and Application of Mediums and Techniques for Drawings

Shekhar Chandra Joshi
Dean Faculty of Visual Art,HOD Drawing and Painting,Kumaun University SSJ Campus Almora,
Uttarakhand, India
*Corresponding Author: Shekhar Chandra Joshi, Dean Faculty of Visual Art,HOD Drawing and
Painting,Kumaun University SSJ Campus Almora, Uttarakhand, India

ABSTRACT
Everything in the world can be the subject for a drawing. Drawing is basically learning and very helpful to
understand by way of its execution of visual world around us.Art and application of this medium and
techniques practices for Drawings are variable artist to artist. How artists have played with tools and
techniques throughout the ages is very curious. Present paper will highlight in detail on these issues related
mediums and techniques used for drawings by artists.

INTRODUCTION Oil or Pastel Pencil is also used for this

work.Now a day markers, felt-tip pen, fibre-tip
Drawing is a very essential and basic part in
pen, rollerball pen, water soluble crayons and
each walk of expression. Every thing in the pencils etc. are being used. Good quality paper
world can be the subject for a drawing.
or card is needed to work to depict the subject.
Drawings by handling impressions of artists‟ Markers produce a steady flow of even colours
tool are a kind of visual impressions/record of with the shape of marker‟s tip.
feeling and facts of living and nonliving things
on two dimensional surfaces. It is basically very Line drawinga drawing technique, in which the
helpful to understand visual world around us. subject is defined through the use of outline
There are different terms, mediums and rather than with tonal shading. Silver point, a
techniques used for drawings time to time are method of drawing using a thin silver wire in a
discussed finding side by side an appropriate holder on paper coated with white gouache. A
result in the discussions with examples, kind of use in drawing called Stump also known
quotations and definitions in the following. as torchon, this is a pencil-shaped tool made of
tightly rolled paper and used to soften tones
RESULT AND DISCUSSIONS during drawing. (Smith, 71)That tightly rolled
There are number of basic line and tone piece of soft paper/processis also known
techniques. Also can used rubbed or smudged chamois. The nature of line can vary from the
shading techniques, including drawing with a feathery touch of pencil lead to the thick, solid
paper stump and working with eraser. (Smith, stroke of a graphite stick or charcoal, and the
14) According to Jenny Rodwell who wrote particular quality of line can be infinitely
series of books Step by Step Art School. Healso modulated according to the character of the
wrote on Drawing that it is essentially about artist and nature of the object, position and
line, about creating form and movement with pose. Measuring and capturing movements of
charcoal, charcoal pencil, chalk or any drawing these in fluent lines, moving lines can be
instrument- all of which produce a line. expressed in smooth clarity of line, linear or
Pencils, Charcoal Pencils, Clutch pencils, tonal approaches or as desired according to the
Studia Pencils, Oil based Pencils,Graphite professionalism of artists.
Pencils, and Graphite sticks, Graphite powder As said already in brief the growing of drawing
are also used for drawings. Pencils are in having and developing the subject depends on artist‟s
lead of rod shape while Studio pencils have nature and equipment. Charcoal and chalk is
flattened strips. Pen (Drawing pen, initially used by them for the drawing. This is
TechnicalPen, QuillPen, Dip Pen, Fountain Pen, the perfect medium for the beginners.It can be
and BallpointPen), brush and ink are also used for linear drawing as well as for shading.
helpful in producing drawing. Pastel -Dry and Chalk and charcoal can be used heavily to

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Art and Application of Mediums and Techniques for Drawings

represent deep black, and chalk similarly for the preliminary sketches. The graphite pencil could
white. With soft materials it is possible to blend be used on almost any type of drawing surface,
lines to achieve a solid area of tone but it is also a fact that helped make it indispensable in the
possible to create tone with line (hard or soft) artist‟s studio.
alone, using the traditional method of hatching,
Although graphite pencils provided a
cross- hatching and optical mixing. Cross-
substantial range of light–dark effects and the
hatching while hatching is the creation of areas
opportunity for tonal modeling, the greatest
of tone by shading a set of
masters of pencil drawing always kept the
graphite/pastel/pencillines closely togather in
elements of a simple linearism or limited
parallel, cross-hatching is simply depending the
shading that were appropriate to pencil drawing.
tone by overlapping another set of parallel lines
This concept of pencil drawing contrasted with
at right angles to the first. This can be repeated
that sometimes employed in the 18th and 19th
until the desired depth of tones is achieved.
centuries in which extensive tonal modeling of
Pencil drawing, drawing executed with an three-dimensional forms and elaborate effects
instrument composed of graphite enclosed in a of light and shade were produced by artists and
wood casing is used as a device for autonomous miniaturists by rubbing the soft graphite
art work now days. The cylindrical graphite particles with a stump.
pencil, because of its usefulness in easily
In pencil drawing Figure sketches and portrait
producing linear gray-black strokes, became the
studies by French Neoclassicist Jean-Auguste-
successor of the older, metallic drawing
Dominique Ingres expressed reflecting the
stylus.Besides, Conte Crayon square-shaped
epitome of this art in which lucid contours and
crayons are now available in a wide range of
limited shading combined to create a spirit of
colours and grades from hard to soft which are
elegance and restraint. Many artists throughout
popular for drawing as they hold their shape
Europe accepted this manner, including such
well and give a rich, strong colour.
German draftsmen as Adrian Ludwig Richter,
Although graphite was mined in the 16th who preferred the hardest of pencils and
century, the use by artists of pieces of natural sharpest of points to produce wire like
graphite, inserted in a Porte-crayon (“pencil delineations of figures and landscapes. Softer
holder”), is not known before the 17th century. and darker graphite pencils offered appropriate
In past, famous Dutch and European artistsused effects to artists whose tastes required more
graphite to make preliminary sketch lines for freedom and spontaneity.
drawings to be completed in other media, but
One of the most sensitive users of the graphite
drawings completely finished with graphite
pencil in the 19th century was the French artist
were rare.(https://www.)
Edgar Degas. A master pastelist and draftsman
Nevertheless pencil drawings were much less with coloured chalks and charcoal, Degas
commonly produced by artists of those created pencil drawings of warmth and
centuries than sketches in chalks, charcoal, and charm.(https://www.) Now a days different
pen and ink, the use of graphite gradually grade Pencils including coloured pencils are
increased among painters, miniaturists, being used by artists for drawings.
architects, and designers. By the late 18th
Observing the importance of drawings in pencil
century, an ancestor of the modern pencil was
and watercolour Duchampalso captured in the
constructed in the form of a rod of natural
work of early in his career, he made a number
graphite fitted into a hollow cylinder of wood.
of figure drawings in a traditional
Not until 1795, however, did the French
representational style. But as his work
inventor Nicolas-Jacques Conté devise a
developed, partially under the influence of
method of producing pencil rods from mixtures
Cubism, he began to breakup the figure in order
of graphite and clays, a true prototype of the
to express one image of movement in which
modern graphite pencil. Conté‟s technical
“the lines follow each other in parallels while
improvement made possible the production of
changing subtly to form the movements. His
fine pencils the strokes of which could be
famous painting “Nude Descending a Staircase”
controlled, varying from type to type in softness
was a landmark in this series of works, which
and hardness, darkness and lightness. These
include the “Virgin” drawings, made in the late
excellent quality graphite pencils encouraged
summer of 1912. This study from the series has
wider use by 19th-century artists, and pencil
been drawn in pencil and watercolour.(Smith,
drawing became commonly used for studies and
69)The role of different lines depicted in the

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Art and Application of Mediums and Techniques for Drawings

Frescos of Ajanta and miniatures of artistic applications including painting.Drafting

Jain,Rajasthani, Pahari, and Mughal etc. It can film is a 100% polyester surface, used
also see in the paintings of Jamini Roy, K.K. traditionally by draftsmen and architects to do
Hebbar, N. S. Bendre, J. Swaminathan M. F. plans on, but these days it is gaining increasing
Husainetc. popularity as a drawing surface with artists. It is
archival, translucent, non-yellowing, stable
Drawing can be generally on regular white
under different temperatures and loves coloured
cartridge paper. Good quality watercolour paper
pencil. Often referred to as Mylar paper the
is excellent for drawing. Paper comes in
sheets and rolls provide a durable medium
different weights in the three main one begin
capable of withstand extensive revisions and
90lb (185 gsm), 140lb (300 gsm) and300lb (640
changes. The film feature excellent
gsm). These three main good quality Western
transparency and flatness. It is dimensionally
watercolour Drawing papers are HP (Hot
stable and unaffected by temperature and
Pressed), NOT or CP (Cold Pressed) and
humidity.Mylar paperpolyester drafting film is a
Rough. An HP surface is smooth, a NOT
superior archival drafting paper. It is chemically
surface has a fine grain finish and a rough
matted to accept pencil or ink.
surface has a more rugged texture. The surface
texture of paper with in the HP, NOT and This is also the fact thatMylar is a generic term
Rough classifications vary from one referring to any polyester film or plastic sheet
manufacture to other. Any drawing medium and does not specifically refer to drafting film
will perform differently on each type of which has a special matte coating which makes
surface.(Smith, 12) it receptive to coloured pencil, graphite and
some inks. Drafting film allows for rapid,
A range of texture and tones papers can be
vibrant colour laydown, crisp and fine detail
helpful for drawings. These are available in the
and gives a luminous, photographic quality to
market and could be experiment with them to
your artworks
discover suitable requirment of drawing. On the
whole, artists tend to prefer white or off-white The qualities of Drafting Film, polyester film
papers to the toned variety. But toned paper are that is with a one or two side matte
gives scope for the kind of figure work that translucent drawing surface. It will not tear, cut,
could not be made on white paper. In past artists stain, become brittle or discolored with age.
used toned papers to great effect, drawing the This film accepts lead, charcoal, graphite,
figures in charcoal on a blue- grey paper, for colored pencil, pen and ink with ease. It erases
this instance, and then adding tones and cleanly without smearing or leaving
highlights with white chalk or water colour. shadows.Widely used in engineering, drafting,
This gives a three- dimensional effect that could laser cutting fabrication, stencil making,
not be obtained on white paper without drawing and mixed media applications.The
considerable ore work. Blue- grey toned paper drafting film is available in one side/single
has traditionally been popular for drawing with matte or two side/double matte in 3 and 4 mil
charcoal and chalk. A smooth cool brown paper thicknesses and single matte in 5 and 7 mil
works well when drawing (with orange-red, thicknesses.
black and white). (Smith, 12- 13)
Drafting film is perfect for doing fine detail and
Renownedportrait artistTracy Frein who is line work and is particularly effective for
known for working in colored pencil on drafting animal artworks and portraits. Because the
film usesa kind of technique/methodas he pencil pigment adheres so quickly to the
developed and called Drawing by Subtracting. drafting film surface, portraits of people can be
This method helpshim on the film bring out a little trickier when trying to render smooth
elements of his canvas and subject such as skin tones, but it is still possible with a patient
texture and emotion. Tracy Frein said about his and gentle approach. Because of the
art that my inspiration is drawn solely from my translucency of the film, any one can also work
subjects and their hidden emotional truths.Tracy on both sides, giving a layered 3D look to
has lent his skill to top brands across the world his/her artworks.
but is most satisfied by the opportunities he has
Marco Mazzoni is an Italian artist who merges
to capture his subject‟s features in the field of
design and botanical elements like flowers,
portraits. (https://www.)
butterflies and critters into modernist portraits
Drafting film is suitable for pen and pencil with his pencil drawings.German artist,
drawing and is used as a substrate in many Dzimirskyachieved the goal of hyper-realism,

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Art and Application of Mediums and Techniques for Drawings

which pencil works looks like as an image of in India and abroad working after in this unique,
photographic reliability.He was able to skillful and innovative style.
masterfully capture unique aspects of human
In 2014,featuring some selective drawingsof
features and human emotions through observing
some of the most influential Indian modern and
and translating the tiny details of human
contemporary artists namely Ram Kumar,
appearance.
Somnath Hore, KG Subramanyan, Rollie
In graphite medium Paul Cadden, Scottish artist Mukherjee, Manjunath Kamath, Krishen
executed photographic reliability to urban Khanna, Birendra Pani, and Atul Dodiya etc.
scenes and everyday people doing everyday were exhibitedto asses the development and
things.With drawings of hands grasping skin evolution of drawing in Indian artby Gallery
and body parts, London based artist Cath Riley Espace.“Drawing 2014: Seven Decades of
is able to put a whole realm of need and Indian Drawing”, was displayed at the
expectation into the greyscale of graphite.These Exhibition Hall of the Indira Gandhi National
graphite artworks do not just present their Centre for the Arts (IGNCA) in New Delhi, is
subjects with photographic accuracy, but they co-curated by Prayag Shukla along with
also form meditations on human relationship Annapurna Garimella and Sindhura Jois DM
and longing.She explains her drawings as from Jackfruit Research and Design, Bangalore.
continuing expansions and evolutionary
According to report of an art journal that with
development.(https://www.)
the 21st century and the Indian art market crash,
Computers are now widely accepted as drawing has taken on a new meaning in artists‟
legitimate tools for making art. The practices and is now being re-evaluated. Today,
transforming power of the computer gives it is not merely a two-dimensional medium, but
drawing with it great flexibility in computer has transformed to embody a whole new set of
graphics. Among more recent innovation are forms of visual representation, including
pocket- sized notepads related to the larger performance, installation, video and animation,
graphic tables on which artists can make textiles and embroidery, and sculpture, among
drawings using a tool much like a pencil. others.Drawing can be a form of
communication, a sign, a plan, a map or a mark
The digitalized image with the help of
on a surface. It is an essential part of an artist‟s
electronic pen lines can be fed into a PC and
training and is used to sketch studies for
manipulated in an infinite variety of ways
sculptures, designs and artistic projects, but it
before being printed. (Smith, 64-65) Photo
also can be a final artwork.
Shop, Corel Draw, Illustrator, InDesign, and
(http://artradarjournal)
Maya 3D Max etc. soft wares are very helpful
in computer graphics for drawing works too. Finally it can be said the Drawingsby handling
impressions of artists‟ tool are a kind of visual
Drawing is one of the most appropriate ways of
impressions/record of feeling and facts of living
expression among the artists using different
and nonliving thingson two dimensional
materials as described above by handling as per
surfaces. Some extend these aredelineations of
their choice and subject.
land, figures, objects and things in original
It seems Pencil Drawing is commonly more shapes orbeyond the imagination. Freedom and
attractive and preferably explored by artists spontaneity of drawings reflect the command of
starting from the initial learning stage to artist(s). They communicate the joyful rhythm
professional maturity. Besides, artist develops and overall impact reflecting a spiritual
his/her mastery in drawing with the help of any elegance.The use of Computer base drawing is
one material or partly in all adopting a new also appliedfrequently as per the demand of
material/method. Finger nails drawings are work. Architectural drawings are also one of
unique of Shekhar Chandra Joshi (writer of this them. There are numbers of many other trades
article) who uses his nails as a tool for engraved applying to drawings first hand for designing
lines of different pressure or thickness on paper the goods in their respective fields either of
with out using pen and pencil or any other kind jewelry, furniture, leather, fabric, sports etc. or
of the same. Using paddy coins he puts different other kind of art preparation or presentation or
colours to the drawings as well as to create a execution that is necessary for drawing and its
painting on other side too. His series of value.
Ragamala and others are credited and exhibited
So besides the use of drawings that is essential
for designing of any kind of man made

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Art and Application of Mediums and Techniques for Drawings

things/production for a beautiful look.The

things made by artisans and craftsmen with the
plan, map or mark on a surface. This art is the
help of drawings ofdrawn designs on demand
most adoptable in the 21st century with skillfully
are beautifullyplacedin the environment and
new application of medium and technique in the
society including a drawing drawn by artist. We
era of technology and creativity.
should always appreciate to Drawing trying to
builda beautiful shape of our art and society BIBLIOGRAPHY
through drawing(s)in any medium and [1] Ray Smith, „Drawing Figure‟ in Association
technique. These are the ways of our with the Royal Dorling Kinderslay, London,
expressions. New York, Stuttgart, 1994
CONCLUSION [2] Jenny Rodwell, „Drawing‟Hamlyn, 1996
[3] (https://www.britannica.com/art/pencil-
Line drawingwith tone and texture or drawing August 2, 2018 )
Architectural drawingsor drafting with the help
[4] (https://www.artistsnetwork.com/art-
of different materials and techniques as
mediums/a-happy-medium-winners-of-the-all-
described and discussed above by handling as media-art-competition-2018/, August 1, 2018)
per the choice of artists and their interest of
[5] (https://smartartbox.com/blogs/smart-art-
subject vary time to time availability of blog/the-most-famous-graphite-pencil-artists-
material. Nevertheless drawing is remain very and-drawings-in-history August 2, 2018)
helpful of learning and expressing our desire
[6] (http://artradarjournal.com/2014/11/21/drawing
with full of freedom and joy for a wider use in s-by-100-indian-contemporary-artists-in-
our life. It has become the necessity. It can be pictures/ August 25, 2018)
adopted in any form, in any medium and
technique forthe communication using sign,

Citation: Shekhar Chandra Joshi, ”Art and Application of Mediums and Techniques for Drawings”. (2018)
International Journal of Research in Humanities and Social Studies, 5(11), pp. 47-51
Copyright: © 2018 Shekhar Chandra Joshi. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the
Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in
any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.

International Journal of Research in Humanities and Social Studies V5 ● I11 ● 2018 51