What is Charcoal?

What is charcoal?

I occasionally get the question, what is charcoal? A lot of my work is created with charcoal and a few elements of pastels for color.

I love charcoal for its simplicity and it comes in different forms such as pencils, vine, compressed and powder.

I personally prefer pencils and powder. My tools used with charcoal are oil brushes,
q-tips, and old socks (yes, old socks).

When I'm creating, it's fun to see a figure emerge (like the one below) and see it slowly come to life. It's like the individual's story slowly comes to life as they become more real. I enjoy a good story and believe everyone's story should be told. Whether verbally or through art. We, you are important, and I enjoy honoring that story through my art.

So, what is charcoal? It is how I tell stories.