Systematically exploring your materials through a mark-making chart is one of the most direct ways to develop a fearless and informed relationship with the tools available to you. Each section of the chart becomes a small experiment: what happens when you change the pressure, the angle, the speed, or the way you hold the material? The examples below show recent student charts exploring a range of drawing materials — charcoal, vine charcoal, conté, and graphite — and the surprising variety of marks each one can produce.
