Red chalk drawings

[Mike McCarty]

I have recently become interested in the so called "red chalk drawings". Not wanting to make the wrong mistake, I wonder if someone could tell me, if you had to pick one "red" soft pastel (I have several reds) and one paper (brand and tone) to apply it to, what would they be?

[Mari DeRuntz]

Check out William Whitaker's website. He has a red chalk drawing where he actually uses several tones of chalk. It's very beautiful, and I think he lists the different reds he uses.

[William Whitaker]

Thanks for the comment Mari.

Mike, I think the page Mari refers to is
http://www.williamwhitaker.com/B_HTM...6_tech/red.htm

I just checked it out and it gives information on my support, my pastels and my technique. I would be happy to answer any further questions you might have.

Bill

[Mike McCarty]

Bill,

Thanks so much for that, what an unexpected treat. I'm going to study all that and maybe I can come up with an intelligent question.

And thanks to you Mari.

[Mike McCarty]

A program to stamp out Mike's ignorance follows:

Would this be classified as a genre?

It would seem that the "red" color is not all that specific...?

Why red? It seems that this (almost specific color) barnish earthy red travels from hand to hand and through time. If I did my drawing in say blue, would I be excommunicated from this body? Would those "with the knowing" look at my work and shake their head?

[Peter J. Fasi]

If I remember my art history, this technique originated from the early drawings that the masters employed as studies for the eventual paintings. The technique would incorporate chalks made from the available clay colors, namely sanguine chalk (a reddish clay similar in tone to burnt sienna), sepia chalk (a brown color more like raw umber), black (charcoal) and white chalk. These materials were used because they were readily and cheaply available and because the tones produced on the unbleached paper grounds of the time closely resembled human skin.

[Mike McCarty]

Thanks Peter,

Per usual I try to over analyze the subject. I take it there is no absolute recipe for entry into the "red chalk" drawing contest. If that contest ever came up.

[Linda Ciallelo]

I remember that Conte' produces one called Sanguine, and one called Watteau. The Watteau was a bit cooler and darker than the more orangey Sanguine. There are huge differences between earth reds, in my opinion.

I always wondered why there was no yellow ochre included in the group. Thanks to your explanation, I now know that the paper probably supplied some yellow.

[Michael Fournier]

Well, Mike, you might not be excommunicated but you could call it your blue period. And you might be forced to join the Picasso club.