charcoal pencil tips

[q]

my first project in my design class is to create a 15-step grayscale on a piece of bristol vellum paper. i have never used charcoal pencils before, i bought a couple of medium charcoal pencils, but i am not ready to start sketching yet

can anyone recommend some tips for a starter?

[polarity]

Why are you using pencils instead of sticks?

[q]

Why are you using pencils instead of sticks?

sorry, they are sticks. i thought charcoal sticks were called charcoal pencils

[polarity]

They have charcoal pencils too, which suck complete ass for what you're doing. Anyway, the only real advice I have is to buy a chamois cloth since it's just one thing that can give you a little more control over the medium. I hate charcoal so I don't really remember how to work with it.

[senor-turkey-lurkey]

hey, charcoal hates you right back guy.

[polarity]

Charcoal hates everyone.

[q]

Charcoal hates everyone.

yes

[matt-]

I like willow charcoal, and I'm sure it likes me back.

[polarity]

No and no.

[DisgruntledGoat]

you hate charcoal? whats your fav then?

[polarity]

It's a toss-up between good ol' pencil or ink.

[DisgruntledGoat]

I enjoy pencil. Last semester I did my final drawing with pencil. With charcoal it just seems easier to create a range values more easily than pencil. And well ink clearly doesn't do that, unless you mess with washes.

[senor-turkey-lurkey]

It's a toss-up between good ol' pencil or ink.

that's because you're a poopy head

[polarity]

Filthy lies.

[colin]

pencil ftw

[Stinkfist]

i used to hate charcoal. i always went to heavy and i couldn't control it. then one of my art instructors suggested subtraction art or something like that. what you do is, you go in and do your thing the best you can, then you bust out a fat rubber eraser and you start to work with it erasing/lifting/smearing the charcoal until you're satisfied. thats the only way i could work with it.