Drawing From Imagination with Graphite and Charcoal

A course by Shaun Friend , Visual Artist

Visual Artist. Sheffield, United Kingdom.
Joined February 2021

Embrace the freedom of drawing and create art that tells a story through mark making, composition, line work, and tone

97% positive reviews (108)
2,800 students
Audio: English
English · Spanish · Portuguese · German · French · Italian · Polish · Dutch

Embrace the freedom of drawing and create art that tells a story through mark making, composition, line work, and tone

Illustrating with graphite and charcoal gives you the opportunity to draw freely, embrace your creativity, and watch your ideas develop on the page in front of you. Visual artist Shaun Friend uses these materials, along with other artistic mediums, to create artwork that has been exhibited in Germany, Japan, the UK, and Australia. He also sells his work online and shares it with over 140K followers on Instagram.

In this online course, Shaun teaches you how to unlock your creativity and build a narrative with graphite and charcoal. Learn to transform the ideas from your sketchbook into unique pieces of art by exploring mark making, composition, line work, and more. There's no right or wrong when experimenting; enjoy the freedom of drawing with graphite and charcoal.

Read more ↓

What will you learn in this online course?

16 lessons & 14 downloads

Materials
6 minutes, 46 seconds
Pencilling the First Marks 1
12 minutes, 7 seconds
Pencilling the First Marks 2
11 minutes, 2 seconds
Making Marks with Charcoal
17 minutes, 22 seconds
Beginning to Explore Ideas
18 minutes, 37 seconds
Composition and Narrative
9 minutes, 24 seconds
  • 97% positive reviews (108)
  • 2,800 students
  • 16 lessons (3h 12m)
  • 14 additional resources (3 files)
  • Online and at your own pace
  • Available on the app
  • Audio: English
  • English · Spanish · Portuguese · German · French · Italian · Polish · Dutch
  • Level: Beginner
  • Unlimited access forever

What is this course's project?

Create an illustration based on your imagination using graphite and charcoal.

Projects by course students

Who is this online course for?

This course is for anyone who wants to learn how to embrace their creativity and create unique artwork with charcoal and graphite.

Requirements and materials

No previous experience is required.

In terms of materials, you will need charcoal pencils, paper, a sketchbook, blending stick, graphite transfer paper, glassine paper, and fixative.


Reviews

2,800 Students
108 Reviews
97% Positive ratings

Shaun Friend

A course by Shaun Friend

Teacher Plus
Visual Artist

Shaun Friend is a visual artist based in the UK. He studied a foundation course in art and design before going on to work as a trainee artist at an advertising agency, learning the basics of typography, layout, and design. This led Shaun to a 25-year career in graphic design which he initially enjoyed but later, felt stifled his creativity. Encouraged by his wife, he returned to drawing and painting, initially as a hobby, and eventually as his full-time job.

Shaun soon began posting his work online and connecting with creatives from all over the world. Since then, he’s exhibited his art which combines a variety of artistic mediums, in Germany, Japan, the UK, and Australia. He also sells his illustrations via his website and shares them with over 140K followers on Instagram.


Content

  • U1

    Introduction

    • About Me
    • Influences
  • U2

    Preparation and Making Marks

    • Materials
    • References and Visual Cues
    • Pencilling the First Marks 1
    • Pencilling the First Marks 2
    • Making Marks with Charcoal
  • U3

    Ideas and Sketches

    • Beginning to Explore Ideas
    • Composition and Narrative
    • Transferring to Paper
    • Defining Linework
  • U4

    Rendering the Drawing

    • Ways to Create Tone 1
    • Ways to Create Tone 2
    • Building Dark Tones, Highlights, and Details
    • Adding Elements to Create a Narrative
    • Finishing Touches and Last Thoughts
  • FP

    Final project

    • Drawing From Imagination with Graphite and Charcoal

What to expect from a Domestika course

  • Learn at your own pace

    Enjoy learning from home without a set schedule and with an easy-to-follow method. You set your own pace.

  • Learn from the best professionals

    Learn valuable methods and techniques explained by top experts in the creative sector.

  • Meet expert teachers

    Each expert teaches what they do best, with clear guidelines, true passion, and professional insight in every lesson.

  • Certificates
    Plus

    If you're a Plus member, get a custom certificate signed by your teacher for every course. Share it on your portfolio, social media, or wherever you like.

  • Get front-row seats

    Videos of the highest quality, so you don't miss a single detail. With unlimited access, you can watch them as many times as you need to perfect your technique.

  • Share knowledge and ideas

    Ask questions, request feedback, or offer solutions. Share your learning experience with other students in the community who are as passionate about creativity as you are.

  • Connect with a global creative community

    The community is home to millions of people from around the world who are curious and passionate about exploring and expressing their creativity.

  • Watch professionally produced courses

    Domestika curates its teacher roster and produces every course in-house to ensure a high-quality online learning experience.


FAQs

Domestika's courses are online classes that provide you with the tools and skills you need to complete a specific project. Every step of the project combines video lessons with complementary instructional material, so you can learn by doing. Domestika's courses also allow you to share your own projects with the teacher and with other students, creating a dynamic course community.

All courses are 100% online, so once they're published, courses start and finish whenever you want. You set the pace of the class. You can go back to review what interests you most and skip what you already know, ask questions, answer questions, share your projects, and more.

The courses are divided into different units. Each one includes lessons, informational text, tasks, and practice exercises to help you carry out your project step by step, with additional complementary resources and downloads. You'll also have access to an exclusive forum where you can interact with the teacher and with other students, as well as share your work and your course project, creating a community around the course.

You can redeem the course you received by accessing the redeeming page and entering your gift code.

If you're a Plus member, when you complete a course you've purchased, you'll instantly get your personalized certificate. You can see all your certificates in the Certificates section of your profile. You can download your certificates as PDFs and share the link online. Learn more about certificates.
Drawing From Imagination with Graphite and Charcoal . Illustration course by Shaun Friend

Drawing From Imagination with Graphite and Charcoal

A course by Shaun Friend
Visual Artist. Sheffield, United Kingdom.
Joined February 2021
  • 97% positive reviews (108)
  • 2,800 students