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Observing and touching the texture of charcoal

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Observing and touching the texture of charcoal

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The first thing I did was to find a large piece of charcoal to observe its shapes, feel its texture and smell its scent. I found that the charcoal has preserved the textures of tree bark while creating a shimmery surface. The charcoal has a light smell of smoke and tree branches, and it touches very smooth. This touching action is a gesture and movement with the determination to feel and to be affected by the material (Manning, 2007, as cited in Pacini-Ketchabaw et al., 2016). Through the black lines left on my hand after touching the charcoal, I feel a deeper connection with this natural material. This is because allowing the texture to imprint on a person is the implication of touching (Manning, 2007, as cited in Pacini-Ketchabaw et al., 2016).

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Then I started to grind the charcoal, and I found that the charcoal has a foamy sense of touch and it peels off easily when grinding. I enjoyed the rustling sound of grinding charcoal against paper, which relaxed me. According to Pacini-Ketchabaw et al. (2016), grinding is a regular action for people to experiment and people should listen to the sound of charcoal to feel its liveliness.

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Rubbing charcoal to create a smoky shadow

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Rubbing charcoal to create a smoky shadow

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As I started to paint the debris of charcoal on the paper with my fingers, I found that it created a smoky, smooth and uniform shadow, which I think is why charcoal would be a great drawing material. This is linked with the concept of encounter from the reading, which means when meeting with charcoal in unexpected ways (Pacini-Ketchabaw et al., 2016). Through this practice, my fingers and the paper are completely blackened by the charcoal and I discovered how charcoal looks when rubbing with paper.

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In this video, I picked some charcoal debris and threw it on the paper, which created smoky black dots on the paper, similar to raindrops. I was surprised as this expression reminded me of the form of a raindrop in Chinese ink painting. According to Pacini-Ketchabaw et al. (2016), an encounter is not planned or organised but is to look for what is unknown. People need to make an effort to move beyond their imagination or vision (Pacini-Ketchabaw et al., 2016). In this sense, through the practice of throwing charcoal debris on the paper, I discovered a new artistic expression that I never envisioned or tried before.

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I then drew some lines and circles using the different sides of a small piece of charcoal. I found out that charcoal can draw thin lines and thick lines, as well as strong lines and soft lines. This has reminded me of the lines that I used to draw from pencils, while the lines drawn from charcoal look foamier and more natural. This is connected to the readings that people can use delicate materials to create art, which makes the encountering process complex and multifaceted (Pacini-Ketchabaw et al., 2016). Therefore, I explored how to use charcoal as a delicate natural material to create some drawings and art.

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After creating some drawings, I covered charcoal debris on my palm to create a palm drawing. The shapes and texture of my palm are preserved completely by the charcoal, then rubbed on the paper. Through this practice, I have breakthrough my preference for cleanness and whiteness. This is inspired by the reading that people need to accept blackness to meet with charcoal, by covering their hands with the chalky darkness (Deleuze & Guattari, 1987, as cited in Pacini-Ketchabaw et al., 2016). This unique feeling of touching the blackness is also a way of being responsive to charcoal (Deleuze & Guattari, 1987, as cited in Pacini-Ketchabaw et al., 2016).

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Next, I drew charcoal on a piece of wood and some bark that I brought as the loose parts. I found that charcoal is a great material to draw on different textures, especially materials that are the same source. This makes me wonder that new trees may grow under the charcoals, which is reflected in the reading that encountering can bring the hope of open thought and meeting anew (Pacini-Ketchabaw et al., 2016).

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Mixing charcoal with water to create ink

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Mixing charcoal with water to create ink

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Finally, I mixed charcoal with water and saw that it does not dissolve in water but creates an inky liquid. This has reminded me that some of the ink in China contain the ingredient of charcoal. Also, the touching of the charcoal became soft and cold, which brought me another level of experience with charcoal. I got the inspiration from Dahlberg and Moss (2005, as cited in Pacini-Ketchabaw et al., 2016), who stated that people can cultivate their wonder and explore different ways of encounter through innovation and creation. Therefore, I have heartfeltly enjoyed the whole process of experimenting and creating art with charcoal.

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Documentation notes during the experiment

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Documentation notes during the experiment

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Documentation notes during the experiment

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Documentation notes during the experiment