We and our partners use cookies to Store and/or access information on a device. We and our partners use data for Personalised ads and content, ad and content measurement, audience insights and product development. An example of data being processed may be a unique identifier stored in a cookie. Some of our partners may process your data as a part of their legitimate business interest without asking for consent. To view the purposes they believe they have legitimate interest for, or to object to this data processing use the vendor list link below. The consent submitted will only be used for data processing originating from this website. If you would like to change your settings or withdraw consent at any time, the link to do so is in our privacy policy accessible from our home page.
Chalk Life Drawings (Conté Crayon Vs Chalk Pencil)
Matthew James Taylor2 January 2022
If you enjoy life drawing with charcoal but would prefer to use more color, then chalk is an excellent medium to try.
However...
Is chalk pencil or Conté Crayon best?
I have experimented with chalk pencils and Conté Crayons and I love them both. But they are quite different from each other.
Below, I'll show you examples of my favorite life drawings that use different chalk mediums and drawing techniques so you can see which you prefer.
Hopefully, these will inspire you to try chalk for yourself.
Chalk Pencil Life Drawings
The following chalk life drawings were drawn on blue paper with red chalk, I love this combination — there's something about the light-blue and the earthy-red color that just works!
The next two life drawings combine more colors. The first uses red, orange, and white chalk on manila paper. The second uses red, black, and white chalk on blue paper. The extra colors give more depth and interest to these drawings.
I like choosing colors that also have different tones — it allows you to change colors as you build up the tonal layers. For example:
- Orange for lighter tones and red for darker tones
- Red for lighter tones and black for darker tones
Chalk pencil pros
Here are some of the reasons why I like chalk in pencil format:
- Clean to use: You're not directly holding the chalk medium so your fingers and hands stay clean.
- Fine control: They're easy to use for fine detail work and/or smaller drawings.
- Sharpen to any point: Like normal pencils, you can sharpen them to any style point. (See my article: The Art of Sharpening Pencils for examples of points to try.)
Looking for the cheapest way to get started with chalk pencils? I recommend the General's pastel chalk pencil set: (Amazon link)
Conté Crayon Life Drawings
Conté Crayons are small chalk sticks that you hold in your hand. You can draw with them on their point or side to make vastly different marks.
Here are some examples using brown Conté Crayon on manila paper:
And this is a one-minute drawing:
Here are a few more of my life drawings that use red Conté Crayon:
Conté Crayon pros
Here are the reasons why I love Conté Crayons:
- Expressive marks: You can make a wider range of marks than a pencil, this gives a very gestural quality to your drawing.
- Build up tones quickly: By using the side of the chalk sticks you can cover large areas of tone quickly.
- Perfect for large works: Because you can cover large areas quickly this medium is perfect for larger works, A3+ in size.
I'm not a big fan of getting my hands dirty when I draw, but I'm willing to ignore that with Conté Crayons because of the amazing gestural quality that they produce.
Want to get started with Conté Crayons? I use and recommend this Conté sketching crayons set: (Amazon link)
Want to buy any of my life drawings? They're available on OpenSea as NFTs
Next up:
Life Drawing: The Complete Guide ›
Ink life drawing ›
Articles About Art
Charcoal Life Drawing (Plus White Charcoal Pencil on Toned Paper)
Life drawing
