CHARCOAL DRAWING | SORCA O’FARRELL
Dates: Sat 27th & Sun 28th February 2027
Times: 10am-4pm
Location: Enniskerry
skill Level: all levels Welcome
Please see detailed workshop information below
If this course is fully booked or not currently scheduled, go ahead add your name to the waiting list HERE
Payment plans available contact us directly
aBOUT THE WORKSHOP
Discover the expressive possibilities of charcoal in this two-day drawing workshop. Guided by artist Sorca, participants will explore how texture, tone, and mark-making can bring a subject to life in a personal and distinctive way.
Before the workshop begins, you’ll be encouraged to gather simple source material such as quick studies or photographs of a tree or group of trees that has caught your attention. On the first morning, Sorca will introduce her practice and share how the surrounding landscape influences her work, followed by a charcoal demonstration that reveals how layered marks can build depth and atmosphere.
Participants will then create small pen sketches to experiment with composition and contrast, before moving on in the afternoon to begin a larger drawing on heavier paper.
Day Two will start with a short recap and examples of work in progress. The remainder of the morning will be devoted to individual guidance, helping you develop your drawing through layering charcoal, lifting out highlights, and using texture to create space and form. In the afternoon, you will look at the work as a group, share insights, and continue refining individual pieces before closing with a brief review and discussion.
By the end of the workshop, you’ll have developed greater confidence with charcoal, gained new techniques, and created a drawing that reflects your own way of seeing.
This course is suitable for all levels.
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How to use charcoal to create expressive textures, tones, and marks
Ways to develop inspiration from simple observations in the landscape
How to build a composition using quick pen sketches and value studies
Techniques for layering charcoal, adding depth, and lifting out highlights
How to create balance and contrast between light and dark areas
Approaches to scaling up from small studies to a larger final drawing
How to use texture to suggest form, space, and atmosphere
Greater confidence in working with charcoal as a primary medium
How to evaluate your own work and learn from group discussion and feedback
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2 day workshop.
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Charcoal
A variety of thicknesses
Winsor & Newton is excellent, but other good brands work well too
Heavy Hot Pressed (HP) paper
A few sheets of good-quality HP paper
Recommended brands: Fabriano Artistico or Arches
Available online and can be delivered from Evans Art Supplies
Small notebook (A5 or A6)
Plus a fine-tip black pen
Easily found at Easons, Evans, or most stationery/school-supply shops
Additional tools
Erasers (Staedtler Mars or any available brand)
Scalpel knife (if possible)
Eraser pen (optional, not essential)
A selection of old brushes: both thick and thin
Notes
Some materials will be provided during the workshop (including eraser pens, brushes, and a scalpel knife), along with sample sheets of different paper surfaces to experiment on.
An apron is recommended as charcoal can get dusty!
“Every portrait that is painted with feeling is a portrait of the artist, not of the sitter.”
