In my drawing for illustration class, we spent a couple class periods working on heightened drawings.

This is a technique where you use white charcoal pencils on dark paper, drawing either the highlights of an object or the negative space around the objects, using the tone of the paper as one of your values.

I have always loved this illustration technique, so I was happy to first learn how to do it in my Drawing Fundamentals class last semester.

I was even happier when I heard we were going to do more of this technique this semester.

The supplies necessary for this illustration technique are mi teintes paper (also known as pastel paper), which is a heavy weight paper with a rough texture, and

and white charcoal pencils. Black charcoal pencils can also be used to add some of the darkest values to extend your value range, or just make some of those edges pop off the page.

You can also do this technique with a variety of colored pastel pencils, which are very soft and easier to blend than colored pencils, but they aren’t oil-based like pastel sticks.

I adore this image, so I am looking forward to experimenting more with this technique in summer.