Supply List

 

1A brush for lifting and removal blending, try also a chamois cloth (not shown)

2Large stump

3Small stump

4Tortillons, a few

5Erasers, block and stylus

6Two portcrayons: one holding the soft sticks and one holding the hard sticks

soft sticks

black

Conte brand 2340-9, or...

Handmade stick, "medium" recipe

white

Conte brand 2456-2B

hard sticks

black

Conte brand 2460-2B, or...

Handmade stick, "hard" recipe

white

Conte brand 2456-HB

7Portcrayon shown before tips are protected with duct tape

8Sharpener for factory made chalks, or (not shown) single edge razor blade for either factory or handmade

9Not shown: a clean chamois

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Experts/Gourmet
Ruscombe Laid-- "endpapers" or, "book papers." 2 of their Cotswold Colours are perfect: Barnsley Blue (once known as Queen Anne Pamphlet Blue, or Deep Blue) and Selsley Sugar Bag (once known as Queen Anne Strong Granite Blue, or Mid-granite Blue). Selsley Sugar Bag may only be available in wove now. Still, it might be worth giving it a try, because of its beautiful color and toughness.

Available from Talas, 568 Broadway, New York, NY 10012
Store phone: (212) 219-0770, Fax (212) 219-0735
e-mail: info@talasonline.com
web: http://www.talasonline.com

Or, try visiting Ruscombe's website in France.

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Beginners
Hahnemuhle (German) Ingres; color: 036 Blue Green

If you are in the US and have trouble locating this paper, call Atlantic Papers at 1-800-367-8547.
They will provide you with a list of stores that you can order from.

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A note about the portcrayon

Portcrayons were in wide use when Prud'hon was making his academies. There is little doubt that he used them. Paintings from this time invariably show artists wielding these two headed tools, loaded with white in one end and black in the other. I can attest to the improved control these handy grips offer. You should use them.



The gripping brass tines of currently available portcrayons are burred, and score the chalks. This will nick and break the handmade sticks, so I recommend that you find a way to pad the inside grip. I have used duct tape (shown here), but dipping rubber works better. It's best that you do something to coat the tines even for the Conte sticks. Beware that the "soft" handmade stick will always break in the portcrayon, so just hold it with your tender fingers.

 

Next Page: Observations: Parameters of Technique

Updates | Discovering Prud'hon: Introduction to a Lesson on Technique | Why Is His Drawing Unique & Obscure? | Observations: Prud'hon's Materials | Discussion: Modern Materials | How to Make Your Own Better Black Chalks | Supply List: Black and White Chalk on Blue Paper | Observations: Parameters of Technique | Theory: Best Guess at Prud'hon's Step by Step Approach | Demonstration: Step 1 -- Outline | Demonstration: Step 2 -- Bold Hatching | Demonstration: Step 3 -- Stump Out Hatches | Demonstration: Step 4 -- Hatch White | Demonstration: Step 5 -- Hatch Black | Demonstration: Step 6 -- Lightly Stump | Demonstration: Step 7 -- Apply White Again | Demonstration: Step 8 -- Add Black Again | Demonstration: Step 9 -- Hatch, Tortillon, and Hatch Again | Demonstration: Step 10 -- Finishing Refinements | Demonstration: Steps 1 through 10 -- Visual Summary

 

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