THREE-COLOR CHALK DRAWING, or drawing a trois crayons, is one of the most important and influential drawing techniques in the history of art. Perhaps the greatest master of the trois-crayons technique is Peter Paul Rubens, whose drawings are imbued with the warmth, vivacity and palpability of skin. His ability to simulate a full spectrum of flesh hues--with only those three colors--borders on alchemic wizardry (see Portrait Study of his son Nicolas, right).
Hue and Temperature
Fundamentally the three-color chalk technique involves the use of black, red (sanguine) and white chalks manipulated to create the effects of hue and temperature. Each of these chalks used monochromatically is wonderful for generating form and volume in a drawing, but when the three are juxtaposed and intermixed, they also establish relationships of color. The black and red colors represent the perceived temperature fluctuations in the model from the warm rose blush of a cheek to the cooler qualities of a stubbly chin. Colors that appear in the family of red, yellow or crimson (warmer colors) require more red chalk, and colors that fall into the category of violet, blue and green (cooler colors) require black chalk.
Efficient and Creative Technique
As a method for portraiture, the three-color chalk approach excels because of the clear and efficient way it creates color distinctions in the features, hair and clothing, with an element of lifelike immediacy. This technique is also a good starting point for an art student about to explore the world of color. The streamlined approach of three-color chalk limits the options and promotes color harmony simply because of its limited color range. A cleaner statement of color leads to a focus on the more obvious shifts of temperature and a more creative color approach.
1. Set Proportion and Organization
First I establish a gesture that delineates the position and proportion of the portrait and creates a general organization for the drawing. I draw construction lines that move across the drawing, comparing one feature either with its counterpart or with an adjacent feature. Though the initial gesture uses a lot of sweeping curves to create rhythm and energy, I soon modify those curves into angular structures, which help establish overall accuracy. I do this first stage of the drawing only in red to avoid the complexities of color and temperature and to focus my attention on form and organization.
2. Mass Shadows; Introduce Black
I create the illusion of light by forming the shadows in the drawing, first by gently veiling or glazing several layers of red. Then I carefully introduce the black, and the interplay between red and black immediately creates a subtle impression of color. Taking care to avoid a spotted look and to maintain the integrity of the shadow, I merge the black into obvious places first, such as the hair, clothing and darker areas in the shadows.
3. Develop Shadows and Light
I develop the ridge of the shadow where it meets the light--the terminator transforming the ridge color from red to mostly black, which emphasizes the relatively cooler nature of the shadow in relation to the warmer skin in the light. The reflections within the shadows of the eye socket, jaw and nose remain mostly warm to accentuate their heat and to create a counterpoint in temperature to the shadow's ridge. Inside the lighted area, subtle forms rolling away from the source of illumination often have a cooler transition, which I explain with a little black. This temperature transition is very subtle in life, so it might take a little experience to develop an eye for it. Copying Rubens's drawings was the best way for me to learn how to perceive this faint passage from warm to cool. I also heighten the heat of certain features, like the lips, cheeks and corners of the eye, with a bit more red.
4. Render the Lights
These lights aren't "colorized" as they would be in painting or pastel; in the three-color chalk technique, the lights only have different degrees of intensity. I define gentle lights with the kneaded eraser, which softly removes the paper's "watercolor" layer, exposing the lighter paper (similar to erasing out highlights in charcoal) and creating a soft, muted light. I use an old-fashioned typewriter eraser to create brighter and sharper lights. To define the brightest lights, such as the highlights in the eyes, and the sharper lights too fine for the kneaded or pencil eraser, I use white chalk. These degrees of light intensity give fullness and variety to the form and complete the drawing Ava (above; red, black, white colored pencil and chalk pencil, 15x10).
Materials
Chalk: I used red and black chalks for most of the work in my larger demonstration drawings, and I used the white primarily to accent the highlights. For my smaller works (such as Ava, above), I use pigmented pencils, which have a somewhat waxy binder. Substituting for the black chalk, I use black colored pencils and, for very fine detail, I employ a very hard 4H graphite pencil. Instead of natural red chalk or Conte crayon, I use terra cotta colored pencils. I like these pencils because they're particularly good for rendering subtle effects. If I draw larger, I tend to gravitate toward Conte crayon and pastels. For the white chalk, I use a white chalk pencil, white Conte crayon and a little white gouache applied with a brush.
Paper: I use practically the same type of paper that Rubens used--a handmade paper made by Twinrocker called "calligraphy creme," with an antique laid (finely ribbed) surface. I tone the paper lightly with a warm ochre or rose wash, which establishes a midtone that can at times play the role of warm flesh in the lights of the drawing. I add a little extra sizing to the paper to allow the colored pencils to behave more like chalk. For the sizing I use a very diluted solution of amber or blonde shellac (I dilute the mixture with isopropyl alcohol). Diluted animal-hide glue also works, but it takes more time to prepare.
Other tools: I use a kneaded eraser and old-fashioned typewriter eraser to create gentle lights in my drawing.
Robert Liberace earned his bachelor and master degrees in fine arts from George Washington University, in Washington, D.C. In addition to conducting workshops throughout the United States and abroad, he teaches painting, anatomy, figure drawing and sculpture at the Art League in Alexandria, Va. His work is represented by the John Pence Gallery, in San Francisco, the Legacy Gallery, in Scottsdale, Ariz., and the M Gallery of Fine Art in Charleston, S.C. He lives in Virginia with his wife, Lina Liberace, and their two daughters. Visit www.robertliberace.com.