Welcome to the fourth instalment in my series on graphite wildlife art! In this article, we're diving into a topic that adds drama and intensity to any piece: creating rich, dark backgrounds in graphite. I've always loved the look of a stark black background, and while it's something I can easily achieve with my scratchboard work, it's much trickier to master in graphite. In graphite, building up those velvety darks requires patience, technique, and the right materials, yet the results are undeniably worth it.
Over time, I've discovered a few methods that have helped me reach that deep, smooth finish I'm after, and I'm excited to share them with you in this article. I'll be covering different approaches, from building up layers of soft graphite, to using graphite powder, and…
