Drawing with charcoal is one of the most classic and popular forms of painting/drawing. Paint manufacturer Schmincke has now taken the intensity and characteristics of this sort of paint and turned it into a fluid form, making it usable for painting, even on very large surfaces. The liquid charcoal from Schmincke is available in color tones grape seed black (a very cool blue), black cherry (warm-brownish), and peach stone black (neutral). As already indicated by the names, the color is won from the carbonization of the respective fruit core and, like traditional artistic watercolors (gouache, watercolors, etc.), contains the high-value binding agent gum arabic. The liquid charcoal is emitted from a tube, has a gouache-like consistency, and can be diluted with water, making it possible to use it with an airbrush. As a result of the different application possibilities with an airbrush or paintbrush in various consistencies and layer thickness, a large variety of nuances and structures can be created. The larger subsurface adherence of the attached charcoal pigments in comparison to common charcoal makes for even thinner priming coats without dirty- ing the paints afterwards. Depending on the surface and layer thickness, the liquid charcoal can be smudged by hand and easily removed with water.
The 35-ml tube Liquid Charcoal from Schmincke is available at specialty retail shops at a price of app. 18 EUR.