ASBA 2024 - Scott Rawlins - The Mystique of Carbon Dust

The Mystique of Carbon Dust with Scott Rawlins

Carbon dust has been a mainstay medium for natural science illustrators for nearly a century. The technique combines carbon pencil lines and dust “washes” applied with brushes, resulting in rich, tonal renderings with a wide range of values and precise detail.  Over the course of this workshop, participants will explore a medium that should be part of every scientific illustrator’s repertoire.

Supplies:

• Wolff carbon pencils (B, 2B, 4B)
• BR103, BR104. Small round & flat paint brushes (#s 2 & 4, natural is best but synthetic will work)
• A small piece of chamois cloth (6” x 6”)
• E09, E22. Kneaded & Mono Zero erasers
• Dura-Lar film (9” x 12”, .005 2-sided matte, “original version”)*
• P100, P108. Sketch paper (9” x 12”)
• PL38. Graphite pencils (B, HB, 2H)
• P43. Tracing paper (9” x 12”)
• Transparent acetate sheet (9” x 12”)*
• S1145. White paper tape
• 1 chopstick (disposable type) or an old paintbrush handle -- #3
• 1 piece of white bond paper or thin sketching paper, 5.5” x 8.5”
• S417. X-Acto knife
• S260. A small lidded container for the dust
• 1 white cotton glove (optional)
• Something small to draw: seedpods, dried flowers or leaves, dried mushrooms, acorns, conifer cones, etc.  (The final drawing should be about 4” x 6”.)