Frequently Asked Questions 9
9. Why were we encouraged to rub out our drawings even when we had put a lot of work into them?
What is important to the drawings effectiveness isn't
how long you've been working on it or how much detail has been included;
it is the balance between the charcoal and the paper that counts. You
may well feel that rubbing out is a negative aspect of drawing, an admission
of having got it wrong in some way but it's actually a useful tool that
helps you find this balance.
A drawing isn't always improved by having more and more added to it, by
rubbing out the early stages of a drawing the initial and often more obvious
statements lose their dominance and can act as a foundation for further
construction (When using charcoal rather than pencil nothing is ever completely
erased).
It can sometimes happen that a drawing can become a little confusing;
its elements are working against each other more than they are with each
other. In these circumstances the removal of some of the drawing's parts
can provide you with room for manoeuvre so that further developments can
take place.
