Recumbent draped figure 

John Singer Sargent created this sketch of a recumbent draped figure, using sticks of compressed charcoal on paper. Here, we can see how the powdery black pigment, with its dry friability, has been rubbed and stumped into the fibres of the page. Look closely, and you will see how the artist has achieved areas of tone and shadow using the side of the charcoal stick, and then defined the edges of the form with tighter, more controlled lines. This process is especially evident in the contours of the drapery. By manipulating the charcoal, and exploiting the tooth of the paper, he coaxes out a sense of volume and weight with extraordinary speed and economy. Sargent's skill demonstrates how the nature of a medium, combined with the artist's touch, can blur the boundaries between drawing and sculpture. The result is a study charged with the energy of the artist's hand, and a sensitivity to both form and surface.