Four Sketches of Two Women n.d.

Jean-Baptiste Joseph Wicar created these sketches of two women with graphite on paper. Here, the artist’s technique and the qualities of graphite really take center stage. Notice how Wicar uses the graphite to capture the soft textures of fabric, and the delicate features of the women. Graphite, in its raw form, is a mineral, but when refined and combined with clay, it becomes the lead we know in pencils. Pencils were becoming more widely available during Wicar's time, making drawing more accessible as a practice. The subtlety that graphite allows enabled Wicar to create soft tonal gradations. The marks are faint and light, rendering a sense of depth and volume. The paper serves as more than just a backdrop; its surface interacts with the graphite, influencing the final appearance of the sketches. These sketches are not just portraits, but a demonstration of the material and the craft of drawing.