Media: Drawing Are drawings only rough drafts? Many artists begin their work through a series of preparatory drawings (studies), but some create highly refined drawings as finished works of art. Drawings reveal an artist's raw creative process — and as a result, they provide the most direct insight into how an artist thinks. They also showcase an artist's ability to capture mood and form without fancy materials or techniques. Whether they're finished works or studies, drawings are highly prized by collectors. The main types of drawing are: Charcoal  Conté Crayon  Graphite  Ink Wash  Pastel  Scratchboard  Those enlightened Neanderthals Long ago — before there were art supply stores — there were cave dwellers scratching with one stone on another, rubbing a burned stick on a wall, or tracing a finger in the dirt. Those Neanderthals had it right: All you need to make a drawing is a tool, a surface, and a vision. In this respect, drawing is perhaps the most democratic art technique. Unlike sculpture, painting, printmaking and photography, drawing does not require fancy equipment or materials — although within the medium there are plenty of opportunities to use specialized materials and techniques. Private viewing While we know drawing as an important fine art medium on its own, it began and still is the most important preliminary process for other media. Painting, sculpture, architecture, and printmaking all begin with drawings. In this regard, drawing is a private art form; preparatory sketches are usually made by the artist for the artist, and not necessarily for the public eye. Artists like Raphael and Michelangelo made red and black chalk drawings for their projects in painting, fresco, sculpture, and architecture, and these came to be recognized as elegant works of art and revealing documents of their creative genius. Generally speaking, however, these works were never intended to be seen by an audience. Going public Renaissance painters realized the potential public appeal of drawings, and brought the medium out of the private realm of the studio and into the public realm of patrons and customers. They made presentation drawings, which were shown to the patron for final approval before beginning the actual painting. These highly finished works involved multiple techniques and media — such as colored paper, pencil, chalk and colored washes. Presentation drawings initiated the now common practice of making, selling and collecting drawings as independent, fully realized works of art. Raw talent Although drawings can look a lot like paintings in their use of shading and color, they are built from lines. There is no better showcase of an artist's skill than a simple line drawing; only a very skilled artist can capture the essence of form and mood with a few indicative lines. For this reason, traditional training in the arts often focuses on drawing. Knowledgeable collectors buy drawings because they reveal the raw talent of an artist — and because are usually less expensive than the same artist's work in other media. Drawing conclusions Drawings are classified according to the materials used on paper. Each material has its own qualities of hardness, texture and color that give the drawing a distinctive appeal. The main types of drawing are: Charcoal  Conté Crayon  Graphite  Ink Wash  Pastel  Scratchboard