Drawing on the RBSA Collection – Dry Media Works 1822-2022

Drawing with dry media is as old as mankind.  Ochre and charcoal dust were blown through straws onto cave walls by the first artists.  In more recent times, the dry media of pencil, pastel, and charcoal were favoured by travelling artists as ideal for drawing with minimum of fuss on site in sketchbooks or portfolios.  Drawing was the means through which European artists recorded, prepared, studied, and imagined, and it was often a prelude to painting or engraving.  Dry media were also central to art training and versatile both en plein air and in the studio.