Charcoal Photographs

Art365 India


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Charcoal photographs often look like drawings or sketches. They are also called crayon portraits and are essentially artistically enhanced photographs using charcoal, ink or pastels.

Charcoal photographs are a part of the hand-coloring tradition and date from the mid 19th century to the 20th century. There are various styles for each period. Portraits enhanced with India ink, charcoal and crayons were primarily oversized and meant for display. 

A crayon portrait was cheaper than sitting for a painted portrait. The artist could enhance a person’s appearance making them look younger or by personalizing it to reflect what was actually worn.