The article describes methods of achieving painterly qualities while drawing with soft materials, which include: 1) creation of a polychrome image effect using an extremely limited color palette (white, black and red chalk (sanguine)); 2) thorough work on a multi-layer charcoal drawing employing techniques similar to those of multi-layer watercolor, oil and pastel painting, as well as papier-pelle drawing. The study was first conducted by analyzing drawing manuals, catalogs of manufacturers and suppliers of art materials from France, Great Britain, Germany, USA and Russian Empire in the second half of the 19th – early 20th century. What is more, the author of the article assembled a collection of antique tools and materials for drawing with charcoal, black chalk or crayon, stumping chalk (pulverized charcoal), sanguine and white chalk, the use of which was widespread in the aforementioned period. The annex to the article provides photographs of the described instruments and materials accompanied by the aggregate data from art manuals, catalogs and price lists of drawing material suppliers from London, Paris, New York, St. Petersburg, Moscow and Kazan, published over a period from 1851 to 1913. The drawing tradition of the second half of the 19th century is among one of the most complex and challenging in the entire history of graphics, as it peculiarly combines in itself a variety of instruments and delicate thoroughness of techniques. As a result of the research, the author was able to expand and complement the existing knowledge about graphic techniques, which allows for teaching academic drawing and studying the history of drawing by applying new data and unique illustrative material.

The article reveals a number of rules regulating the arrangement of a series of two-dimensional images universal both for works of fine art, as well as photography and design. The authors outline the key principles of creating such a series through a thorough description of the working process behind “The Herbs”, a set of five etchings by Elena Grazhevskaya. The aforementioned project was developed as a graduate qualification work at the Academy of Watercolor and Fine Arts of Sergey Andriaka under the supervision of the Honored Artist of the Russian Federation and Associate Member of the Russian Academy of Arts A. B. Popov. The authors of the article discuss the problem of selecting appropriate composition formats and their subsequent mirroring in relation to the centerpiece of the series at its preliminary sketching stage. The article touches upon the question of proper space composition in symmetrical images, i.e. how to convey a similar depth of couple pieces in the series. The fundamental techniques for working with the tonal color scheme are unveiled, namely the simultaneous portrayal of unity and contrast of lights and shadows in the pieces symmetrical to the central one. Furthermore, the paper addresses how to wisely choose a technique optimal for the type of etchings belonging to the series. The concurrent usage of aquatint and etching stroke technique is justified as it allows one to combine detailed object drawing with decorative aquatint painting as a compositionally organizing element. Likewise, the authors delineate the principles for selecting appropriate printing ink, particularly in the light of the use of a painterly “two-color printing effect” (application of a warm-cold effect of one ink in layers of different thickness). The article will be useful for teachers and students of art schools at all levels of education, photographers and designers, as well as anyone who is interested in creating a series of visual art works.