REUBEN NEGRÓN

CAPTURE SUBTLE TEXTURES

WITH NITRAM CHARCOAL

“Helene” by Reuben Negrón, Nitram Charcoal and Nitram Liquid Charcoal on paper mounted on panel,
24 x 18 inches, 61 x 45.7 cm, 2024
“This piece was born out of destruction. It was still very much in-progress when Hurricane Helene made landfall where I live in Asheville, North Carolina, on September 27th, 2024. Over the following week, I worked primarily at night, wearing a headlamp, to bring it to completion.The irony of creating a drawing during a natural disaster using natural materials like water and charcoal was not lost on me. By the time I put down my last stroke, I wouldn’t be able to look atmy process, or my home, in the same way ever again.
As a long-time watercolourist, I think and draw best with a brush in hand. I feel at home using water and pigment to define textures and establish light. With the discovery of Nitram Liquid Charcoal, my drawing practice has become more seamless than ever. Nitram Liquid Charcoal allows me to block in large areas and establish a textured base before working into it with traditional charcoal tools.
In this particular piece, the unique qualities obtained from marrying a water-based medium with charcoal allowed me to capture subtle pock-marked and undulating textures within the wall of the house, the debris below the window, and the leaves of the kudzu. It’s a media that fits my process well, and one I will continue to lean into as I explore the imagery that defines my home, here in Western North Carolina.”

~ Reuben Negrón

Reuben Negrón is an American artist and educator. He is a contemporary figurative realist known for his intimately detailed narrative watercolor paintings and charcoal drawings. His work has been shown internationally, written about in articles by La Razón, Cultbytes, Hyperallergic, Juxtapoz, Huffington Post, and featured in the pages of Beautiful Bizarre Magazine. Most recently, Negrón’s work was published in My Neighbor Hayao: Art Inspired by the Films of Miyazaki, by Abrams Books. In February 2024, several of Negrón’s works were archived on the Moon as part of the Lunar Codex. Reuben Negrón is represented by H Gallery, in Paris, France and Blue Spiral 1, located in Asheville, North Carolina. You can see his work online at www.reubennegron.com.

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