Fumée 19C6 by Etienne GROS

Étienne Gros uses smoke as the main material for his drawings, directing sheets of paper over the flame of a petrol lamp. The soot deposited by the carbon creates delicate and nuanced shapes. This technique requires neither brushes nor pencils. The artist refrains from retouching or erasing, allowing the smoke to sculpt the shapes randomly and naturally. He plays with wicks of various sizes to control the intensity and nuances of the smoke, which requires great skill and patience. Many sheets of paper are often sacrificed before a satisfactory result is achieved.