History
editNitram Fine Art Charcoal is a Canadian artist charcoal company based in Pickering, Ontario. Nitram has been in business since 1965 and has been endorsed by The Florence Academy of Art and the Academy of Art Canada for use in artistic drawings.
History
editBeginnings
editMartin Gros founded Nitram Fine Art Charcoal in 1965 with the help of his son Daniel Gros, who was 15 years old at the time. Nitram stands for Martin spelt backwards.
Martin Gros remained with Nitram Fine Art Charcoal until his retirement in 1981 when he left the entire business to his son, Daniel Gros. Daniel Gros moved production to a larger location in France and purchased new machinery including a specialized oven, which is still in use today.
Revival
editBy 2009 Nitram Fine Art Charcoal had ceased production and product was dwindling worldwide. Jerzy Niedojadlo reached out to Daniel Gros who agrees to sell the business and production method.
Jerzy Niedojadlo spent November 2010 in France during 2010 learning the technique to make Nitram Fine Art Charcoal. By January 2011 Nitram Fine Art Charcoal was available.
Today
editNitram Charcoal is now manufactured in Canada with the same oven developed by Daniel Gros in 1981.
In Culture
editNitram Fine Art Charcoal has been used by the following artists:
- Juliette Aristides (Author of "Lessons in Classical Drawing: Essential Techniques from Inside the Atelier", "Classical Painting Atelier: A Contemporary Guide to Traditional Studio Practice" and "Classical Drawing Atelier: A Contemporary Guide to Traditional Studio Practice")
- Helen Frost
- Darren R Rousar (Author of Cast Drawing Using the Sight-Size Approach)
- Carol Kummer (As mentioned in “Strokes of Genius 2: The Best of Drawing Light and Shadow” by Rachel Wolf).
Atelier Recommendations
edit- Gage Academy of Art
- The Florence Academy of Art
- Academy of Art Canada
- London Atelier of Representational Art
- Golden Gate Atelier
Products
edit| 5mm Charcoal | Hard | Medium | Soft |
| Soft Round Charcoal | 6 mm | 8 mm | 12 mm |
| Large Scale Charcoal | 25 mm | 40 mm | Block 46 mm x 152 mm x 15 mm |