Finely powdered charcoal used in art for shading and blending, or artwork created with this charcoal.
From French 'fusain,' derived from Latin 'fusus' (spindle) and '-ain,' possibly referring to the spindle-shaped charcoal sticks used in art.
Leonardo da Vinci and Renaissance masters loved fusain because it could create those dramatic, smoky shadows that make faces look alive—it's basically the original smudging technique.
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