Arty Kitkat
I run an art group and one the group likes using charcoal. I always use cheap hairspray to fix it as its tons cheaper than fixative spray and easier to get hold off. He's been in the group years and his older pics still look good so the spray doesn't harm the charcoals. He also uses blue tack in place of a putty rubber. We've had a few putty rubbers in the past but they always end up getting lost in our art cupboard. We have 2 art groups and a craft group and two of them run on my day off so everything always ends up put back in different places.
I personally don't like charcoals as they are too messy and I find them hard to use for finer detail. I prefer pencils.
Posts by Arty Kitkat
You could also go down a more surrealism route and draw things that are distorted in some way or in unexpected places.
I've been using glitter and sequins in my painting for years and have used seed beads in the past. I tend to use clear varnish. I don't use the pongy varnish but one I get from Wilconsons thats quick drying and can be washed with soap and water. It dries like normal varnish in about 30 mins - 1 hr but doesn't stink the whole flat out.
I'd love to see Salvador Dali get the Pop Art treatment 
I hated studying art and having to draw or paint at will. Also you have to show 'the process' of creating a piece - so loads of sketches, tries with different materials and all that guff which I hated as art doesn't always work to a formula. Sometimes you create something first off. It doesn't always have to be planned and evidenced. When I did my GCSE piece I finished ahead of schedule so I was encouraged to use the time to work on my planning and do some extra sketches of what I hoped my picture would look like. That really annoyed me as its such b******ks - its not real if you do it afterwards!! When you study art, I personally find that its all about pleasing the exam board and jumping through hoops.
Anyway, end of rant
ah just read that it was by a girl. I'm going to have to think about this as it sounds a little surreal too. Do you know where you saw it? Was it in a gallery? Sometimes you can look at what artwork a gallery holds.
It could be someone from the Pop Art era? Sounds Lichtenstein ish or like something from that time.
Tara I love the Great Wave too. I've got a card of that pinned on my noticeboard.
I like an odd mix of art and my favourites are Salvador Dali, Arthur Rackham, Louis Wain, Marc Chagall and Jamie Hewlett.