'Abdu'l-Baha profile
 

Here's my latest - a different approach for me this time around. I was a bit looser in laying down the charcoal and used a softer charcoal stick (mostly for the background) as well as charcoal pencils. It took me less than half the time to complete as my other ones - and I like this one more. So I'm quite pleased with it. I'm ready to experiment more.

I used a handmade paper from Twinrocker - what a great company. Beautiful papers! I learned about them here on the Forum - thank you, Sharon!!! - I got the sample book and can't wait to try out some others.

14" X 20" charcoal w/ white pastel highlights, on Twinrocker cotton "Cripple Creek"

Beautiful!
I especially like the feel of the textures in the different areas of the portrait. :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :D

What an incredible drawing!

Why do you think it took you less than half the time to do than your other work?

David,

This is a lovely piece, beautifully managed values.

Oh David, you've done it again. How beautiful!

Jean

David,

What a rich combination of fluid velvet blacks and lovely white passages.

I have that very paper. I bought the last sheets they had of the 36" x 48".

Their papers, inspire somehow, with their handmade but refined surfaces a bit more boldness. I don't know how to describe drawing on it but it is somehow like luxuriating at a very classy spa.

Chris, you would LOVE their Cornflower Blue paper. It reminds me of a wonderful Prud'hon inspired drawing you posted. If ever a paper had your name written on it it is that paper.

David, this is stunning. Incredibly beautiful depiction of the various textures in this portrait! Can you elaborate on your charcoal selections? Willow, compressed, brand name, etc.?

My last three projects have been in charcoal and I can't get anything this dark, I'm so jealous. I was about to move to Nupastel and then I saw this work.

Meanwhile, I've been sitting in indecision with my Twinrocker sample book. I'd better get my order in before Chris and Sharon, those hussies, grab all the good stuff.

David this is powerful, beautiful, and elegant. I love the broad dynamic range of your gray values. :thumbsup: :thumbsup:

Garth

Thank you all for your warm and generous remarks. It means a lot.

Michelle, it was an interesting experience working on this piece. About 4 or 5 hours into it I noticed that I had, without thinking, placed the drawing on my easel and was drawing it that way. I've never done that before, and at that moment, it surprised me. But it seemed right. Before, I'd always have the drawing on a board in my lap or on a table. This felt more like I was doing a painting. I noticed that working this way encouraged me to step back often - constantly - to see what I was doing. I also realized that in many of my previous drawings I was being a bit fanatical in trying to render everything I saw. And I'd have my nose buried in it for hours. With this drawing I relented a bit and began to let the medium have a "say" as to what would be best for a particular passage. Giving up some control. It seems like a good thing - especially for a control freak like me. I'm more aware now that every medium has particular virtues that are just waiting to be exploited - things that only that medium can do. I know that my task as an artist is to "open up" more to what the materials "want" to do. To me, it's the difference between talking and listening.

Linda, the charcoal I used was a stick, compressed that comes in this Cretacolor set that I hand out to my adult students. It's a bit hard and after quite a bit of rubbing (to get the black black) the paper was getting a bit distressed. I think I'll try a softer stick next time. Most, but not all, of the face was done with various General's Charcoal pencils. And I gave myself permission to smudge, something I hadn't done before. I may defect and become a true smudger...

Yes, Sharon these handmade papers do have beautiful surfaces, and it is "somehow like luxuriating at a very classy spa." - although I think of them more as: sitting in a bathtub, in chest-high hot water filled with Mr. Bubble and surrounded by my rubber ducky and plastic submarine. But that's just me... ;)

Wow,

My first reaction was actually a different spelling of "a barrier controlling flow of water" but thought it inappropriate. This is excellent, you've inspired me to do a charcoal piece. I have some colored paper recently ordered but is still sitting in the box in my attic.(it's freezing up there!)

Sharon turned them on to me also, just need some money together to place an order. sigh.

So glad to see you're posting, I'll be more glad to see you posting often. Thanks for sharing.