[Chris Saper]

Nathan,

What a pleasure to see your enthusiasm!

Regarding the problem with the whites, try this: when the dark and midvalues are established, first lift any stray charcoal with a kneaded eraser from the areas you will declare as lights, and highlights. You can use the kneaded eraser to lift out passages in the charcoal areas, too.

Next, spray the charcoal lightly with fixative, then use white Nupastel, lightly. I have found that the whites tend to disappear when you spray, so you can go through several iterations in this fashion. When the last white strokes are placed, do not do a final spray.