[Mara Schasteen]

I completed this portrait of my son today using willow charcoal and a kneaded eraser. I am not satisfied with how the paper responded so grainy, but the photograph does seem to emphasize that effect.

I posed and studied him closely, but completed the portrait using a photograph I took (blech, I don't like working from photos, but he's 12 and doesn't hold still well).

Thanks in advance for your critiques.