Charcoal Self Portrait

[Henry Wienhold]

I just recently started working with charcoal pencil, I like the rich blacks and contrasting values this medium supplies so well. Normally I sketch with graphite pencil, but I just may rely on charcoal only in the future. Your comments and opinions about this self portrait are welcome.

Thanks,
Henry

[Mike McCarty]

This is beautiful, Henry. Have you tried soft black pastel chalk? You can get really dense rich saturation when you need coverage. I find that it works really well in combination with the pencil, for the finer work. Once again, very nice work.

[Henry Wienhold]

Thanks for the compliment, Mike.

Actually I did use a little black pastel for the dark black values. I find that pastel goes well with charcoal, but charcoal is the dominant medium in my portrait.

Henry

[Mari DeRuntz]

Beautiful, I love the rich tones you have. And your handling of hair, expression, gesture -- everything is right on.

[Lon Haverly]

Henry, masterfully done, especially considering it is an experimental medium for you.

Of the charcoal family, I use vine charcoal exclusively, on coarse charcoal paper. My drawings are ten minute wonders, for public performance. I always had bad luck with charcoal pencil and compressed charcoal. The charcoal pencils are the paper wound ones, right? You tear a little string, then unwind the paper, then the charcoal falls out, and you tear a little more, unwind, then the charcoal falls out, and so on. Thus, I use vine.