Charcoal Portrait of Julie

[Steven Sweeney]

Originally Posted by Jonathan Hardesty

I accidentally put the drawing paper on backwards when I did this so that contributes to the scratchy look of everything. Was interesting to draw on the wrong side but I don't think I'll do it again.

Jonathan,

Not to worry, there isn't a "right" or "wrong" side. You use the side that works for you. I was taught to use the smooth (or "wrong") side of Canson paper, though I suppose that had to do with the level of finish that was required of us on so-called long poses -- that is, perhaps it was thought that you retained more control on a less "toothy" surface. (The long pose in my "Nudes with Values" post was done on the "wrong" side of the paper. If you get blocked by the password request in clicking that link, the password is "critique" [without the quotation marks].)

However, if memory serves (and more and more, it doesn't), I believe that when Daniel Greene did a pastel demonstration during one of his workshops, he made a point of mentioning that he also used the smooth side of the paper. Though it seems counterintuitive, he said that his experience was that the smooth side would hold more pastel and take more working without breaking down. (Once you work and re-work a toothed surface, the tooth breaks down and the area looks discouragingly different from the surrounding area, which call upon some more sophisticated techniques to "fix.")

For quicker, less "finished" sketches using softer charcoals, I'd likely go for the side with more tooth, as the effect would probably be more in keeping with the intent. It's all about what you're after, and you'll sort out the methodology simply by experimenting.

[Jonathan Hardesty]

Claudemir Bonfim - Thanks!

Sharon Knettell - I couldn't agree more. I was looking in this book of sargent charcoal portraits and it said that over this particular period of time (can't remember how long) he completed somewhere around 20 portrait paintings. But it also said that during that time he completed over 500 of those charcoal drawings. Amazing. And it said he did most of them in 2 hours. So that inspired me to try doing it.

Alexandra Tyng - Thanks so much for your kind words. Maybe I will work with that paper texture again at another point. The scratchiness is refreshing in a way. It's just annoying to work on during the process hehe.

Steven Sweeney - Thanks for posting that information! That's awesome. I do get the feeling that the smooth side holds more charcoal. I felt like I couldn't put enough down on the toothy side. It definitely seems counterintuitive but I think that Daniel Greene is right. You are absolutely right that it's a matter of effect though. That's a really good point. The side of the paper only accomplishes different things. It's like post modern drawing...there's no right or wrong!

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Well I have been experimenting a lot lately. I am trying to be courageous with brush strokes and paint application. I'm always trying to hone my drawing skills (who isn't right?). But at any rate this is another quick self portrait that I did. This was about 3-3.5 hours. I really tried to move fast on this and I focused mainly on brushwork.

Is there any resources that anyone can point to on how to approach skin tones. I went to the museum on tuesday and spent hours staring at a ton of paintings trying to figure out what makes successful skin tones and what doesn't. So difficult. But anyway's here's the painting: