Dark on Light - Light on Dark

16" x 11" Charcoal on Toned Paper

The weekly portrait sessions are places to practice drawing, and to try different things. These two contrasting drawings are from last weeks sessions. The results of my efforts on Thursday are shown above, and Wednesday's are shown below. The first drawing is pretty straight forward; charcoal on warm-colored toned paper. A very light pastel pencil, the same color and value as the paper, was used to help pull out highlights in the drawing. 

14" x 11" Charcoal on Paper

The second drawing I wanted to do on dark toned paper, but my supply had run out and I forgot to get more before the session. I did, however, have several sheets of watercolor paper, so I took a sheet of that and rubbed a charcoal stick all over it. That gave me a sheet that was not only dark, but also had sort of a visual texture. I worked into that surface with a dark charcoal pencil. Light areas were lifted out with a kneaded eraser. A "charcoal white" pencil was used for the highlights.

For more about drawing and painting sessions, go to "Labels" on the side bar and click on "sketching" or "drawing."