About This Project
Explore the expressive power of charcoal by creating a dynamic portrait. This tutorial covers foundational steps, shading techniques, and tips for achieving lifelike features and depth in your drawings using charcoal.
Step-by-Step Tutorial
- Plan your composition: Lightly sketch guidelines to map out facial proportions and placement.
- Block in shadows: Use vine or soft charcoal to loosely shade shadow areas and establish tone.
- Blend and refine: Use blending tools to soften transitions, then sharpen details with a charcoal pencil.
- Define features: Carefully render the eyes, nose, and lips, building contrast with dark accents.
- Highlight and lift: Use a kneaded eraser to pull out highlights and add dimension.
- Finishing touches: Adjust contrasts, tidy edges, and spray a fixative to preserve your drawing.
Video Tutorial
Watch and learn at your own pace: