Tonight we had Eva again. One of our more regular models. I find her challenging because her skin tones and hair tones both veer towards the cool range chromatically, and for me, drawing the figure is all about creating warmth on the paper.

Tonight (as last week) I experimented with using basic charcoal on the 15 minute poses to very lightly sketch in the figure on the paper first.  The point for me experientially is the tactile experience of charcoal on paper. It conveys far more sensation, creating a sort of virtuous (tactile) circle. Once the circle is warm – and the figure has started to emerge – do I segue into the pastels: conté pencils or crayons. Don’t get me wrong, they are tactile, too, just not as intense feeling-wise as plain ol’ charcoal.

Below four fifteen minute poses. Conte crayons and conté pencil on toned pastel paper. 32.7 x 50 cm or 13 x 19 3/4 in.

Below three four minute poses. Charcoal on brown tinted sketching paper. 35 x 50 cm. or 13.75 x 19.75 in.