Unfinished Chalk and Charcoal

Charcoal figure drawing

Chalk detail

Here’s a recent life study that remains unfinished due to lack of time. Notwithstanding, I’m pleased with a lot of elements in the drawing – the portrait being the main example, where I used up much of the time available in capturing her likeness.

The paper is Canson, and the result of an experiment in toning with ink and water (not done by me). There’s a little refining to be made in the technique, perhaps achieving a slightly darker tone so that the chalk will read a little more dramatically. Indeed, I have photographed the picture from a couple of different angles to illustrate how the chalk catches the light when viewed either from the front or side. It can be easy to put down too much because of this effect and how you can hardly see it from the position you stand when working on it.