idle bunnies

Sketching a Goebbel figure, charcoal and (separately) pencil on Strathmore pastel paper.

Coates willow charcoal

I'm so loving the intense black of charcoal. And this isn't compressed charcoal, it's Coates willow. Great feel. On Strathmore drawing paper.

charcoal for pepper

I love the easy black of charcoal---a hard charcoal pencil, in this case.

On Strathmore drawing paper.

most of the cat

I couldn't indicate the light on the back without making him look half-toned.

Oh, well, always practicing.

Cropped to improve the composition.

Vine charcoal on Strathmore pastel paper.

M. head

M is a storyteller and commenter on life. Sometimes we need to tell her to stop talking so we can draw her face in a still position.

Charcoal on Strathmore drawing paper..

R. in vine charcoal

Soft charcoal on mi-teintes paper. The hand is not what it should be.

The soldier from Far Pavilions

I read the novel by M.M. Kaye years ago, then found the DVDs on Netflix--a movie made long ago, too.

Paused so I could draw the main male character, whose name I don't remember anymore.

Charcoal pencil in the Hand Book artist journal.

G with a yellow earring

In vine and willow charcoal. Transportation home smeared it a teense, but practice was the point.

On Strathmore drawing paper, which is not great for charcoal. The paper gave up holding on to the charcoal so I had to quit sooner than I'd like.

Paper makes SUCH a difference, whatever the medium is.

a blurry giraffe

I think he's leaning a bit, too. But still cute.

Charcoal in a Hand Book artist's journal.

charcoal cat

Usual model, different medium. I started with simple contour lines for the cat in vine, then went to compressed for the intensity of the leather ottoman. He's rather a ghost cat on the shiny seat. In the Reflexions journal. Great paper for charcoal!

leaning model

J. leaned on one arm and it's amazingly challenging to draw a slanted face onto the square of the paper. The perspective is harder to place the features. But I managed a very good likeness. Charcoal on Mi-Tients paper.

2 charcoal cats

Using a variety of charcoals, on Strathmore drawing paper.

charcoal hand

Hard vine charcoal in the Reflexions journal.

Lizzie in charcoal pencil

It scans so much darker than graphite! On 70# sketchpaper.

charcoal, blended

I prefer the sharper lines of unblended charcoal, but it smears too badly. Blended and shaded with a stump.

On Strathmore drawing paper.