Head of an Ancient Soldier - oil pastel on paper

Here's an oldie I don't even remember doing - not simply old age can't remember - just did this one such a long time ago.  Apparently had some metallic Caran d'Ache wax crayons and I'm sure had great fun with this piece. I don't know the sculptor, but if any of you do, please shoot me an email.  Drawing from those magnificent ancient sculptures is very instructive, I think, and I still do that even though it's nearly always from photographs. 😟  Seems to be on the textured side of Canson Mi-Teintes paper, 9 x 12" - thanks for stopping by and happy art-making!

 

My Reluctant Model - original charcoal portrait sketch

I can be so persuasive sometimes - or maybe overbearing - when getting someone to pose for me, however briefly.  When their patience runs out, I turn to the camera.  This young woman held the pose as long as she could stand it, for which I was totally grateful!

I loved her hesitant manner, as if she might not have thought this was such a good idea.  I'm just crazy about capturing people's emotions that they don't only display in their faces, but in their gestures, as well.  Was trying not to overwork, so purposely didn't spend much time on the drawing or go back and "fix" things.

There was a sale on paper at my store and I bought a couple of tablets of Mi-Teintes.  For some reason - and I seldom hear this from anyone - I love the textured side.  I appreciate the looseness the textured side produces and I can always stump the charcoal if I want some of the drawing to look smoother.  When I drag my vine charcoal across the paper, the textured side grabs only some of the charcoal so I don't have to soften a line - the paper just sort of does it for me.  There's some white hard pastel in this 12 x 9" drawing along with the charcoal.  Thanks so much for stopping by!