Charcoal Portraits

In this video, there are several tips and tricks used to create a charcoal portrait. First, the artist lays out standard proportions of the human head. This includes drawing out the placement of the top of the head, chin, eyes, nose, and lips.The main element the artist is focusing on is value, and starts by drawing the dark areas (shadows) of the face. By looking at the tone, you shade in the shadows and try not to think of it as an actual portrait. The artist connects the dark and white areas together and blends it. The next step is to add details within the shadowed dark areas. The artist also uses shape and texture by using the white chalk to highlight certain features. Once it starts to look like a face, the artist adds slight lines to bring out the shape off the head. Remember while drawing, it's all supposed to be "relaxed."