Chiaroscuro Portraiture

MATERIALS

• Paper (I used 160gsm)
• Soft willow charcoal
• Eraser
• Knife
• One piece of hard dark graphite
• 2h pencil
• One small piece of white pastel

STEP ONE

Any - - portrait essentially a two dimensional rendering exploring the different light/dark interactions of a three-dimensional face. To ensure that it’s aesthetically pleasing, preparation is all important. We spend incredible lengths of time looking at human faces, and are sensitive to flaws in their dimensions; this is why portraits are notoriously difficult to just “whip up” or to perfect. When selecting a subject and photo for reference, you are looking for a picture that captures the most interesting, diverse and dynamic interactions of light and shadow. For this reason, I always recommend that an artist should take their own reference photos. Always take the shots in natural sunlight, never use the flash, and take as