One of the best aspects about portrait art (or any art style for that matter) is the ability to use artistic mediums to help enhance the mood or personality of the subject being drawn. These two images steer away from my usual style and have been created using a mixture of graphite and charcoal instead of lead. I have also used a more textured and “heavier” paper to work on. Normally I use paper stumps to help develop a smooth and flawless look, however harder strokes and more deliberate shading techniques can still work and have the advantage of helping to add movement to a portrait. If you’re currently experimenting with technique, I can confidently recommend Secrets to Drawing Realistic Children by Carrie Stuart Parks and Rick Parks. It was my bible and inspiration in the early days.
