Exploring New Mediums...

Not long after trying my hand at charcoals for the first time I also delved into the new world of colored pastels and also using black paper vs. the standard white paper. I owe my husband 100% for the black paper idea, he was pretty persistent and that paid off big time in my book!

First up is the colored pastels. I had a photo in mind that I wanted to recreate. I was so focused on getting the pastels right that it doesn't actually resemble the person in the end, but I am really pleased with the end result and the use of color.  Color has never been a strong point of mine- I'm best with black, white and the greyscale, but I do love to dig into color every now and again.

sketching out with charcoal first

laying the foundations of the skin tone and the shadows of the eyes

halfway there. creating shadows before the highlights.

adding highlights and creating the gorgeous blue Edwardian inspired hair.

Here's the finished product. I just love her.

pastel and charcoal on traditional paper 14x17

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The second experiment of the day was using the black paper. I must admit that I was nervous to give it a go. I'm a perfectionist when it comes to my artwork- I want every piece to be framable in the end, which does not lend itself to experimentation. I'm trying my hardest to drop that attitude and just enjoy- to discover new things!!

 sketching out the basics with white charcoal

 getting way out of my comfort zone by laying down the highlights first- I had to get used to building the drawing "backwards".

 almost there. completing the look- building it up and shading.

 close up of the finished work.

 the finished look of drawing number two! 

pastel and charcoal on black paper. 9x12

Really excited about new challenges to come and exploring this medium further- it's been more enjoyable than I ever could have forseen!