Self-Portrait in Pastel

[Ricardo Búzio]

Hi everyone!

I think this is my first post in this community, although I’ve been in NMA for a few months now. I guess I’ve been too busy learning!

Anyway, I did this specifically for this challenge, and I chose this technique hoping to create a somewhat fresh/sketchy like drawing. Like many student artists I tend to get way too much distracted with details and rendering, using it so many times to hide structural mistakes. To accomplish my goal, I used “rough” materials like kraft paper, Faber Castell PITT sepia pastel pencil and white chalk. I also did the drawing without measuring to challenge myself out of my comfort zone.

Please feel free to comment away 🙂

Cheers!

[Jan]

I really like your technique. You seem to have used tonal values well to describe the forms. Your comment that artists use detail to hide structural mistakes was eye-opening. “Less is more” is something I definitely struggle with in my drawings. I get so involved in rendering that it tends to take away from the bigger idea. I’m currently watching the basic head construction videos so I am constantly measuring since the concepts are not second nature yet. I like that you challenged yourself by not measuring and by doing so you seem to have really captured what I would call personality. If any of the proportions are off a little it doesn’t seem to distract from the spirit of the portrait. Nice work!

[Jessica]

I love your technique in this drawing, especially the focus on value.  This really is a great piece!

[Ricardo Búzio]

Thanks Jan!
I found that quick-sketch is instrumental to “force” us to look for the big shapes first, but it’s kind of a love/hate relationship to me XD

I really think that measuring is SO helpful to put our eye into place, so to speak. Especially if we don’t have a teacher on our shoulder to correct our work. So I measure A LOT! But I’ve been thinking about it, and it looks somehow like training wheels in a sense that, if you do it for a while (in my case years), once you try without it will surprise you! On the other hand, when I see many master artists, even those who advocate a tight measuring like sight-size method, when you see them doing free style demos you hardly see them measuring at all. So that is that!

Thanks again for your kind comments and for taking time to exchange ideas!

[Ricardo Búzio]

Hi Jessica!

Thanks for the compliment! You know, I stole from Steve Huston the fact that using a toned surface to begin with helps a lot in establishing the values. It really works!

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