Day 8: Charcoal Portrait

Sometimes you need to follow the rules, but mostly, you should let your inner artist take the lead. Its the real you!

It helps you see what you love about your subject. A human face in this context. Is it the nose? Or eyes? Or smile - which is rare when your model is posing for you, but from picture, sure. If you can capture that special something that you appreciate, your work reflects it - effortlessly.

Today I made a mistake. I didn't have the work planned ahead of time. So, at the work hours, I was hard pressed to select and execute. I entered the studio with vague ideas and when I settled down, I wasn't sure if I wanted to open a sketch book, paint box, palette, or set up the easel! 'Disaster!' I thought aloud. This is what I promised to myself, to plan next day's work and here I was with blank as clear as my white gessoed canvas!


Have no time to waste and work on something that is necessary, I told myself. What if I had gone to an arts class knowing nothing about what the instructor would ask us to draw? Well, it wasn't all that hypothetical to imagine. I mostly encountered this in the arts class. Going in there with no clue about the subject of the class. "It will be drapery today!", The instructor would say and set up a green chenille sheet inside out with lots of enhanced folds to draw.

I had to gather all my senses to understand where should I start from!

So, today was kind of like that. Bingo! That immediately started to straighten the mental clutter. Be that person and dictate! Choose something as your assignment of the day. Anything! And that person chose portrait!

Okay then! Portrait it was. Luckily, I had a reference photo and to save the day! I stared and finished within 3 hours.I am glad to report that it did come out well.



What started as an ill-planned work day, ended on a happy note. But I hope not to make it a practice. No sir!