Cinco consejos para realizar un buen retrato a carboncillo sobre papel.

Charcoal portrait on paper.   / salvadorcaroperezmuelas   A million thanks for the wonderful reception of the videos and for your enthusiastic interest in this humble channel. Today I present another charcoal portrait (for a change). In this first session, you can see the real-time sketching process of a portrait created, initially, with charcoal and charcoal powder on a 33 x 46 cm, 108g sheet of Ingres paper. This is the first sketching session. I try to work with the charcoal quickly, paying attention to the graphic and textural treatment of the drawing. It's important for me to imbue the portrait with different graphic qualities in the application of the material. As you can see, I work with several blending stumps soaked in charcoal powder, as well as a charcoal-soaked sponge that allows me to make gestural, thicker strokes with a more intense tone. I also apply charcoal sticks directly when I deem it necessary. I try to make loose strokes that build up the main features of the model's face. If you look closely, you'll notice that the surface of the paper I used is quite porous, so the material soaks in relatively easily, offering a rich variety of textures depending on how the material is treated. Similarly, you also have to be careful not to apply too much material to the surface, as unwanted smudges can easily appear, especially in the brighter areas of the portrait. You can also apply intermediate layers that allow you to deepen the areas with more intense tones. It's important to apply the materials without the result looking heavy or overdone. Always intense, I'm not sure if I've achieved it; I aim for a sense of freedom and graphic and textural variety in the piece. Sometimes I blend the material, and other times I apply it directly. For this part, I used the following materials: A sheet of 33x46cm Ingres paper, 108 gsm. Charcoal sticks of varying thicknesses (I prefer medium-sized ones). Fine sandpaper for sharpening the charcoal sticks. Chamois cloths or rags for cleaning the materials. Blending stumps of different sizes and thicknesses. A sponge, which I use to blend the charcoal on the paper, creating a very interesting velvety texture. A Milan brand eraser. I also used a damp cloth to clean my hands, since, as you can see in the video, my hands and fingers are the main tools for creating the drawing. The image is a still from the film "The Lobster" (2015) by the talented Greek director Yorgos Lanthinos, featuring the wonderful and beautiful actress Léa Seydoux. Thanks again to everyone. I sincerely appreciate the generous support the channel is receiving and the wonderful comments on the content. See you very soon; I'll be posting a second part of this project in the next few days. Hugs.