Self Portrait

Alright...so it has been a while since I have done a self portrait. This one took about 3 hours, so fairly quickly. I used the same technique, starting with vine, smearing it out, redrawing it in Derwent Charcoal Pencil (dark), smearing it, and then I used a Wolfcarbon 4B for the finishing touches this time (instead of conte). Before the finishing stages, I went back in with a kneaded eraser to bring some lightness back in...I think the next time I use this approach; I will do another wipe out phase using a white pastel pencil of some sort. For the smearing and wiping, I used a napkin, and also a crafted piece of foam rubber material that I cut out from the sole of a sandal. I borrowed this idea from Mau Kun, a master from China. Check out his art at http://www.yimaukun.com/ and prepare to be blown away (there is music, so be aware).

I think the mouth could use some work...and I could have embellished things more, and made some things a bit more subtle...but given the time it took and the overall quality and effectiveness of the drawing...this was a pretty fun one to do!