These in-process drawings were created in class as demonstrations of how to use the sepia colored conte crayon on toned paper. Additional materials include conte crayon that is black, brown, and white, soft charcoal pencil, and a Magic Rub eraser. The focus is using the warm sepia for warmth and value, not for color. These are drawn on Canson toned paper.
The expression of someone in a self portrait drawn from life may seem sad or angry. If one’s face already tends toward the melancholic, a bit droopy–like mine, it can look even more so. If you show your self portrait to someone and they ask “why didn’t you smile?”, tell them that you could not hold a smile for as long as the drawing took for you to make it. Try to be kind in your response, and do not take their comment as personal criticism.
For many, this assignment was the first time that they had used themselves as the subject of their drawing, so it was quite daunting. We talked about facial structure and musculature. Earlier in the week we had drawn from skulls using the same technique, so all were becoming familiar with the nuances of the bone that sits underneath our muscles and skin.
