Taking a Break

Charcoal and white Pastel on Grey Paper

16"x20"

I started this sketch last night, thinking that I would utilize that one hour just to sketch the out lines- before I went to bed ;and would continue the drawing later.As it happened I picked up the white pastel pencil and lightly etched the highlights.It looked good and it was hard to leave it till the morning- but I had to! Anyways, I rushed to complete this as soon as I finished my morning chores around the house.. 

This is Mary, a hair dresser where I had gone for my son's haircut last Saturday.She was having her break, sitting on her chair sideways, munching on some crisps and staring at the road outside the window.It was a perfect setting...but when I approached her she told me she did not like her pictures taken and my heart sank! Eventually she relented and I took some pictures.She was wearing a red jumper and some chunky gold chains around her neck.I will be painting her again very soon, this time in color.

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Devotee

Charcoal and pastel on toned paper

12"x16"

Glad to share another drawing with charcoal and pastel pencils.Intended to be monochromatic but I could not resist some color and ended up doing a colored drawing instead of a tonal sketch.I must say I am getting the hang of my pastel pencils after all.I am loving building up the color stroke by stroke..just like oil paints.One more thing I like about this medium- I can use white for highlights!So much fun after watercolors' worry about leaving the paper white for highlights.

Please do let me know what do you think of this effort.