Self-Portrait in Graphite and Pastel: Techniques of Light and Form

Overview

“I’ll use my 8B pencil to soften the shadow’s edge, making the form feel like it’s turning. By hatching along the form, I enhance depth. I'll also darken areas for contrast and adjust highlights, ensuring the eye remains the focal point. Finally, I’ll use a palette knife for darker tones in the background and hair, balancing light and shadow.”

In this video lesson Gustavo Ramos addresses the topic: Sculpting from Flat to Form 2, which is part of the Domestika online course: Self-Portrait in Graphite and Pastel: Techniques of Light and Form. Master light and form techniques to create dynamic self-portraits in graphite and pastel while working from life..

Partial transcription of the video

“Here, I'm actually going to pull out my eight beat pencil and work on the terminator where the shadow begins. Just try to diffuse it a little bit more, because right now I have some very sharp lines in those areas. When I want to make it feel like the form is turning, I will go in and make hatching marks that follow the form. So instead of me going across the form like this, I might just be making these marks that are following the form as if it's actually turning around my head. Throughout this whole process, I have intentionally made the darks darker than what I'm actually observing here ...”

This transcript is automatically generated, so it may contain mistakes.

Course summary for: Self-Portrait in Graphite and Pastel: Techniques of Light and Form

• Level: Beginner
• 100% positive reviews (22)
• 1459 students
• 4 units
• 17 lessons (3h 23m)
• 4 downloads

• Category

  Illustration

• Areas

  Fine Arts, Pencil Drawing, Portrait Drawing