The human figure is intimidating in the subtlety of its dance with light. From geometrical forms, this study begins to grapple with that challenge. Taken from a photo, the principle compositional challenges were already addressed in by the photographer (although I did crop the setting). In particular, the lid of the coffee cup that provides some ballast against the darkness in the upper left.

This study followed the construction of a ten-step grey scale using graphite, willow sticks, and charcoal. In trying to achieve smooth fields, I loaded up my supply of paper blending sticks (tortillons and stumps) with graphite and charcoal. I tried cleaning them against a sanding block, with limited success. This study, then, was done only with pencil and eraser. This frustrated my ability to achieve uniform and graduated transitions in tone.

Still, from a distance, the rendering is tender. Most challenging was actually the curly hair and its highlights. This could only be rendered approximately, but I feel that I achieved some success. This had to be balanced against the scarf, which has its own fascinations. The heightened tonal contrast in the face and eyes (I hope, at any rate) sustains the subject as the focus.