Artistic Charcoal Portraiture: Creating Atmosphere

Learn how to create powerful and dramatic portraits with charcoal

• Introduction
• Materials, Tone and How to Draw an Eye in Charcoal
• Image Choices and How to Draw Our Initial Sketch onto Paper
• Applying the Charcoal
• How to Take Your Skills to the Next Level
• Final project

The difference between a standard charcoal portrait and an atmospheric one is simple: the latter has the power to stop people in their tracks and awaken their senses. Sarah Stokes is an artist with a powerful eye for creating unique charcoal portraits that are filled with mystery and wonder.

In this course, Sarah shows you how to use charcoal to create captivating compositions with singular details and make your portraiture more expressive. Using a photo reference, charcoal, and everyday objects like cotton buds, nail varnish remover, and more, you’ll discover innovative techniques for creating powerful portraits.

• About Me
• Influences
• What We Will Do in This Course
• Exploring Materials and Equipment
• How to Use Your Materials 1
• How to Use Your Materials 2
• How to Train Your Eyes to See Tonal Values
• Creating a Tonal Value Tool
• Gridding and Drawing an Eye
• Applying Charcoal to the Drawing
• The Essence of an Atmospheric Portrait and Where to Get Our Inspiration
• Chose a Photograph and Make It Charcoal Friendly
• Gridding Up the Face
• First Layers and Golden Rules for Applying Charcoal 1
• First Layers and Golden Rules for Applying Charcoal 2
• Blending and Reestablishing Lights and Darks 1
• Blending and Reestablishing Lights and Darks 2
• Render Hair and Abstract Elements 1
• Render Hair and Abstract Elements 2
• The Importance of Composition in Drawing
• Fixing and Scanning Your Work
• Let's Experiment
• Artistic Charcoal Portraiture: Creating Atmosphere