More "right-brained" value:

Here's another "right-brained" value-based portrait. This one is done in graphite rather than charcoal like the last one. (Charcoal is much easier! It takes much longer to get the graphite anywhere close to dark enough - even with quite soft pencils - and then it shines... blech). About half of the students in class tonight wanted to do it with graphite, so I thought I'd better do one in pencil as well so as to be better able to address any questions that came up. This is such a fun way to quickly block in chunks of value and to pull out lighter negative shapes. Got it about half way done in class and finished it while watching tonight's "Gilmore Girls" that my daughter taped for me while I taught. I should be working on sketches, but this was more fun!