As a beginner it's extremely useful to see the drawing process of professional artists like you. I tend to get too focused on the details, so it's fascinating to observe how you construct the face. There's so much to learn from this video. Many thanks.
It was a fantastic demonstration with easy to understand explanation, Jeff. Thank you. I couldn't find a good video on "Composing a Charcoal Portrait" with good explanation of focal area, Lead in, Hard, soft and lost edges. If you can create one, it would be great..👍
Hi Jeff, only discovered you very recently and this one in particular is so helpful. I often find the hardest part is to actually make the initial marks with any confidence, but your calm demeanour and clear explainations are a huge help! Many thanks
THANK YOU very much sir this is like gold to me, glad to find you and I would appreciate seeing more videos like this in the future If not asking too much.
Thanks nice hearing your thoughts how you approach and focus when drawing like this. For a beginner like me it’s just where to focus that is kind of hard. Because I really don’t know
16:19 i got commission to make charcoal art of Sai Baba saint in India. I made rookie mistake of using wrong type of charcoal and its a mess not the kind which can be repaired... So i have to redo from scratch. And this was my firsr charcoal commision work... 22" *44"😢
As usual Jeff, I'm here absorbing ALL that I can in terms of following how you achieve the likeness with this portrait. I dare say that you're always spot on with your portrait sketches as your eyes are trained to get the proportions in their rightful place from the first marks hence, there isn't room for going off course by much "IF" at all, you do find yourself ever in difficulty with the placements of the basic outlines to the portraits approach.
Thanks Kevin! Getting things in the right place is always a juggling act. Soft charcoal is very forgiving when it comes to placement errors though. Gotta stay really loose until it starts to settle :)
Hi Susan, it's a fairly soft oil/acrylic brush. A watercolor brush would probably work too, I don't think the brush type is super important. Thanks for watching!
Do you always start with fine charcoal. Do you ever start with compressed charcoal pencils. I like the vine for its ability to ‘ wipe out’ easily. Also how you ‘ fix’ vine. It seems so easily smudged? Thank you for this demo.
Yes, I almost always start with natural charcoal (vine or willow), and often bring in charcoal pencils later on. I spray them all with a fixative when they're finished. Thanks for watching!
At 13:35 you lift out highlights with a kneaded eraser. My experience has been mild so far trying to do this with charcoal. It is way more greyish than this. Is it a matter of paper quality?
It's more likely the charcoal. Are you using soft (natural) charcoal? Compressed charcoal (charcoal pencils included) is harder to remove. Check out the most recent vid I posted for a more thorough discussion of this.
Thanks for sharing your process with us, the commentary, and all your demos! Soft charcoals are one of my favorite mediums for their flexibility and light touch, acting a bit like Oils in some respects. I'm assuming that is a soft splayed sable or mongoose of some kind. I like the surface of newsprint, but it dies in a few years. What is your surface?
Thanks for the comment! I totally agree that working with charcoal is alot like painting. I use Strathmore 400 series drawing paper quite a lot but not always. The brush I use is an inexpensive soft, round oil/acrylic brush.
Hi Jeff, thanks for the excellent videos! Really enjoy watching your art. I had a quick question, can you list the items you use for your charcoal sketches - Willow Charcoal? - How do sharpen them - What white pencil-type tool/ eraser you use for creating the highlights. - What rubs of charcoal best. - What paper is best Any other ideas.. Would love to hear from you. Your art is inspiring! Thanks, Rahul
Thanks Rahul! I use both vine and willow and I usually sharpen on a spare piece of paper or sand paper. I use a kneaded eraser to pull out lights, or a white charcoal pencil if I’m working on toned paper. I use Strathmore 400 series drawing paper quite a lot. (Their drawing paper is a much smoother texture than their charcoal paper.) Hope that helps!
my blending stump is not picking up and removing charcoal like yours, do you have any ideas as to why that's the case? I'm using soft vine charcoal and some basic drawing pad.
Hmmm, I'm not sure. If it's vine, most of it should be powdery and sitting on the surface. Maybe try a bit lighter touch? It's hard to say without seeing it.
@@LucJMVanAssche You might have a little better luck with a can of artist's fixative. You can get a can for maybe $8, and that should get you through a ton of drawings because you just need a little. Good luck!
Hi Sean, I use primarily vine and willow and sometimes I work a charcoal pencil in. I use quite a few different brands, including Grumbacher, Nitram, etc. I usually use General's Pencils.
@@seanwaters8060 Nitram has a little different character and isn’t quite like other brands of vine charcoal (it isn’t actually vine or willow, as I understand it). You might try both if you can, it took me a while to get used to Nitram. I usually buy the softer stuff with both varieties.
the sound is like nails on a chalkboard to me with your second piece 😮😅 I think im too sensitive with touch and sound . Thats why I am just trying sketching with pencils 😊
8:04 its amazing how much it does adding the volume of the eye in the socket!
Great seeing the process! Love how you got the ear to come out in the shadow
Thanks Luke, Glad that you enjoyed it!
Thank you 😊 Awesome demonstration ❤
Wow! I kept waiting for how you were going to do the ear. Love how you handled it.
Thanks Steven! Much appreciated.
You have such a masterful way of describing things
Thanks so much! Glad you liked it.
As a beginner it's extremely useful to see the drawing process of professional artists like you. I tend to get too focused on the details, so it's fascinating to observe how you construct the face. There's so much to learn from this video. Many thanks.
Thank you! Glad that you found it useful :)
It was a fantastic demonstration with easy to understand explanation, Jeff. Thank you. I couldn't find a good video on "Composing a Charcoal Portrait" with good explanation of focal area, Lead in, Hard, soft and lost edges. If you can create one, it would be great..👍
Thanks so much for the comment. Glad that you enjoyed it!
So many ways to create even within a dominant way.
Hi Jeff, only discovered you very recently and this one in particular is so helpful. I often find the hardest part is to actually make the initial marks with any confidence, but your calm demeanour and clear explainations are a huge help!
Many thanks
Glad you find it helpful Kevin! Thanks!
same
THANK YOU very much sir this is like gold to me, glad to find you and I would appreciate seeing more videos like this in the future If not asking too much.
Thank you for commenting! I have lots more planned :)
Thank you M. Haines. This was very helpful
Thanks nice hearing your thoughts how you approach and focus when drawing like this. For a beginner like me it’s just where to focus that is kind of hard. Because I really don’t know
Thanks Martin, glad you lied it.
Thank you, thank you, thank you so much 🙏🏻
This video was very helpful. Hoping to see more such videos.
Glad that you liked it! Thank you, there's more to come.
Nice!!! I think ill try some of these techniques in my next portrait!!!
16:19 i got commission to make charcoal art of Sai Baba saint in India. I made rookie mistake of using wrong type of charcoal and its a mess not the kind which can be repaired... So i have to redo from scratch. And this was my firsr charcoal commision work... 22" *44"😢
Awesome method very helpful ,thanks so much great video😊
volgde je voor de eerste maal,het was heel boeiend, een heel mooi werkje dank je om het te delen.
Glad that you liked it! Thanks for watching.
Hi Jeff. I love your art. Pls upload more and more and more. Thanks.
I will, thanks Roxanne!
Lovely process and outcome ! thank you for these free videos . I love learning from TH-cam . 😮
Thank you Lilac! Glad you like the videos!
Great voice
thank you so much got my first every sketch just cus of your video and i am loving how similar mine is to yours
Glad you found it helpful :)
As usual Jeff, I'm here absorbing ALL that I can in terms of following how you achieve the likeness with this portrait. I dare say that you're always spot on with your portrait sketches as your eyes are trained to get the proportions in their rightful place from the first marks hence, there isn't room for going off course by much "IF" at all, you do find yourself ever in difficulty with the placements of the basic outlines to the portraits approach.
Thanks Kevin! Getting things in the right place is always a juggling act. Soft charcoal is very forgiving when it comes to placement errors though. Gotta stay really loose until it starts to settle :)
Thank you for this. I’m anxious to give this a try. I haven’t done it yet but I will sign up for the lower level patreon.
Thank you Cathy! Welcome!
Thanks sir for sharing knowledge after a long time it's good to seeing u again
Thanks for watching!
What type of brush do you use? Do you use a water color brush?
Hi Susan, it's a fairly soft oil/acrylic brush. A watercolor brush would probably work too, I don't think the brush type is super important. Thanks for watching!
Great video. Thank you! I really enjoyed your slow deliberate pacing. Most drawing videos are put on hyper speed for some reason. 😂
Thanks! Glad you enjoyed it.
Wow. Just what we need. Thanks.
Thanks Ledah
Correct me if I'm wrong, but you seem to be that kind of person who would never step on an ant. :)
Nice video.
Thank you Fabrizio! Haha, ants never really hurt anyone...
Perfect as always!
Thank you Kaira!
At 5:30 it was already amazing!!!😃
Still trying to figure it out how you do it wonderfully and your art is amazing as always
Thanks so much Clifford!
Loved your process.
I waited for the ear! 😅 Great!
Haha! Thanks!
I liked it verymuch👍👍👍
Thank you Bafrin!
your welcome😉
Very nice, thanks.
Maravilhoso, amo seu trabalho 👏
Thanks so much Milena!
Thank you for sharing! Very useful!
Can you make more of these kind of videos
Waw'fantastique
Thanks for the kind explanation. I think I will be watching this video many more times.
Glad that you liked it!
Do you always start with fine charcoal. Do you ever start with compressed charcoal pencils.
I like the vine for its ability to ‘ wipe out’ easily.
Also how you ‘ fix’ vine. It seems so easily smudged?
Thank you for this demo.
Yes, I almost always start with natural charcoal (vine or willow), and often bring in charcoal pencils later on. I spray them all with a fixative when they're finished. Thanks for watching!
At 13:35 you lift out highlights with a kneaded eraser. My experience has been mild so far trying to do this with charcoal. It is way more greyish than this.
Is it a matter of paper quality?
It's more likely the charcoal. Are you using soft (natural) charcoal? Compressed charcoal (charcoal pencils included) is harder to remove. Check out the most recent vid I posted for a more thorough discussion of this.
Thanks for sharing your process with us, the commentary, and all your demos! Soft charcoals are one of my favorite mediums for their flexibility and light touch, acting a bit like Oils in some respects. I'm assuming that is a soft splayed sable or mongoose of some kind. I like the surface of newsprint, but it dies in a few years. What is your surface?
Thanks for the comment! I totally agree that working with charcoal is alot like painting. I use Strathmore 400 series drawing paper quite a lot but not always. The brush I use is an inexpensive soft, round oil/acrylic brush.
@@JeffHainesArt Thanks for the information! Strathmore 400 is a quality surface. I have been surprised by the sensitivity of vine charcoal-
What the type of pencil you used to drawing eye? And how many tools for drawing this
Thanks for the answer😊
I believe this was all done with vine charcoal and charcoal pencil a bit at the end. Other than that just a kneaded eraser, stump and a brush.
Hi Jeff, thanks for the excellent videos!
Really enjoy watching your art. I had a quick question, can you list the items you use for your charcoal sketches
- Willow Charcoal?
- How do sharpen them
- What white pencil-type tool/ eraser you use for creating the highlights.
- What rubs of charcoal best.
- What paper is best
Any other ideas..
Would love to hear from you. Your art is inspiring!
Thanks,
Rahul
Thanks Rahul! I use both vine and willow and I usually sharpen on a spare piece of paper or sand paper. I use a kneaded eraser to pull out lights, or a white charcoal pencil if I’m working on toned paper. I use Strathmore 400 series drawing paper quite a lot. (Their drawing paper is a much smoother texture than their charcoal paper.) Hope that helps!
Thanks, Jeff for your response! It helps :) Best Wishes.
Love you sir from india
my blending stump is not picking up and removing charcoal like yours, do you have any ideas as to why that's the case? I'm using soft vine charcoal and some basic drawing pad.
Hmmm, I'm not sure. If it's vine, most of it should be powdery and sitting on the surface. Maybe try a bit lighter touch? It's hard to say without seeing it.
how is your charcoal so easily being erased?? also what charcoal pencil you're using?
Natural (vine or willow) charcoal has a powdery consistency and is very easily erased. The charcoal pencil is a Generals brand #2 I believe.
Ser, wonderful, bern following your work for a while now.. One question, how do u fix your work on the paper. Tanks and kind regards from Antwerp.
You'll need to spray it with a fixative when you're finished working with it. This 'locks it down' so to speak. Thanks Luc!
@@JeffHainesArt Hay, Jeff, what kind do you use?
@@LucJMVanAssche I use a permanent fixative made by Krylon but I've used others. Most of them will darken your work a little so be careful.
@@JeffHainesArt Ok, great. Thanks Jeff 👍. I mostly use hairspray..but depending on the type of charcoal it "troubles" the details ..
@@LucJMVanAssche You might have a little better luck with a can of artist's fixative. You can get a can for maybe $8, and that should get you through a ton of drawings because you just need a little. Good luck!
i keep wondering what paper you use please can you recommend me one
I like Strathmore 300 and 400 series drawing paper.
Hi Jeff.. Could you tell me please what is it called, the black stuff looks like rubber?
It's a kneaded eraser, sometimes called a putty eraser. They're actually gray but they get blacker as you use them.
@@JeffHainesArt Thank you Brother..
What charcoal brands do u use? And is it compressed, willow or vine?
Hi Sean, I use primarily vine and willow and sometimes I work a charcoal pencil
in. I use quite a few different brands, including Grumbacher, Nitram, etc. I usually use General's Pencils.
Okay thanks. I’m probably going to buy some nitram charcoal. Do you have any suggestions as to which type I should buy?
@@seanwaters8060 Nitram has a little different character and isn’t quite like other brands of vine charcoal (it isn’t actually vine or willow, as I understand it). You might try both if you can, it took me a while to get used to Nitram. I usually buy the softer stuff with both varieties.
the sound is like nails on a chalkboard to me with your second piece 😮😅 I think im too sensitive with touch and sound . Thats why I am just trying sketching with pencils 😊
I want to more video in this topics
More on the way, thanks!
Ты классный🔥
I made a simple, portable,light weight & easy measure tool .
Scott Burdick
i always wonder what they looked like in their 20 s . Im 69 and would love to be 29 😂
Hehe nice
Me after not getting it right for the nth time: 6:57
❤❤❤❤❤
By any chance you play minecraft?
Occasionally, but not on TH-cam if that's what you mean.
Looks a bit like Patrick Stewart 😀
Dude drew the eye with 2 strokes, jesus christ