Portrait Mediums
Graphite Portraits
Graphite portraits have a very traditional look to them and are ideal for very detailed subjects and portraits which have subtle variations in the midtones.
They are also wonderful for drawing people in their twilight years.
Scroll down for detailed information on my materials.
Toned Portraits
Toned portraits have a high potential for contrast and so can convey great depth, resulting in a portrait which feels like it ‘comes out of the page’.
I heartily recommend this medium for drawings of toddlers and young children, as it is fantastic for expressing the light reflecting off their skin.
See below for detailed information on my materials.
Pencils
I use a range of high quality pencils. I usually use Faber-Castell graphite pencils and Pentel mechanical pencils in a range of grades (how hard or soft the pencil is.).
For my toned drawings I use Conté à Paris white drawing pencils as these have an excellent lightfastness rating and create a beautiful result.
All of my drawing materials are lightfast so they will not fade over time.
Paper
I draw graphite portraits on 100% cotton hot press watercolour paper.
In terms of brands, I choose between Winsor & Newton Professional and Saunders Waterford paper, depending on the amount of detail in the portrait.
Toned portraits are drawn on Canson Mi-Teintes pastel paper which works brilliantly for both the graphite and white pencils.
