Portrait Drawing Lesson in Pencil by Faith Te

About Faith

Graphite Pencil, Charcoal Pencil and Pastels Artist

Hello! My name is Faith Te. When I was 16, a great desire to capture nature and the people around me started my passion for drawing. I began to look at drawing not just as a hobby but something which I wanted to do all my life.

I practiced every day and for many hours since. I taught myself to draw by experimenting with different techniques and materials and through helpful tips and advice from other artists.

Initially, charcoal and graphite pencils were the only mediums I used. When I began working in color, I used pastels, and more recently, oils. My main subjects are portraits but I also enjoy doing many other subjects including still life, landscapes and flowers, especially orchids.

I devote many hours and lots of attention to detail into each and every one of my drawings or paintings. My ultimate goal is not only to achieve detail and realism but also to capture the life and character of my subjects.

Thank you for your interest in my artwork. I sincerely hope you enjoy your stay here on our web site. Please visit again soon!

Please take a moment to visit Faith’s Website and Blog to learn more about her and her products and services.

Her Website: http://www.artisticrealism.com/

Her Blog: http://www.artisticrealism.com/artstudio/

Portrait Drawing Tutorial in Pencil  – Portrait of Aunt Lisa

by Faith Te

(Please Click Images For Larger Views)

Stage 1

I was working in a time frame to finish this drawing so I was not able to post it as a “moving” work in progress. But I did manage to scan the portrait as I worked on it.

Here is the outline on acid-free paper. Transferred using graphite-coated paper.

Stage 2

I cover my drawing with paper to protect it from sweat and oil from my hands, leaving open just the area I will be working on. This also helps me concentrate on one specific area at a time.

I am using 2 sizes of a soft brush and a small watercolor brush to apply charcoal powder.

The teeth were done by applying 2 or 3 light layers of charcoal powder using the soft brush and pulling out the highlights with a kneaded eraser.

Stage 3

A nylon brush was used to apply charcoal powder on the shadow areas. This brush easily pushes the charcoal into the tooth of the paper.

The eyebrows and irises were done using a charcoal pencil and smoothened with a homemade rubber blending tool.

Stage 4

Leaving the face almost finished, I proceeded to do the neck and chest. I left the corrections and refinements for later.

I’ve also started to lay down the initial tones on the hair using the larger soft brush and charcoal powder.

Stage 5

Continued with the initial tones of charcoal powder.

Since I will be adding a background to this portrait, I let the charcoal flow to the background area.

I also started applying black pastel powder to the hair with the nylon brush.

Stage 6

Here, the outlines of the highlights on the hair have been established.

Then, I finished covering the rest of the hair area with initial layers of charcoal powder.

The clothes were done using the same brushes used on the face but with small amounts of charcoal powder.

Stage 7

Finished applying black pastel powder to the hair. I then used a kneaded eraser to pull out some highlights.

I also continued to add more tones to the background.

Stage 8: Finished

In this stage, “Portrait of Aunt Lisa” is finished.

The background was further darkened and more stray hairs were added using the charcoal pencil.

Also, some corrections and refinements were made. One of those was the cheek (viewer’s right). It was too prominent so I added more tones to the jaw.

I hope you have enjoyed this step-by-step demonstration of a charcoal portrait. Thank you for viewing!

Great Resource on Portrait Drawing

Realistic Pencil Portrait Mastery Home Study Course