Pencil and Charcoal Portrait Workshops

A completed charcoal and pencil portrait of a man in a turban. In this piece, we practiced rendering different textures, from the soft folds of the fabric to the coarse texture of the beard and the deep lines on his face.

This is a finished charcoal portrait of the classic Hollywood icon, Marilyn Monroe. We often study famous faces in my workshops to master capturing recognizable features and glamorous expressions.

A charcoal portrait of a young boy, created on grey-toned paper. Using toned paper allows us to work with both dark charcoal and white highlights, which helps make the portrait pop and gives it a three-dimensional feel.

This charcoal and pencil drawing of a young girl in traditional attire was a study in capturing delicate features and intricate details. We focused on the expressive eyes and the metallic texture of her headpiece.

This video shows the step-by-step process of creating the portrait of the young girl, starting from the initial grid sketch to the final shaded piece. The grid method is a foundational technique I teach to ensure accurate proportions.

Watch the transformation of a blank page into a portrait of Marilyn Monroe. This video shows the layering process in charcoal, from the initial outline and blocking in shadows to refining the details that bring her famous smile to life.

A portrait created using a combination of pencil and charcoal to capture a warm, friendly smile. This piece demonstrates how to blend the two mediums to achieve both soft skin tones and sharp, defined details in the hair and eyes.

A simple and soft pencil sketch of a young child. This is a great example of the foundational sketching we start with, focusing on capturing the gentle contours of the face and the texture of curly hair.

This high-contrast pencil shading of a cricketer was done by my 10-year-old student, Vedavarshini. It's a fantastic example of how we learn to see and draw shapes of light and shadow, not just lines.