My favorite traditional medium has always been pen-and-ink for it’s unparalleled level of unrelenting, pure contrast, but occasionally I find charcoal drawings (generally figure from a model) to be a really great exercise in improving my artistic chops. They are also a fantastic way to relax as they involve a series of repetitive, tactile movements.

For this, I decided to turn my attention inward and do a self-portrait with dramatic lighting. The drawing took the better part of an afternoon (between 3 and 4 hours) and was immensely fun.