Earlier this week I spent a couple of hours drawing the great Pete Postlethwaite. Few actors, I think, had a face so full of character. Every line seems to tell a story.

Had just enough time to squeeze in one more Halloween piece before "D-day". Probably the most challenging one as its just a straight portrait and not some overly exaggerated or distorted face that allows for errors. Took a knife to the eyes about halfway through and scrapped it back to redraw. My portrait work is far from where I'd like it to be and I think it was a good endeavor through the month. Think for next month ill continue to paint but stick to studies. And probably single color like burnt sienna. We'll see.

Nothing better, then, than to get the trusty charcoal sticks out and have fun with the dusty stuff. I wasn't exactly done with it, but was starting to fiddle with it way too much (especially in the hair and neck), so I decided to stop. Any improvement tips are welcome. :) Have a nice weekend, all!

I like to try to learn from artists I admire. I may not be able to emulate what they do exactly but I certainly can learn from it. I tried to learn from how @Chris Legaspi hatches because I really like how effective it is And I really like how he has a gentle and delicate touch but the figures are still very dynamic. So I gave this pose from a new masters reference a try with those things in mind. Somewhere I read-likely from one of those how to draw tutorials online-that you should never try to blend graphite. I ignored that. I don’t have that much control over my hatch marks so it’s necessary

Well, I certainly fell short of my lofty goal, think I could squeeze in one more by the time Halloween rolls around. Its been fun doing the sharp contrast and dramatic lighting of the old black and white horror flicks. Despite falling short of my intentions, just having the goal in mind has been motivating to keep going despite knowing that I wont make it. This guy is from the 1935 film "Mad Love" check it out sometime!