Charcoal Portrait

Mischa Milosevic · 10-01-2006, 08:39 PM

Dear friends, I think I will call this portrait finished. 30cm x 40cm charcoal on Roma, Fabriano paper.

This portrait is of a friends daughter (we go to the same church) but the family does not know that I am doing it. I started it for personal reasons, in preparation for my next exhibition. I'm not sure what I will say if they ask to buy it?

Sorry, I did not keep track of time I spent on this. It did take quite a few hours.
As for the process I use the Bargue method, draw it out with soft sharp charcoal, using comparative measurements, always striving for 100% accuracy.

Alexandra Tyng · 10-01-2006, 10:40 PM

Mischa,

This is breathtaking! She lifts off the paper in the most amazing way, starting with the lower part of the paper, you've gradually increased the three-dimensional illusion until the head seems convincingly real and rounded. That, along with your mastery of texture and value, is what I call total control. Yet you avoid the sterile effect of pure rendering and add that "something more" to make her come alive.

Mischa Milosevic · 10-02-2006, 04:20 AM

Thank you so much Alex! I derived so much from this portrait in many respects. One way to describe my feeling while in process, is the feeling of piking up a book, a 1000 page book, and not being able to put it down. When ever sleep would get the better of me, I would leave my work area with the feeling of anticipation, that I will come back with a fresh eye. I'm sure many of you have had these bursts of artistic bliss.

Thank you again.

Claudemir Bonfim · 10-02-2006, 08:33 AM

Great job over again!

John Crowther · 10-02-2006, 02:59 PM

Spectacular! -- John C.

Julie Deane · 10-02-2006, 03:34 PM

A wonderfully masterful drawing. It definitely has that something more!

Marina Dieul · 10-04-2006, 01:30 PM

Mischa,
beautiful and sensible !