WILLOW CHARCOAL PORTRAIT DRAWING TUTORIAL

Materials: Willow Charcoal + Kneading eraser
Reference link:
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[@flickaJay]

This is my 2nd time watching you and I really appreciate that you tell what you are doing, with what tool, and why you are doing it. You do this even to the point of telling what you plan to do and why. It is a great idea, like you mentioned at the beginning, to put a photo of the reference so that we too can see what you are "squinting" at. When you keep saying "squinting", it is already having an effect on my own sketching. I won't be able to forget it. You're a good teacher. Keep this up please.

[@robertafierro5592]

DITTO

[@Niximagery]

Thank you, Josh. A superb tutorial. I really appreciate how you are explaining your thinking as you draw. It is super helpful to understand the why as well as the how.

[@nancyvfinn5253]

It would be great if you could include the reference image while you're drawing so we could see how you're arriving at your proportions. Just a thought.

[@chad865]

For me it was the best video I've seen , as far as teaching me how you use the various angles to make sure the facial features were aligned . Showing how you add the values gradually while your squinting helped a lot. Being new to charcoal drawing I learned so much. I wish I could have seen the reference a couple of times during the video but other than that thank you.

[@jazzenth11]

Thank you, thank you for this extremely helpful video (and your others as well). You have a gift not only in the realm of art, but in teaching as well!

[@isculpt4u]

AN AMAZING TUTORIAL. YOU ARE A WONDERFUL ARTIST TEACHER.

[@MadCharcoal]

Thank you so much!

[@marytoombs3101]

You are a good teacher. Making it look easy. But I know better.

[@radhikalikhi]

What a fantastic teacher you are. I didn't think I could ever draw and voila! .... I found you

[@paris5865]

Me too !! I just love these videos Josh ! I have found freedom here & the confidence to express myself in charcoal ! Thankyou

[@nezhagacus6264]

Great Artwork! It's a good thing that you used such medium as though willow charcoals are smooth and has deep black hue, other than that, it's erasable, blend able and has a great tonal value. Although, they are very brittle and powdery, because they don't contain any binder unlike compressed charcoal, but it results in clean erasing cause it is easy to correct and rub off with finger, or tissue. Because of this property, the portrait looks astonishing. Great job! It's a beauty. Thanks MC.

[@micheleleech8128]

I like your expressive style. Thank you for sharing.

[@annmariefrodsham_art]

Love this piece! The hair strands at the end really bring it together and give it immense depth. Well done 🙂

[@dwest200]

I admire all your work and creative ideas for creating portraits, but this video is the most helpful for me because it is considerably more refined and real than your faster techniques. More time spent in analyzing feature location was very meaningful and helpful! It would be really great to see you do more of these in poses similar to those of John Singer Sargent’s charcoal portraits but in your style as done here. Thank you so much for doing this! You’re a very good communicator of what you are doing and, more importantly, why. Super work!👍👍👍 Keep it up! I’m subscribed now and look forward to learning from you. 🤝

[@robertafierro5592]

Ahh Willow charcoal!! I thought charcoal was charcoal!! What do I know. I do know one thing. This guy is a GENIUS!

[@kv1liveclass_9a93]

worth to watch this video...... superb

[@bozoclown2098]

So much to learn . So much to try. So many possibilities exist.

[@aliciamolloy5948]

Thank you for the explanation of your process as you draw, love your videos.

[@jeffmurray5036]

So happy I found your channel. Very nice tutorial. Thank you.

[@HopeMartinartist]

Love the way you describe where to put the landmarks. Simple and effective. ❤️

[@christophermball]

Thanks for talking through your process while drawing, and thanks for providing the reference image link in the description (which I kept up while watching). Keep making these videos, I much prefer your style of drawing with values from the start. One proportional observation that would have helped capture a closer likeness on this one was seeing that the nostril plumb line should have lined up with the edge of the eyelashes (resulting in a larger nose than drawn).

[@lwebb5248]

Beautiful interpretation

[@Happyheart146]

I've learn't a lot from you. Thank you very much.

[@ilchyshynart]

Great videos, man! love the process and the charcoal work!

[@anthonybellini8501]

Amazing talent brother. Can you please start putting your reference subject in sane frame as you go? It would really help us compare in real time as you go along. Especially for initial value work. Thanks much. Keep em coning

[@StevenPetermann]

I really love your artistic style. I'm a relative newcomer to charcoal. To avoid engraining unhelpful methods for making marks, here are some things I'd appreciate tips on. 1. Choice of softness/hardness/type for use in various points in the drawing. 2. Choice of charcoal sizes at various points in the drawing. 3. Shaping the charcoal end for various uses. 4. Manipulating the tip of the charcoal for different marks with the same piece of charcoal. This would include fingers/hands/elbow/shoulder moves. Perhaps a video on this. Thanks

[@cili_padi]

Great job! It's a beauty. Thanks MC.

[@MorriganSlayde]

YOU ARE HOLDING IT BY THE END YOURE ONE OF THOSE omfg a pro

[@reneemallinson388]

Really good work.

[@Light-zr1ny]

This is really helpful and love all your contents.

[@bartsenders]

After seeing some of your videos I was inspired to make some charcoal drawings myself. Thanks! Great videos.

[@sallyanne697]

Thank you so much, your videos are very helpful.

[@boterkaaseneieren]

Thanks for the video your work is amazing and love your teaching style. All your videos are so helpfull.

[@jeremiahhernandez9605]

Dude this is sooo good

[@benteborghill7233]

Best tutorial ever ❤

[@KCrayGaming]

Amazing and very informative You’ve inspired me to create a portrait of my uncle and my kid in charcoal on my iPad and I’m really enjoying it

[@gwenharrison6752]

So enjoyed your commentary. Good stuff.....from Oz.

[@lucydamm8144]

Love it ❤

[@paris5865]

Love that and such truth! Picasso knew the rules before he broke them 😮

[@jopadel6338]

Its nice and so helpful that you explain every single thing that you do or intend to. So I love watching your videos, they help us learn. One thing though: please put the original photo in common view so that we actually see what you refer to re: measurements and shading...thanks a mil!

[@susanbell7071]

I agree. I had to keep switching. So I was not able to watch what you were doing at the same time. Thanks so much for offering the demo!

[@robhead22]

I l0ve your videos. Gorgeous work!!

[@PixelProlo]

Well done ✨👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻✨

[@Panta-Rei-sV]

Dude you are so good. Thanks for that.

[@silentscreams1116]

very good👌👌👌

[@rabiasaif7008]

Great stuff!

[@nudgehole_2807]

Your drawing is interesting.🥰 I enjoyed your video today.💕

[@virginiekennedy2295]

Love it👏

[@divinenonbinary]

Nice! I’ve realized I only got vine charcoal rn and no idea where my eraser is at so I’m gonna see what I can do w that 😁

[@AnthonyGeorge-w2t]

I first notice the value of wipe down while reviewing old drawings .

[@idiner]

awesome ! what paper r u using

[@gurtbadger]

Thanks so much, mate. Really helpful.

[@joodstern]

It would help me learn to see the photo you use so i can understand how you find the angles of the face and how u find relationship of the parts. Otherwise, LOVE your videos!!

[@johnmolaison4989]

Good job.

[@artioticnation5630]

Please keep it up ❤️❤️

[@robertafierro5592]

Face put of chaos is such a perfect title..

[@jdawson38]

When you begin these drawings, which I love, are you going by anything like the Loomis method, even if it’s so ingrained you don’t need to draw the circle, etc.?

[@tony77G3]

es muy genial, very thanks!!!! :)

[@andrewmassanet8289]

If you wanna learn how to work with charcoal, this is the place!!

[@DavidQuin]

Thank you you explain things very well

[@robertafierro5592]

Arches Papier is VERY FANCY paper! I remember the water cor bricks of paper..all.fir sides were glued down. You had to peel it off very carefully in the corner with your xacto knives..ahh the old days..Art Students League, HS of Art and Design..

[@m.p.9419]

Świetny🤔

[@nadiasticotti4925]

Fantastico!

[@marko8605]

Cool, really.

[@DennisBezzant]

What do you use to seal your drawing from smudging?

[@JosePerez-bm7zn]

wonderful!!

[@Mina-t3c7g]

we cannot see the reference,we need to see it at the same time to understand what is going on step by step

[@incognito3620]

Good the hear you measuring and checking angles and distances. I see so many jump on and wing it with disastrous results….if you are trying for a likeness. I’d not… what’s the point. Another thing I notice with profiles is not making the Cranium big enough. I know you are not concentrating on the back of the head.

[@renzo6490]

Do you ever use an old face as a reference? Can the effects of age be expressed with this technique?

[@robhead22]

Thank you!

[@gnarbeljo8980]

I love watching your process but found it really frustrating to not see what you keep referencing both verbally and sketching out, I had to scroll back to the quick view in the beginning to the reference pic to understand what you ask (us, yourself) in comparison about. Once you let go of the reference it's fine, but if you talk about whay you are seeing and that info is off camera... Idk, I appreciate your uploading and your work, it's so interesting. 😊🙏

[@AnthonyGeorge-w2t]

I too wipe ,but other people likely do not understand it done intuitively with a purpose.

[@miriamfrerix2913]

Hey, what is the name of the paper, you are using for willow charcoals? I couldn't understand it in the video :(

[@debbiekellison6890]

Yes I would like to know as well

[@Shome2049]

I can't achieve dark values with these charcoal sticks. Help.

[@roxannemcv4259]

Identify your charcoal mats if it's vine, compressed, willow or pencil (soft,medium ,hard). Willow charcoal are easier to build up values. Compressed leaves streaks and stronger lines. Pencil varies on what you used, soft are softer, thicker and darker. In contary to medium to hard pencils. The pressure of your hand can be a factor too. On paper, if you're working on comissions or special works, use charcoal paper and toned papers. But if you're practicing any paper will do. But the texture might be easily smudged or hard to erased.

[@robertafierro5592]

He uses his Kneaded Eraser as another tool, right?

[@30secondstoplutoable]

Can you PLEASE do one of Emily Kaldwin from Dishonored 2

[@def_sroot7439]

“Willow charcoals are very forgiving” heard it before in Robert Kelley’s vid😂

[@thiagomiguel9127]

What is the name of this paper ??

[@def_sroot7439]

That mid part of paper is so hard for me😅🥲🥲

[@goldstar9174]

This drawing makes me think of listening to a cool song like this: kzbin.info/www/bejne/r3yxlWt7ibZsrdU

[@peterpadazopoulos2954]

I realize you have to perform for the camera, but you should have stopped at 13:06 after this point you over worked the drawing.