Real Time Portrait Sketch in Charcoal w/ Commentary

[@sentry9834]

This was Brilliant for several reasons. 1. It was done in real time. 2. A convincing level of finish was achieved in 20 minutes. 3. 20 minute quick sketch is a real course of study in ateliers. 4. The amount of time is perfect for a KZbin demonstration. Not too long not too short. 5. It was completed primarily in vine charcoal. I never understood why vine was useful. Pencils always seemed more useful and effective. 6. Now I understand why and when to use vine charcoal. It's super soft. It allows for early placement of shapes and broad tonal values. Pencils can then come in for details and control. 7. Taking the time to pick out high lights and the use of lost and found edges brings the sketch to life, while establishing a certain level of finish and character to the drawing. 8. Bravo. I learned a lot from this real time demo and commentary. Thanks for sharing.

[@JeffHainesArt]

Thanks very much for taking the time to write this. I’m always so pleased when someone finds a video useful for their own process. Really makes it worth the effort. Thank you again and good luck with your drawings.

[@sentry9834]

@@JeffHainesArt My pleasure. I'm working to establish a daily sketching regimen and your videos are helping alot with that. I'm inspired at what can be achieved in such a short amount time.

[@JeffHainesArt]

@@sentry9834 Thanks again, and best of luck!

[@jeutdraw3021]

let's drawing .........kzbin.info/www/bejne/hKm6eISDiL2VhJo

[@KitchenCounterCrafts]

Love that this is not edited, including the blurry part!!! The sound is great. It’s real… The true gem is your process, even the quiet, thoughtful moments.

[@JeffHainesArt]

Thanks so much, I love to hear that.

[@oscarperea798]

Thanks for uploading in real-time, your work is astonishing and tremendously addictive to watch.

[@JeffHainesArt]

Thanks Oscar! That's really good to hear

[@lylepascoe7243]

I love the realtime demo. you dont have to say anything. I learn so much just by watching. Thank you

[@JeffHainesArt]

Thanks so much Lyle

[@CLBOO6]

I think commentary is very important for me because I can hear your thought process and it helps with my thought process. It shows me how you see things from behind your eyes.

[@JeffHainesArt]

Thank you Don! My goal is to do a lot more videos with commentary. Glad you like them!

[@peterjames4743]

Hi Jeff. So glad to see this in real time ! I love your work , but sometimes it goes too quickly in the sped up version. It doesn't matter that you don't over talk, but the comments that you do make, make sense to your process and give a warmth to the video. Many thanks and if you allow , please produce some more like this. Peter

[@JeffHainesArt]

Thank you Peter, that's really good to hear & basically what I was hoping for.

[@linkkg4494]

​@@JeffHainesArt Yes, I strongly agree with Peter. I love the real time drawing with your comment. I really appreciate your drawings, oil paintings and try to watch more often to learn.

[@jeutdraw3021]

let's drawing .........kzbin.info/www/bejne/hKm6eISDiL2VhJo

[@karentabor9191]

Thanks for the opportunity to watch and listen to your process. I hope that you will be able to do more of these real time videos. Your work is inspirational.

[@JeffHainesArt]

Thanks so much Karen! Sorry it took me a while to respond.

[@taurusguyblue]

Excellent video, that's what I was looking for, someone that explains the process while drawing instead of talking general things, very helpful for me as a beginner, thank you.

[@JeffHainesArt]

Thanks so much! Glad that you find it useful.

[@XX-gy7ue]

there are thousands of drawings in this drawing that I would have loved to keep ! you offer so much personality into these smudge masterpieces , entire stories are written here ! You're a GREAT ARTIST !

[@JeffHainesArt]

Thank you! So pleased that you enjoy the process.

[@KgothatsoRantji]

@Jeff Haines, you are a gem. You make using charcoal really fun and as a result, beautiful results follow. Thank you!

[@JeffHainesArt]

Thanks so much!

[@carollizc]

I really enjoyed this. It's much more informative when you talk about how active vine charcoal is,and how it behaves. These are things to bear in mind as I go forward with my own work. Thank you.

[@JeffHainesArt]

Glad you liked it Carol! Thanks so much.

[@shrivatsavakil8729]

Thanks so much for this!! I've redrawn a lot of your drawings. Never used charcoal before but your method's so easy to follow and learn!! Please keep doing what you're doing and share more art!!

[@JeffHainesArt]

Thanks so much! I love to hear that. Best of luck with your efforts.

[@washinours]

omg I've been taught to use the stump for blending but seeing as you're using a brush instead then the stump to create sharp removals is giving the results I've been chasing for! Thank you man it's awesome!

[@JeffHainesArt]

Thanks Pierre! Glad that it's helped!

[@johnprentice1527]

Jeff, what I like about your process is that at almost anytime in your sketch, after you have blocked in the basic areas, the drawing feels complete. You keep going and the drawing changes, but for me it continues to be beautiful, no more so or less so. I am going to try handling my vine charcoal with the light grip you use. Keep posting.

[@JeffHainesArt]

Thank you, Happy that you enjoy them! Best of luck!

[@jeutdraw3021]

let's drawing .........kzbin.info/www/bejne/hKm6eISDiL2VhJo

[@gander4872]

I'm now slowly learning how to move charcoal around. Thank you for your helpful video

[@JeffHainesArt]

Thanks for watching! Happy that you find it helpful. :)

[@adeyemirobinson4093]

This is awesome. As far as your drawing it is beautiful per usual. But I just love how you describe your process. Such striking words and explanations really help in my own journey. Thank you!

[@JeffHainesArt]

Thanks so much Adeyemi!

[@erichsieh5409]

Love the real time drawing with commentary! Would be really interested to see some figure sketching as well!

[@JeffHainesArt]

Thanks Eric! I've been thinking of that lately as well.

[@jeutdraw3021]

let's drawing .........kzbin.info/www/bejne/hKm6eISDiL2VhJo

[@jamespilley9790]

Excellent video. I'm just starting out with charcoal and your videos are really helping me understand the properties of the medium.

[@JeffHainesArt]

Thank you James! Best of luck with your work.

[@StephieButler]

Loved watching this in realtime, thank you for sharing, learn so much from you.

[@JeffHainesArt]

Glad you're getting something out of them Stephie.

[@michaelmcewan432]

Love you speaking thru the video, keep it up, gives a good idea how you go about your work

[@JeffHainesArt]

Thanks Michael, glad that it's helpful!

[@jeutdraw3021]

let's drawing .........kzbin.info/www/bejne/hKm6eISDiL2VhJo

[@jcbarquet]

This was very helpful and informative. I really like your technique of establishing halftones with some fun smudging after laying in the initial value pattern, then bringing out the forms by erasing. It gives the drawing life and it's easier to work with. I discovered your channel yesterday and have already watched a few of your videos. Thanks for sharing!

[@JeffHainesArt]

Thanks so much! I'm glad that you find the videos helpful. Best of luck with your work.

[@thijnvdlinden]

I learned so much in drawing from your video's. Keep creating these, pure gold.

[@JeffHainesArt]

Thank you! Always happy to hear that.

[@lilyunderthesun]

This tutorial video was very useful and enjoyable. Thank you very much for your kindness and effort

[@JeffHainesArt]

Thank you! Glad that you got something from it. :)

[@TheSleepySketchArtist]

Great session!

[@panchol7796]

It looks great!! how should we practice to learn ?? thanks for the upload

[@ricknewell9756]

You inspired me, Jeff. I bought a book and am going try to do 60 30min charcoal portraits this summer. I tried one before I bought the book and it did not go well. Hopefully the hard work will pay off. I’ll be sure to tag you in them. Thanks for the inspiration!

[@JeffHainesArt]

That's great Rick! Best of luck with your drawings & thanks for the comment!

[@Digga58]

...you are so good. My mountain of practice to reach a small part will need so much time, I dought that I have enough of´em. I´m 62. Chapeau.

[@JeffHainesArt]

Thank you. You got plenty of time!

[@michaelpoindexter8886]

Hey Harvery. We are in a similar boat. I'm 66. However, I find my age a greater advantage because of the experience I've gained. Not just drawing but just in life in terms of patience and focus. At our age I think we have learned what not to do so learning what to do takes less time. Raging against the dying of the light is so much more fun.

[@JeffHainesArt]

@@michaelpoindexter8886 Well said

[@Digga58]

@@michaelpoindexter8886 Great words! So it seems that we both go similar with the thoughts of the great Dylan Thomas. Total surrounding of health to you and all your buddies!

[@Digga58]

If YOU say so....

[@رائدمحمدابراهيم-ل4ز]

I wish you a lot of work. I am a beginner and I learn a lot from you. Thank you

[@JeffHainesArt]

Good luck with your work!

[@flavio8430]

Nice technique, love to watch in real time. To be honest I don't understand why post time-lapse videos, I really don't get it. Anyways, thanks for sharing -- and please keep posting!

[@JeffHainesArt]

Thanks Flavio!

[@benjaminpaxton9994]

Great. I really enjoyed following this. Keep them coming.

[@JeffHainesArt]

Thank you Benjamin!

[@benjaminpaxton9994]

Although they aren't tutorials exactly, just slowing the video down and studying how you structure the piece has been really helpful and offers a lot more insight than a lot of other stuff I've seen on different channels. I think another viewer mentioned something about a figure drawing video. That would be awesome.

[@JeffHainesArt]

I prefer the realtime stuff too and will certainly do more soon. They’ve gotten positive feedback and I think they’re worth the added effort. Some people watch the sped-up ones and set the playback speed at .25 to simulate realtime. Thanks again Benjamin!

[@jeutdraw3021]

let's drawing .........kzbin.info/www/bejne/hKm6eISDiL2VhJo

[@papaihere]

I got a burning question!!! How do you store all these magnificent sketches? Do you apply fixative to all?

[@JeffHainesArt]

Thanks for the question. Yes, I spray them with a fixative after I'm finished to 'lock down' the charcoal. After spraying they aren't so delicate.

[@siggyuke]

I love the speed and style of these sketches / drawings. I'd love to see you do some tutorials.......

[@JeffHainesArt]

Thanks so much! I'm actually trying to put that together.

[@emreacarstudio]

nicely done

[@yuliya1563]

Thanks a lot for your videos! Your works are brilliant and you really engage and inspire me to get better and better! I was wondering if you could show more your oil painting skills :)

[@JeffHainesArt]

Thanks so much! Yes, I'm planning to focus on few painting videos very soon. It will be a nice change of pace. Good luck with you work!

[@javonoso6968]

Thanks for the real time 👍🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼

[@5hayandokht135]

It's amazingly amazing !!

[@alamahmoudi6596]

It was great. Thank you

[@XX-gy7ue]

EXCELLENT VIDEO

[@jameshowcroft5579]

Awesome😊love these videos,cheers

[@JeffHainesArt]

Glad you like them James!

[@matthewandresen2225]

He is proving that most marks you make are general. notice how he makes cross contour shading as well as contour shading which means going left to right or up and down. The angles you sketch are important to mimic, the shape of the contour shape" or "the feature" or "body part" to give spacial relevance the grayscale and light will do the rest.

[@JeffHainesArt]

Well said Matthew, thanks for the comment!

[@rosemarie7816]

I love this type of charcoal drawing. Unfinished looking and emotive rather than realistic. What would you call it? I try and try to find this kind of artwork to buy, but can't figure out what kind of keywords to use! Thinking I'm going to have to get started trying my hand at making my own!

[@JeffHainesArt]

Thank you Rose, you might try 'contemporary portraiture' or 'expressive charcoal art'. Categorizing art can be tricky as a lot of styles fall between the cracks so to speak. Good luck!

[@mitchellscott1843]

Great sketch and comments. Was wondering is there a reason why you use a brush vs your finger?

[@JeffHainesArt]

Thanks! I use my fingers some too, but I think the brush gives me a little more control.

[@kubluu]

Great and inspiring work. How do you place the features accurately...? I don't see a lot of guiding lines or measuring going on. I guess I'm asking because I always struggle with getting the proportions right.

[@JeffHainesArt]

Thank you! I don’t always get them right, lol. I think everyone struggles a bit with getting the proportions right. My method is to guess and get some value down on the page, then adjust. This medium allows for those adjustments. Of course practice will get you a lot closer to start with.

[@truthhurtseverybody1289]

You're very talented, sir. I enjoy your videos. #subscribed 👊💥

[@JeffHainesArt]

Welcome!

[@basiliocrespogarcia-baquer4309]

Maravilloso. Maestro.

[@suhaibodat531]

great video sir jeff ! btw can you give us some advices on how to break down values

[@JeffHainesArt]

Thanks for watching! I will try to address that on the next one.

[@suhaibodat531]

@@JeffHainesArt yesssssssss thank you sir

[@itseric884]

Awesome!!!!!😱😁

[@MrDeanDog91]

Just checked your instagram page, your portraits are orgasmic, i love your technique, you inspired me to try it myself :)

[@JeffHainesArt]

Best of luck with your work! Thank you for commenting 😊

[@johnprentice1527]

Jeff, I am using some old Grumbacher vine charcoal that is inconsistent as far as hardness/softness is concerned. Every time I put charcoal to paper using the light grip you use, it's an adventure: scratchy thin line or soft, smooth line. Do you have a brand that you like? Do you use vine or willow charcoal?

[@JeffHainesArt]

The vine charcoal is a natural product (I believe vine and willow are basically the same? I use vine), so sometimes there are inconsistencies like knots that make a particular stick unusable. I usually go for ‘soft’ or ‘very soft’, that may make a difference. I use Blick’s house brand, Grumbacher, and Nitram.

[@johnprentice1527]

@@JeffHainesArt Jeff, thank you for your quick response.I will try Nitram; I hear it's a very good product.

[@sayanpandit89]

When when I see someone who gives more importance to the grey tone and value more than some beautiful colours it feels great

[@JeffHainesArt]

Thank you! Glad that you like it.

[@fpiantedosi]

I have to thank you for this video, I think this is superb. Could you share photo you used for reference? Francesco.

[@JeffHainesArt]

Thank you Francesco.

[@marywristen8766]

Thank you

[@granma_dota]

can you put the reference on your next video please?? it help me to see you build up the right proportion , btw great video

[@nigel4914]

Great video. Could I ask what kind of brush you are using? Thanks

[@JeffHainesArt]

Thank you Nigel, it's just an old round, soft-bristled paintbrush. I don't know the brand, it's been around for a while.

[@narqiez4669]

"If it's really terrible, you'll never see this" AHAHAHAH

[@iqbalpreetpadam7521]

Thanks sir for real time video ♥️♥️♥️

[@JeffHainesArt]

You're welcome, thanks for watching!

[@iqbalpreetpadam7521]

Thanks sir for like

[@cesaraugustocavazzolajunio7438]

Hi, Jeff. Thank you so much. Great video. How about a live with your public someday? It would be nice...

[@JeffHainesArt]

Thanks! A live stream? I was actually thinking of trying that. I'll look into it!

[@cesaraugustocavazzolajunio7438]

@@JeffHainesArt Yes, a live stream. You should try. This would be an opportunity to chat with your audience. I live in Brazil and many people are doing this. The whole world, actually...

[@jeutdraw3021]

let's drawing .........kzbin.info/www/bejne/hKm6eISDiL2VhJo

[@bhargavartworks]

Learned a lot, thanks

[@iqbalpreetpadam7521]

Sir please some tips & lesson on State front view looking face

[@edzejandehaan9265]

Great portrait. I love this medium, the forgiveness, and also that one can work relatively quick. Are you entirely specialized in portraits or do you also draw other subject matter ? ( only see portraits on your channel).

[@JeffHainesArt]

Thanks! I do mostly portraits and figures. I do other things sometimes but that’s my focus. The videos tend to be portraits because I can produce them quicker and I think shorter videos work better on KZbin. Thanks again!

[@primitiveonpurpose]

@@JeffHainesArt thank you so much for this focus. High school art teacher here learning to teach portraiture. Your viddies are indeed tutorials!

[@drawingwithyusuf]

Amazing view.. I like this thank you

[@marywristen8766]

Sound is good

[@newbbietrader9918]

jeff,I haven´t found any of your works with a frontal face .....have you got any to ckeck it out?

[@JeffHainesArt]

I don't have a video of one. There are some on my Instagram page if want to have a look: instagram.com/jeff.haines/

[@proffesser_s8403]

how do you get your refferece photo

[@JeffHainesArt]

I don’t always work from photos, and if it’s not a client, there are some good copyright-free sources around with good content.

[@michaelmcewan432]

Great help again, cheers

[@marcpaull39]

Drawing is a right side of the brain activity, whereas talking is a left side of the brain activity. This is why it's hard to talk while you're simultaneously drawing.

[@jeutdraw3021]

let's drawing .........kzbin.info/www/bejne/hKm6eISDiL2VhJo

[@Digga58]

Did you quit background musics?

[@walkerhughes7319]

This guy gives me MAJOR vibes of the protagonists in the game Firewatch if anyone’s played.

[@JeffHainesArt]

I had to look it up, but I see what you mean, haha.

[@pablorobt7482]

Genial!

[@Siluetaoscura]

What pencils do you use?

[@JeffHainesArt]

When I do use charcoal pencils, I usually use 'Generals'

[@renzo6490]

Can we see your reference image?

[@JeffHainesArt]

Hi Renzo, this one is a few years old and I think I've lost the reference, sorry.

[@renzo6490]

@@JeffHainesArt --The upload of this video is dated May 1, 2020. My original question: ''Can we see your reference image?'' was posted September 2021. I notice that in none of your videos on KZbin do you show a reference photo of your subject. Just saying.....

[@JeffHainesArt]

@@renzo6490 Links to reference images are often in the description. Others have the reference in the corner throughout the video (I just posted one a few weeks ago like this). I don’t ALWAYS provide a reference image for various reasons, but I do for many of them.

[@markbarrera6807]

Im so tired of failing at the likeness. my eyes lie to me. Wonderful video.

[@JeffHainesArt]

Thanks Mark, a likeness can be such a subtle thing. Tiny changes can have a huge impact.

[@davidcross7561]

Thanks for The commentary

[@JeffHainesArt]

My pleasure David, thanks for watching.

[@tomson70]

Great video. Your comments are enogh. 🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼

[@JeffHainesArt]

Thanks so much!

[@grfktsrm]

👍👍👍

[@marywristen8766]

I'm more in to the feeling of the picture,or the feeling of it.or the emotion of it not pictucular detail of what I'm drawing ,

[@JeffHainesArt]

I agree

[@renzo6490]

You very perceptively say that it’s difficult to draw and comment on your process at the same time. Have you considered filming the drawing process first, then while watching it, make your comments and add the audio later?

[@JeffHainesArt]

Thanks Renzo! I have done a few voice-over videos on Patreon. Still deciding which I like more, actually.

[@staceygrimes4107]

I understand there is soft and hard vine charcoal, but I’m confused when to use what? Do you have a preference? Ty. This video with you speaking was very helpful! Beautiful work!😊

[@JeffHainesArt]

Thank you Stacey! Some brands have soft and hard varieties and some don't, if there's a choice I get the softer ones, but it's a preference. Softer can be a bit harder to control but I like the fact that it moves more.

[@Myraweichik]

На сколько поднялся мой уровень английского

[@diamoneglass2136]

YOU BETTER NOT HAD SKIP THE COMMENTARY 🫵🏾 FELLAS 🫵🏾