Real Time Portrait Sketch with Discussion of Technique

A real-time portrait sketch in soft charcoal by Jeff Haines including a discussion of technique. If you have any questions, just leave them in the comments and I'd be happy to answer them. I hope you enjoy the video. If you do, please consider leaving a comment or a like before you go, it goes a long way to help the channel get seen. Thanks for watching!
Much more of my work can be seen on
Website:
www.jeffhainesart.com
KZbin Channel:
/ jeffhainesart
Patreon:
/ jeffhaines
Instagram:
/ jeff.haines
Facebook:
/ jeff.haines.555
Materials:
Soft Vine Charcoal, kneaded eraser, brush & stump on 80lb smooth drawing paper.

[@danielmota656]

At 5:30 it was already amazing!!!😃

[@absolutezero300]

Great seeing the process! Love how you got the ear to come out in the shadow

[@JeffHainesArt]

Thanks Luke, Glad that you enjoyed it!

[@bums]

Your charcoal drawings are always amazing. And especially this video was very helpful because I was able to listen to a very good lecture. I'm happy to see your high level drawing. It is recommended to be exposed to many people!

[@JeffHainesArt]

It's important to me that people find this helpful to their process, so thanks so much for your comments. It's great to hear :)

[@SDW90808]

Wow! I kept waiting for how you were going to do the ear. Love how you handled it.

[@JeffHainesArt]

Thanks Steven! Much appreciated.

[@sylvainst-pierre8725]

Thank you M. Haines. This was very helpful

[@davidbenasulin]

Thank you for sharing! Very useful!

[@ledah8165]

Wow. Just what we need. Thanks.

[@JeffHainesArt]

Thanks Ledah

[@kairasingh8084]

Perfect as always!

[@JeffHainesArt]

Thank you Kaira!

[@mariay4011]

As a beginner it's extremely useful to see the drawing process of professional artists like you. I tend to get too focused on the details, so it's fascinating to observe how you construct the face. There's so much to learn from this video. Many thanks.

[@JeffHainesArt]

Thank you! Glad that you found it useful :)

[@sharminvariava4451]

Thank you, thank you, thank you so much 🙏🏻 This video was very helpful. Hoping to see more such videos.

[@JeffHainesArt]

Glad that you liked it! Thank you, there's more to come.

[@milenamaciel5317]

Maravilhoso, amo seu trabalho 👏

[@JeffHainesArt]

Thanks so much Milena!

[@chrrissss]

Very nice, thanks.

[@bozoclown2098]

So many ways to create even within a dominant way.

[@kevinstinchcombe452]

Hi Jeff, only discovered you very recently and this one in particular is so helpful. I often find the hardest part is to actually make the initial marks with any confidence, but your calm demeanour and clear explainations are a huge help! Many thanks

[@JeffHainesArt]

Glad you find it helpful Kevin! Thanks!

[@lilaccilla]

same

[@chanfaino8898]

THANK YOU very much sir this is like gold to me, glad to find you and I would appreciate seeing more videos like this in the future If not asking too much.

[@JeffHainesArt]

Thank you for commenting! I have lots more planned :)

[@lilaccilla]

Lovely process and outcome ! thank you for these free videos . I love learning from KZbin . 😮

[@JeffHainesArt]

Thank you Lilac! Glad you like the videos!

[@radiantjw1]

Great video. Thank you! I really enjoyed your slow deliberate pacing. Most drawing videos are put on hyper speed for some reason. 😂

[@JeffHainesArt]

Thanks! Glad you enjoyed it.

[@kevinnoel9024]

As usual Jeff, I'm here absorbing ALL that I can in terms of following how you achieve the likeness with this portrait. I dare say that you're always spot on with your portrait sketches as your eyes are trained to get the proportions in their rightful place from the first marks hence, there isn't room for going off course by much "IF" at all, you do find yourself ever in difficulty with the placements of the basic outlines to the portraits approach.

[@JeffHainesArt]

Thanks Kevin! Getting things in the right place is always a juggling act. Soft charcoal is very forgiving when it comes to placement errors though. Gotta stay really loose until it starts to settle :)

[@roxannemcv4259]

Hi Jeff. I love your art. Pls upload more and more and more. Thanks.

[@JeffHainesArt]

I will, thanks Roxanne!

[@iqbalpreetpadam7521]

Thanks sir for sharing knowledge after a long time it's good to seeing u again

[@JeffHainesArt]

Thanks for watching!

[@dghfghhh1061]

Waw'fantastique

[@jitendragholap4147]

It was a fantastic demonstration with easy to understand explanation, Jeff. Thank you. I couldn't find a good video on "Composing a Charcoal Portrait" with good explanation of focal area, Lead in, Hard, soft and lost edges. If you can create one, it would be great..👍

[@JeffHainesArt]

Thanks so much for the comment. Glad that you enjoyed it!

[@NVDB-fc9tf]

volgde je voor de eerste maal,het was heel boeiend, een heel mooi werkje dank je om het te delen.

[@JeffHainesArt]

Glad that you liked it! Thanks for watching.

[@mr.pal.yt.]

Love you sir from india

[@bafrinazizi4573]

I liked it verymuch👍👍👍

[@JeffHainesArt]

Thank you Bafrin!

[@bafrinazizi4573]

your welcome😉

[@nordmende73]

I waited for the ear! 😅 Great!

[@JeffHainesArt]

Haha! Thanks!

[@ranisketch9363]

Thanks for the kind explanation. I think I will be watching this video many more times.

[@JeffHainesArt]

Glad that you liked it!

[@fabrizioformenti7649]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but you seem to be that kind of person who would never step on an ant. :) Nice video.

[@JeffHainesArt]

Thank you Fabrizio! Haha, ants never really hurt anyone...

[@clifford5979]

Still trying to figure it out how you do it wonderfully and your art is amazing as always

[@JeffHainesArt]

Thanks so much Clifford!

[@psy__cha6898]

Can you make more of these kind of videos

[@shuvoDhar.5537]

❤❤❤❤❤

[@microzaz]

Ты классный🔥

[@incognito3620]

Do you always start with fine charcoal. Do you ever start with compressed charcoal pencils. I like the vine for its ability to ‘ wipe out’ easily. Also how you ‘ fix’ vine. It seems so easily smudged? Thank you for this demo.

[@JeffHainesArt]

Yes, I almost always start with natural charcoal (vine or willow), and often bring in charcoal pencils later on. I spray them all with a fixative when they're finished. Thanks for watching!

[@susanbell7071]

What type of brush do you use? Do you use a water color brush?

[@JeffHainesArt]

Hi Susan, it's a fairly soft oil/acrylic brush. A watercolor brush would probably work too, I don't think the brush type is super important. Thanks for watching!

[@ktkt1825]

Thanks for sharing your process with us, the commentary, and all your demos! Soft charcoals are one of my favorite mediums for their flexibility and light touch, acting a bit like Oils in some respects. I'm assuming that is a soft splayed sable or mongoose of some kind. I like the surface of newsprint, but it dies in a few years. What is your surface?

[@JeffHainesArt]

Thanks for the comment! I totally agree that working with charcoal is alot like painting. I use Strathmore 400 series drawing paper quite a lot but not always. The brush I use is an inexpensive soft, round oil/acrylic brush.

[@ktkt1825]

@@JeffHainesArt Thanks for the information! Strathmore 400 is a quality surface. I have been surprised by the sensitivity of vine charcoal-

[@bozoclown2098]

I made a simple, portable,light weight & easy measure tool .

[@rahulsinghmatharu5159]

Hi Jeff, thanks for the excellent videos! Really enjoy watching your art. I had a quick question, can you list the items you use for your charcoal sketches - Willow Charcoal? - How do sharpen them - What white pencil-type tool/ eraser you use for creating the highlights. - What rubs of charcoal best. - What paper is best Any other ideas.. Would love to hear from you. Your art is inspiring! Thanks, Rahul

[@JeffHainesArt]

Thanks Rahul! I use both vine and willow and I usually sharpen on a spare piece of paper or sand paper. I use a kneaded eraser to pull out lights, or a white charcoal pencil if I’m working on toned paper. I use Strathmore 400 series drawing paper quite a lot. (Their drawing paper is a much smoother texture than their charcoal paper.) Hope that helps!

[@handysolver9745]

Thanks, Jeff for your response! It helps :) Best Wishes.

[@ryartistpencilwala4766]

I want to more video in this topics

[@JeffHainesArt]

More on the way, thanks!

[@lilaccilla]

the sound is like nails on a chalkboard to me with your second piece 😮😅 I think im too sensitive with touch and sound . Thats why I am just trying sketching with pencils 😊

[@LucJMVanAssche]

Ser, wonderful, bern following your work for a while now.. One question, how do u fix your work on the paper. Tanks and kind regards from Antwerp.

[@JeffHainesArt]

You'll need to spray it with a fixative when you're finished working with it. This 'locks it down' so to speak. Thanks Luc!

[@LucJMVanAssche]

@@JeffHainesArt Hay, Jeff, what kind do you use?

[@JeffHainesArt]

@@LucJMVanAssche I use a permanent fixative made by Krylon but I've used others. Most of them will darken your work a little so be careful.

[@LucJMVanAssche]

@@JeffHainesArt Ok, great. Thanks Jeff 👍. I mostly use hairspray..but depending on the type of charcoal it "troubles" the details ..

[@JeffHainesArt]

@@LucJMVanAssche You might have a little better luck with a can of artist's fixative. You can get a can for maybe $8, and that should get you through a ton of drawings because you just need a little. Good luck!

[@mohammaddendie4673]

What the type of pencil you used to drawing eye? And how many tools for drawing this Thanks for the answer😊

[@JeffHainesArt]

I believe this was all done with vine charcoal and charcoal pencil a bit at the end. Other than that just a kneaded eraser, stump and a brush.

[@Dome794]

At 13:35 you lift out highlights with a kneaded eraser. My experience has been mild so far trying to do this with charcoal. It is way more greyish than this. Is it a matter of paper quality?

[@JeffHainesArt]

It's more likely the charcoal. Are you using soft (natural) charcoal? Compressed charcoal (charcoal pencils included) is harder to remove. Check out the most recent vid I posted for a more thorough discussion of this.

[@s.h.m.u.e.l.a.r.t]

i keep wondering what paper you use please can you recommend me one

[@JeffHainesArt]

I like Strathmore 300 and 400 series drawing paper.

[@seanwaters8060]

What charcoal brands do u use? And is it compressed, willow or vine?

[@JeffHainesArt]

Hi Sean, I use primarily vine and willow and sometimes I work a charcoal pencil in. I use quite a few different brands, including Grumbacher, Nitram, etc. I usually use General's Pencils.

[@seanwaters8060]

Okay thanks. I’m probably going to buy some nitram charcoal. Do you have any suggestions as to which type I should buy?

[@JeffHainesArt]

@@seanwaters8060 Nitram has a little different character and isn’t quite like other brands of vine charcoal (it isn’t actually vine or willow, as I understand it). You might try both if you can, it took me a while to get used to Nitram. I usually buy the softer stuff with both varieties.

[@louisspm1628]

Hi Jeff.. Could you tell me please what is it called, the black stuff looks like rubber?

[@JeffHainesArt]

It's a kneaded eraser, sometimes called a putty eraser. They're actually gray but they get blacker as you use them.

[@louisspm1628]

@@JeffHainesArt Thank you Brother..

[@lilaccilla]

i always wonder what they looked like in their 20 s . Im 69 and would love to be 29 😂

[@ledah8165]

Me after not getting it right for the nth time: 6:57