This charcoal portrait is from 2008, part of a period when I was experimenting with different materials and surfaces. Charcoal on Bristol has a softness that’s very different from graphite, it forces you to think more about light, form, and atmosphere rather than fine detail.

It was one of the drawings that pushed me to pay closer attention to values and subtle transitions. Looking back, it feels like one of those stepping-stone pieces that quietly shaped how I approached realism afterward.

Year: 2008
Size: 11″ x 14″
Charcoal drawing on Bristol Paper