Drawing Poe



                             Poe                       2012

When brainstorming for who to draw a portrait of for this week, I thought back on stories I have recently read.  Not so long ago, I read The Murders in the Rue Morgue , by Edgar Allen Poe, which is the first contemporary detective story to be put onto paper.  This story went onto inspire Sir Arthur Conan Doyle to write the Sherlock Holmes series of short stories, which I have also read quite a few of.  I figured since Poe inspired me to spend endless nights reading these stories, the least I could do is draw a picture of him.   

Since Poe has some dark and slightly exaggerated features I decided to work in charcoal for his portrait.  This lead to both good and bad elements to the finished piece.   The charcoal worked well in the eye area because there was more drama and contrast.  I was able to achieve the dark shadows I wanted using the charcoal, therefore ending up with more detail and realism in the eyes.

Close up of eyes

However, when I moved to the chin area, I encountered an issue.  I was not able to blend the charcoal as smoothly in the mid-tone grey.  It left some harsher looking lines within the shaded area.  It is a minor issue, but a pet peeve of mine.  I think with a little more practice, I will be able to avoid this issue in the future.

Close up of chin

Next week I'm going to change it up a bit from my recent work.  I have a fun drawing of a gargoyle that I am going to be adding some fun colors to with watercolor or gouache.  Also, my portrait of the week will be a pet portrait in acrylic paint.   Please tune in and see how it's going!

As far as this week goes, I would love to hear what your favorite art medium is and if you have any pet peeves with it.