Self Portrait in Carbon Pencil and White Chalk

It has been below freezing the last few days, and since we are trying to conserve energy and money, my portrait reflects it. I believe I was wearing five layers at the time.

This is my first drawing using carbon pencil. It is quite a strange medium. The effect is similar to charcoal, but the application is closer to graphite. One aspect I learned about carbon pencil is the matte effect you get with a fixative. The darks stayed very dark and uniform. Once the fixative dried I applied the white chalk which really made the highlights pop on the nose and cheekbone.

I also experimented a little with the lighting. Limiting the light forced me to focus on large forms rather than the details I normally head straight toward. I am pleased with the result and plan on exploring this approach further.