Self Portrait From Life

This self portrait was an experiment with pastels over a wash on watercolor paper. I began with an olive green pastel which I washed with Gamsol mineral spirits. Then I lightly sketched my features using vine charcoal. Next, I laid in the darkest darks and marked my lightest lights with a variety of pastel sticks. I continued to refine the colors. In addition to capturing a likeness, my goal was to complete the drawing without blending the pastels; I wanted the colors to bounce off each other.