Newlyweds Anniversary Portrait

I had the pleasure of doing this commission for a wonderful customer. She wanted her wedding portrait to be in black & white on tan-toned paper. She suggested charcoal as the medium which, to be honest, made me a little nervous at first because I haven't used charcoal in years! I practiced for a bit until I was comfortable again. Charcoal is actually an awesome medium for creating value, tone, and blending. The only downside is that it smudges easily but my college professor taught me that spraying some fixative throughout the process helps keep the charcoal from flaking off or smudging too much. Perhaps I say this every time I finish a commission but this piece is definitely a favorite!