"Silhouettes" 8 x 10" Charcoal and conte' on gray Canson paper,

"Silhouettes" 8 x 10, Charcoal on gray Canson paper, 

For this drawing I used the soft, non textured side of Canson drawing paper.  It is so smooth that its almost feels like working on velvet.  After drawing in the composition, which I compose on photoshop first, I drew in the darkest values, allowing the paper to remain untouched on the medium and lightest tones.  I actually blend with my fingers and paper towels when working in Charcoal in order to get the smooth affect.  After blending I will use a kneaded eraser and charcoal pencils to reapply the texture.  The last thing I do is add the white highlights using conte.  When working in this method it is imperative that you do not use white conte on top of the black charcoal or you will get mud.  Only use the white on top of untouched paper.  I don't encourage my new students to work in this method as it is a bit tricky.