"Contrast"

I always seem to find myself going back to pencil and charcoal. I love working with the pastel pencils and color, but there's something very satisfying about working with different gradations and achieving the drama that lights and darks can display.

This is a Golden Eagle done with pencil and charcoal on white bristol paper. I used powdered charcoal on the background, dusting it in over and over on the paper with a soft brush until I reached the shades I wanted.