My next profile portrait in the series is of Julie McLaren, curator at the Art Gallery of Ballarat. Sometimes the drawing turns out a little larger than I planned, but I go with it as the portrait unfolds. Charcoal is a medium I love to use but I don't feel the same sense of precision as I do with pencil. Each medium has its advantages, and I do like the impact charcoal has from a distance. I often work on the portrait after the sitter has gone as it's easier to think about the drawing when there is no-one around. I also like a drawing to look as if it's been made by hand, that is, the marks of the charcoal have not been smoothed out too much.
Portrait of Julie McLaren, 2017, charcoal and white pastel on paper, 37.25 x 29 cm
