Self Portrait

I got the cutest little box of conté pencils for Christmas a few years ago. It was so beautiful, I couldn't use it. I know I know. That's silly. But you're not dealing with a logical human being here. I would look at it every so often and admire its dinkyness, but I would leave it untouched.

Last weekend, I decided that was enough - I am not buying any art supplies until I finish a lot (well, some anyway) of my current stock. So out came the Conté box in all its cuteness.

The first thing I did with it was a self-portrait - which worked out quite nice I think (on pastel paper, of which I also have a good supply, most of it at least twenty years old). I used hair spray to fix it. It probably will erase my marks over time, but I wanted something transportable as I was planning to use the Contés on a sketch outing, and it's probably not very sociable to spray pastel fixative in a public place.

Photo of Conté box courtesy of "Detoxing my Art Practise"