This is a recent study I did based on a charcoal drawing by Mark Tennant, an artist whose work I’ve long admired for its boldness, clarity, and emotional restraint.
Tennant’s drawings often walk a fine line between precision and suggestion. He knows exactly what to leave out, and that’s one of the reasons his work is so compelling. In doing this study, I wanted to focus less on copying and more on understanding the choices behind the marks, the way he defines form with such minimal input, and how much atmosphere he builds through restraint.
Working in charcoal always brings a different rhythm to the process. It forces you to think in masses, not lines. You shape light and shadow more than you draw outlines, and in that sense, it’s a great way to reset your thinking if you’ve been too caught up in detail.
This study wasn’t about polishing or rendering. It was about absorbing something from the language of Tennant’s drawing and letting it influence my own. A valuable exercise and one I’ll definitely come back to.
