Oil in progress

This is the draft of the painting in progress. I drew out the charcoal to determine the composition and now I am moving into the color study. I love using pastel for this kind of work. Most artists produce works of pastel with"freer"touch than their oil paintings. Pastel is wonderfully light weight, easy to work over and full of magic. It can also kill your lung if not protected properly. ..Of course smoking can too.