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Celebrity Sketches in Charcoal & Pencil

by Thomas Fonseka

I am currently a CT2 in urology-themed core surgical training.

I find drawing very enjoyable and a great way to relax. I especially like drawing portraits and the human form, trying to capture the character of the person in the drawing. I have always enjoyed drawing from a young age but, after embarking on a career in medicine, I put my interest in art on the back burner.

During my medical school elective I rekindled my passion for art and have been drawing since. At the moment I mainly sketch but I hope, in future, to progress to painting and sculpting with clay.


"Charlie Chaplin" (charcoal) ... view full-screen version
 

... I wanted to capture the mischievous nature of Chaplin in this portrait so I drew with speed
on a rougher textured paper to reflect his 'on the go' personality ...
"



© THOMAS FONSEKA 2019 - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

 


"Helen Mirren" (pencil & charcoal) ... view full-screen version
 

... heavy shading using both graphite and charcoal on a smoother textured paper gave both a warmth and softness to this portrait ..."



© THOMAS FONSEKA 2019 - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

 


"Martin Luther King" (pencil) ... view full-screen version
 

... darker, heavier pencils were used here to create bold outlines and resemble the boldness with which the great man made his speeches ..."



© THOMAS FONSEKA 2019 - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

 


"Kate Winslet" (pencil & charcoal) ... view full-screen version
 

... softer pencils were used for this portrait to slowly build up the delicate features. Charcoal was used along with graphite pencil to add more depth. I enjoyed coming back to this portrait several times to adjust the shading, smudging the charcoal into the graphite to leave a smooth finish ..."



© THOMAS FONSEKA 2019 - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

 


"George Clooney" (pencil & charcoal) ... view full-screen version
 

... I found the absence of shading worked well to produce a simple portrait ..."



© THOMAS FONSEKA 2019 - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

 


"Leonardo diCaprio" (pencil) ... view full-screen version
 

... soft pencils on a B3 sized paper were used to capture the youthful features of a young Di Caprio ..."



© THOMAS FONSEKA 2019 - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

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Tags

Chaplin    charcoal    Clooney    di Caprio    graphite    Martin Luther King    Mirren    pencil    Winslet