That's a working title by the way.....I don't normally upload images and works in progress until the picture is completed, just in case it ends up in the bin. But this time I'm feeling brave so I'll upload my progress as I go.
I got this reference photograph from the Wet Canvas reference library, taken by photographer Cathy Sheeter who has kindly granted permission for me to use it. I have used several of Cathy's pictures for reference in the past, a fabulous gift for us artists.
I have got a few portraits done in pencil now, one of my most recent being 'Lust for Life, a portrait of Kirk Douglas as Vincent Van Gogh from the 1956 movie.
In it as you can see he is wearing a straw hat (which was a bit of a nightmare to draw) and I think this next portrait will match rather well.
So here is what I have so far. I'm using a 16 x 11 inch sheet of white Bristol board and a range of pencils from B to 8B, but almost entirely 3B and 6B. There is a faint outline drawing, just to make sure I get everything in the right place. As I'm right handed I work top to bottom, left to right and so begin with the hat. I'm going to go for much more contrast than the reference photo has so I'm going in a lot darker straight away. I'm using 3b mostly with 6b for the very black area. I use tortillons made from small pieces of rolled up paper to blend the graphite into the paper, then use my putty rubber to take out various shapes and textures before going in with my 3B to add a bit of detail. Then blend again, rubber again etc. until I get somewhere close to how the hat will look when finished, working a couple of inches at a time. 
Having got this far I need to get some of the face and hair done before I finish off the hat as I need to get the tonal values correct. I'll be re-visiting the hat as I get more of the face done to make sure it merges together well and that the shadows are in the right place.
For the hair my method is to 'pre-draw' some of the lighter areas and some 'fly-away' hairs with a very sharp and very hard 6H pencil. This can hardly be seen at first but once I over draw with my 3B the indentations made in the paper become visible, then with a bit more work and more delicate putty rubbering I can achieve very realistic looking hair.
I'm off out with the dog at this point, I always need plenty of breaks with these detailed works. I'll get a bit more done this evening......watch this space.
In the meantime, any ideas for a title would be nice. So far I have Sunshine Girl, Country Girl, Salad Days.....
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