Here are three charcoal drawings from the recent workshop I attended with Juliette Aristides. She teaches the classical atelier at Gage, which is a 4 year (!!) full-time drawing and painting program from which you emerge painting like, I don't know, Caravaggio or someone. I can't manage that commitment, but I CAN do a weeklong workshop, so I did.

This is a two day study of Sarah, the female model. Total hours worked is probably about 4-5. Natural lighting (limited because it was January).

This is a two day study of Richard, the male model. Again, natural lighting and total hours worked around 4-5.

Finally, this is a three or four day study of Sarah; I can't remember exactly, but total hours worked around 8-10 maybe. It's much more contrasty than the others because in addition to using vine charcoal I also used compressed charcoal, which makes a much blacker mark, in order to get the heavy shadows around her figure. She is leaning on an invisible cushion, in case you were wondering ;-p