Live Lessons: Portrait with Charcoal - Old Man
Lessons
About This Lesson Series...
In Portrait with Charcoal â Old Man, youâll undertake a deeply expressive charcoal drawing of an elderly gentleman smoking a pipe, guided through each stage in over 5 hours of instruction across five detailed video lessons.
The class begins in Lesson 1, where your instructor introduces all the materials and tools â from vine charcoal to white drawing paper â and leads you through a loose, gestural sketch that locates the major forms and proportions of the face.
In Lesson 2, you refine those rough beginnings, defining the facial features more clearly and beginning to draw in the hand and pipe.
By Lesson 3, youâll build further detail in the face and hair, transitioning to using compressed charcoal to begin introducing stronger values and deeper contrast.
In Lesson 4, the focus shifts to the beard and deeper shadow areas, heightening dramatic lighting and texture.
Finally, in Lesson 5, you bring the drawing to life by rendering the smoke from the pipe and completing all the finishing touches, balancing highlights, midtones, and deep darks.
Throughout this series, youâll learn not just how to replicate features, but how to think through charcoal drawing in a structured, thoughtful sequence. Youâll see how to merge loose gesture with carefully rendered detail, how to build contrast gradually, and how to maintain vitality in your strokes as you refine.
This series is ideal for both intermediate and advanced artists who want to deepen their skills in portraiture and charcoal technique. If you already have experience with basic drawing, this class offers a powerful chance to focus on expressive form, atmospheric lighting, and intricate texturesâall using charcoal as your expressive medium.
By the end of the course, youâll walk away with not only a strong charcoal portrait of an old man, but also a deeper understanding of working in charcoal: how to loosen up, how to push contrast, and how to bring life and character into your drawings.
Lesson 1 (1:04:42)
In lesson one, we discuss the materials and begin loose sketching to find the features of the face.
Lesson 2 (1:16:02)
In lesson two, we refine the features of the face and develop the hand and pipe.
Lesson 3 (1:10:22)
In lesson three, we continue to refine the face and hair and begin adding compressed charcoal.
Lesson 4 (1:14:49)
In lesson four, we work on the beard and increase contrast in the shadows.
Lesson 5 (1:20:49)
In lesson five, we draw the smoke coming from the pipe and complete the drawing.

Resources for this Lesson...
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References
Here's what you'll need...
- White Drawing Paper
- Vine Charcoal
- Compressed Charcoal
- Kneaded Eraser
- Vinyl Eraser
- Blending Stumps
(Disclosure: Links to art materials are affiliate links which means we make a small commission if you purchase at no additional cost to you.)
I car to join in live tomorrow night can I do it later or not, I have just joined so still finding my way around
You just sign in to live class and wait for count down….10-9-8-etcThen you can share communications with those in class and with Matt and Ashley!
Oh I just saw that somewhere there is a favourite button where you can save it to watch later, does that appear when the lesson starts.?
It is possible after Matt records the lesson usually anywhere from 3-5 days after the class.
Then you can go at your own speed ….do a little and pause etc…
It remains recorded for entire time of classes and afterwards.
Matt where is class #3 ??
Thank you everyone i will have a go todayđ, where are you all from i am in New Zealand
Loved doing this man, I caught up and have done the three lessons , seems like lesson 4 is late , donât know what else he is goi g to do to the old man I feel I have finished, how is everyone else getting onđ? How do I see all your drawingsđ
Love to see this done in white charcoal on black paper or black canvas.