Dan Chester

A large charcoal and graphite portrait on toned paper, I drew this as a birthday present for a friend in San Francisco. Once done I had the artwork shipped across borders. I’m glad to hear my friend, Dan, was stoked to receive his first ever portrait.

It’s not often I create life-sized drawings of friends and family members, but it felt like a welcome change from the recent abstract painting and quotidian UI work I’ve been engaged in. Visually, I found that the use of charcoal and graphite on toned paper creates a striking contrast that highlights the subject’s features and adds depth to the portrait.