An Elderly Peasant Woman

About this work

This is a black-and-white drawing of an older woman’s face and shoulders. Her skin is textured, with shadows under her eyes and deep lines on her forehead. She wears a dark hat pulled low, and a thick cloth or shawl drapes over her neck, showing wrinkles and folds. The artist used soft shading to show her age, focusing on the way light hits her face. The paper looks worn, like it’s been worked on a lot. Next, check out scumbling to see how artists create texture with charcoal.