Latent Perspiration

Check out my Charcoal/Graphite Art. I'll share my processes and inspiration as well.

From the Everyday People.
Title: Latent Perspiration

The Setting of this piece can't be traced to a particular tribe or people. It is a general phenomenon i.e almost every child/youth in various societies faces the challenge of “early adulthood”
I am inspired by the plight of young people who face life just like me, who by the virtue of different circumstances become hustlers, having to live a just life in our corrupt society. Most times we tend to see people from the outside, not minding the fact that they are "people" and that there might be some hidden challenges behind their smile. This is a sought of challenge to us to care and to be sensitive to people.

I titled it Latent Perspiration and I used the water droplets to symbolize the stress that comes from hustle and it is also the "perspiration" but one will not see any other thing apart from the "sweat" one will not see the cause of the sweat, hence it's a latent reality. The Spiral motif at the background is a symbol of strength in the African setting and you know what? No matter what I go through, we go through, we will come out refined. This piece was executed with a charcoal pencil and an eraser.

• Ajayi Oluwashogo

Process 1

After my initial sketch, I outlined where my light and shade would be, I used a 4b graphite pencil to shade lightly, bringing out the forms so that when I eventually added the charcoal powder, I knew where to start from.

Process 2.

I went ahead to begin the main shading with using charcoal powder, because I had mapped out the the forms with graphite it became easy to apply the powder on those places, and gradually I arrived at a tone I deemed okay.

I eventually arrived at what I could call a finished
finished work.

Material used: 4b graphite pencil, extra soft charcoal powder, a brush and a tissue paper.
I hope you like it, I look forward to hearing your questions.