God of Mischief

To achieve accurate proportions, I first drew the reference using the grid technique.

I created a 60 × 42 cm grid using 2 × 2 cm squares. Using smaller squares allowed me to copy every facial feature with much greater accuracy and helped me capture the exact proportions of the original reference.

After completing the grid drawing, I carefully transferred it onto 70 × 50 cm Fabriano paper.

Before beginning the shading process, I applied masking tape around the edges of the paper to secure it to the drawing board and create a clean white border around the finished artwork.

As with all of my portraits, I always begin with the eyes because they give life and emotion to the drawing.

I carefully built the dark values first before adding the reflections and highlights.

The bright highlights were created using an electric eraser and a brush eraser, which produced clean, sharp reflections and made the eyes appear more realistic.

The skin was created entirely with graphite powder.

To prepare the graphite, I shaved graphite sticks using a cutter and sandpaper until they became a fine powder.

Before applying the graphite to the drawing, I always removed the excess powder by blending it on a separate sheet of paper. This prevents unwanted dark spots and allows the graphite to spread evenly.

Using a Size 4 soft brush, I blended the graphite onto the face using gentle circular motions, gradually working from the darker edges toward the lighter areas to create smooth, realistic skin.

The eyebrows and eyelashes were drawn using Lumograph graphite pencils.

I always sharpen my pencils with a cutter and then refine the tip with a sharpener to achieve extremely fine, controlled lines.

Loki's face contains many subtle wrinkles and expression lines.

To create these details, I dipped a blending stump into charcoal powder and carefully built each line little by little.

Using a blending stump instead of drawing harsh lines directly creates much softer and more natural-looking skin textures.

The beard and facial hair were first drawn using graphite pencils.

After creating the individual hairs, I gently blended them with a soft brush to soften the texture while maintaining realism.

The hair was built in several layers.

I first established the dark base using charcoal powder.

Then I drew the individual strands with a Conte pencil and softly blended them using a soft brush to create depth and natural movement.

Finally, I used a small mechanical eraser, sharpened with a cutter, to lift the fine highlights and create realistic light-colored hairs.

The helmet and armor contain many reflective metallic surfaces.

I created the darker values using Conte powder applied with a Size 2 soft brush.

After blending the shadows, I used a kneaded eraser and brush eraser to lift the softer highlights and create the appearance of polished metal.

The brighter white highlights were created using a large mechanical eraser, allowing me to produce clean, sharp edges.

The small cracks and textures on the armor were created using a blending stump dipped into charcoal powder.

Building these textures gradually helped create a realistic aged-metal appearance without making the lines look too harsh.

Before finishing the artwork, I carefully compared every section with the original reference image, checking the proportions, values, textures, and reflections to ensure that no details had been missed.

After the drawing was complete, I carefully removed the masking tape by peeling it back slowly at a low angle to avoid tearing or damaging the Fabriano paper.

Removing the tape revealed a crisp, clean white border around the finished artwork.

As the final step, I applied several light coats of fixative spray to protect the graphite and charcoal from smudging and preserve the artwork for years to come.

Always apply the fixative in a well-ventilated area, holding the spray approximately 30–40 cm away from the paper.

As the final step, I applied a light coat of fixative spray to protect the graphite and charcoal from smudging and to preserve the artwork.

Always spray the fixative in a well-ventilated area, holding the can approximately 30–40 cm away from the paper. Apply several light coats instead of one heavy coat for the best results.