My Process of Creating an Abstract Hidden Face

Introduction

There is something about the fabric and form that has always pulled me in. Unlike a face, which immediately tells you who someone is, clothing creates mystery. It carries presence, without showing identity - a story without a narrator. This piece was an attempt to explore exactly that.

Materials

Here’s what I used for this portrait:

• Canvas – A textured canvas works best for me with charcoal because it holds the pigment well and allows for blending.

  
  

• Charcoal – I used both compressed and willow charcoal to create depth and detail.

  
  

• Scale Tool – Essential for measuring and maintaining correct proportions.

  
  

• Eraser – I used a combination of a normal eraser for larger areas and a precise eraser for finer details and highlights.

• Blending Tool & Fingers – For blending and softening the shadows without losing detail.

Reference

I began with this captivating pin from Pinterest - https://pin.it/bCMTxyqRx

Nothing too dramatic at first glance, but I was struck by the foreshortening and by how much mood was hidden in the folds and play of light. The anonymity was mysterious.

My Process

1. Sketching the Base

I started with a simple charcoal outline:

• Marking the strong diagonal lines of the shirt and collar.

• Lightly blocking the shape of the hat.

• Leaving the center open, because the drama would come from the shadows later.

At this stage, it looked like just lines, but I could already sense the weight the shadows would bring.

2. Building the Shadows

Since charcoal is an unstable material, I started from the top, slowly working on sections and layers. Charcoal is all about patience. I love playing with it, hence I slowly built the layers:

• Beginning with mid-tones with willow charcoal, which is the easiest to lighten with erasers or darken with soft charcoals layers on top of it.

• Then I subtracted with the blending tool/ different kinds of erasers to get different values and details for lighter areas.

• Then I started applying layers to build up values wherever required.

• Then, pressing into the blackest shadows was applied.

• Then? - A break of 1 hour at least to chill with my husband and dog baby, or sometimes eat something, only to get back with a fresh perspective.

• Add any missing details to it.

3. Adding Details

Details came last:

• The stitching along the collar.

• The creases of fabric catching light.

• Subtle highlights to separate the layers of fabric from the shadows.

I didn’t want to over-polish; the rough edges keep a little rawness intact, as well as keep me away from the disease of "perfectionism".

4. Reflection

When I stepped back, I realized this work was less about fabric and more about identity. By leaving out the face, the figure becomes universal — anyone can project themselves into it. What remains is presence, power, and silence.

Final Thought

This piece reminded me that sometimes absence is its kind of expression. A fold, a shadow, a head held high upwards, and A hidden face — they can speak as loudly as eyes and lips.