Step by Step
Reference
Grid & Line
Building Tone
Texture
Each work starts with a photograph Samantha Ham stages and shoots herself - the idea, the model and the composition are her own.
A grid carries the proportions from the reference onto the paper. A light pencil drawing fixes every contour before any charcoal is applied.
Light and shadow are built up in thin layers of charcoal, starting with the figure and working outwards from the focal point.
Mesh, feathers, lace and tattoos are drawn thread by thread. The deep black background comes last - then the signature.
Materials & Tools
Charcoal, Pencil, Paper
The Tools
Charcoal pencils in several grades for the darks, mechanical pencils for the finest lines, erasers and blending tools for highlights and soft transitions. A sheet of black paper under the drawing hand keeps the surface clean.
Reference & Grid
The reference photograph sits beside the drawing on a tablet, overlaid with a grid. Square by square, proportions and details are checked against the paper.
One Drawing, Start to Finish
The same sheet of paper, photographed at the drawing board - from the first pencil lines to the signed original.
Experience the Process Firsthand
Studio visits in Bremen are possible by appointment - the best way to see the originals and how they are made.