There’s something both exciting and intimidating about starting a completely new piece — especially on an A1 stretched canvas where every mark feels permanent.

Tonight I started this charcoal artwork, and after just over an hour of work, the first signs of personality are finally beginning to emerge. The eyes are usually the moment everything changes for me; suddenly it stops looking like lines and shading, and starts feeling alive.

I love this stage of the process because it’s messy, soft, and uncertain. Nothing is fully defined yet. The fur is still only suggested, the structure is still developing, and there’s a long road ahead before the final details and contrast come in. But honestly, that’s part of the magic.

Working with charcoal has always felt incredibly raw and expressive to me. It forces you to build depth slowly, layer by layer, while still allowing softness and movement that I struggle to achieve with other mediums. On canvas especially, the texture creates such an interesting challenge — every stroke behaves differently.

I’m really excited to see where this one goes over the next few sessions. For now, here’s a little glimpse into the beginning of the journey.