“Portrait of Hans”, size 25 x 29 cm, Nitram Charcoal on paper

"After many years of using vine and willow charcoal for my portraits, I started to see more artists on social media referencing Nitram as their preference. I got my local art store to order the range in for me and I haven’t looked back since.

I love how I can achieve a full range of values from the darkest darks with the soft batons, right through to the lightest marks with the harder ones. With my portraits I work in layers, firstly blocking in the large masses with a very soft charcoal. In the later stages, I use the harder charcoal to work the finer details, allowing for the subtle value shifts needed for contouring the face. Being able to sharpen the batons to a fine point, (without the frustration of it breaking!) is a game changer. I also have found the Nitram Stylus a useful addition to my tools. When the batons are down to the last few centimetres, I am still able to work from a comfortable distance."

~ Kathryn Warden