Good morning! I just finished my first Gradation Exercise. Not sure if it’s useful to upload these more basic exercises, but thought I’d offer it for potential feedback. The image is slightly desaturated to reduce the cast difference between the reference photo and the charcoal reproduction. Happy Monday!
Not bad at all!!! And yes, please post all the exercises you like. The more feedback you get the more effective your deliberate practice will be (plus I am sure that others will find it helpful as well.) Now even though you feel it is as good as it can get—try and “clean” it even further (by “clean” I mean removing any abrupt step in the gradation that differs from the source). Push yourself beyond what you think is the finish here—even if you ruin it. These exercises are about changing your ability through experience. If you put "fear of “ruining it” into the mix you may be barring yourself from potential development.
The gradation can be manipulated to a point where the transition its communication is relatively free from abrupt jumps in value. Changes in pressure and stroke direction are often necessary though. Don’t worry about messing it up—do it again and again if you must. The goal here is not just to complete the exercise----but to get all you can from it in terms of development.
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Thank you, Anthony. You’ll be pleased to know I have already ruined the second one. 
Too much anticipation with the black charcoal and I think the surface might be too overworked. But I’ll keep at it and try to get smoother transitions, as you suggest.
Thanks again!
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