Timbuktu Tea

I finally pushed myself again. The house was quiet, so I took a moment and said to myself: No judgement, just draw.

So I opened by box of photos from Mali for inspiration and found a man from Timbuktu pouring tea. 

Cultural side notes: 

1) Tamasheq (Tuareg) men cover their mouths as a sign of respect. 

(Women do not cover as a cultural requirement)

2) The Tamasheq people are also know as the Blue People due to their deep blue indigo garments tinting their skin.  

My rendition
Faber-Castel colored charcoal on paper

Original Photo
(Tea  ceremony)
 

Self Portrait in Charcoal

Ah... The self portrait. Sometimes the easiest person to find to sit still for you... is yourself. So here's a late night charcoal of me... However, since I was sitting back and trying so hard to be a good still model, this is what I thought I was drawing:

(Picture taken from a low angel where my eyes were when drawing) 

And this is what I actually drew 

(Picture taken from above) 

I totally elongated my forehead and smashed my my facial features like a child's. But I finally drew! Here's to art.