I drew this pencil sketch based on a photograph taken in a hospital. The two hands holding are those of a mother and daughter. My client, the daughter’s friend, commissioned this drawing after her friend’s mother passed.
It was a special image gifted to my client’s friend:
Hi Ivana! Thanks so much. It is really beautiful, I am delighted….My friend is so happy with the drawing. She said it’s the most meaningful gift she ever received and the detail captured is remarkable.
Maureen, about the commissioned sketch for her friend, Limerick, June 2025
I received one photograph from my client. I used this as a reference for the sketch. The drawing is quite small in size at 20 x 20 cm. I wanted it to have some impact, so I worked in as much detail as I could. This was concentrated mostly at the structure and texture of the skin.
I worked on hot pressed Fabriano 5 paper with 50% cotton. It is a sturdy paper that allows for a lot of pencil marks and layering. For the pencils, I used Faber-Castell Pitt Graphite Matt for most of the surroundings and for the hands I used Staedtler Mars Lumograph Black. Both brands make their pencils as a blend of graphite with some charcoal. The charcoal content creates a matt finish and adds darkness to the shading. The graphite provides longevity and sturdiness. It means I can sharpen the pencils very well and they hold their nib for a longer period of shading time.
I finished the drawing by adding my initials to the bottom right corner of the drawing. I scanned it and emailed the image to my client for approval.
Maureen, my client, was very happy with the drawing. I used a neutral coloured mount to protect the drawing during posting. The drawing is also ready for a ready-made frame or can be framed professionally by a framer.
I included some business cards to the package together with some information on how to care for the sketch.