Materials – The One-Hour Nicolaides Challenge

In Malta, the choice of materials is often limited and we lack services like Amazon Prime. Although I could import what I need, I choose to support local businesses (as a professional portrait photographer, I’m a local business too.) I prefer to find local alternatives, ensuring that my work contributes to our island’s economy. And I will also encourage you to use your local art supplies to explore different materials and brands.

Reference photos: I create art pose reference photos and I use them for this challenge.

Section 1 and 2:

In the book:
3B or 4B pencils.
Manila paper which is 40-50 lb paper (Text/Book weight) converts to approximately 59-74 gsm. It has slight tooth. For all kind of contour drawing: paper size:15 x 20 inches / 38.1 x 50.8 cm. For all kind of gesture drawing: paper size: 10 x 15 inches / 25 x 38 cm

My alternative:
3B or 4B pencils, or 8B Graphite Matt Pencil, charcoal sticks and ball pens.
Gesture drawing: A3 photocopy paper. Contour drawing: Kids’ Drawing paper rolls cut into 15×20 inches / 38.1×50.8 cm.

List to be continued.