I like working from little bronze statues because you can really find a meaty core shadow map. Just dragging the brush down the figure following the soft and hard edges of this core shadow really makes for an amazing study.

Works great when you do it right...so evocative. I remember guys at the Watts Atelier that did some amazing charcoal work like this--Ron Lemen & Jeff Watts of course, but also Aaron Westeberg and Stan...Stan...what was Stan's last name?

I should do more like this! (From a long-ago Getty trip, dug up for the sketchbook project.)