Taking my time

Today I decided to spend some time working on a single drawing, rather than just rushing a couple off. I started with the black brush pen, on a grey pastel paper (you don't really want me to go into the kitchen to get the actual pen & paper brand details for you I hope). I looked and looked in the mirror before setting pen to paper. I was grabbed by the shadow shape cast on my forehead, so I started rendering that first. Things went quite smoothly as I drew the left eye and then the nose. I paused and measured carefully before placing the right eye. Then I picked up three grey shades of brush pens, and started adding in softer shadows.
Now I've stopped to make a cup of coffee and publish this post. When I go back in a minute I think I'll take some more measurements and mark them out in the palest grey before I continue.
At the same time I'm listening to Brahm's German Requiem, as I'm visiting my older sister in Manchester next weekend to take part in a singing day with her choir, St George's Singers. It's quite a solemn piece of music,; it's a Requiem after all. What I mean is that it's not very dynamic. Some Requiems have dramatic crescendos, but this one seems a bit flat. Quite different to Carl Orff's Carmina Burana which we did last year. Hang on, can I hear raised female voices coming from the kitchen? Maybe it's hotted up a bit. I'll post more later today, I'm sure.