This is a graphite & carbon pencil drawing, I'm pretty happy with the results. The portrait drawing was done on 9x12 Canson drawing paper which I later trimmed the edges. The photo reference was taken by Pavel Lepeshev. This isn't a commission project, it was purely just practice. I recently purchased a few new drawing supplies to help soften my images and basically used them all on this piece. 

These are photographs of the finished drawing. Unlike some of the other drawings I've posted I initially utilized the grid technique to help achieve overall accuracy.

I also have process photographs which I will post at a later date, due to leaving them on another computer :(.

Extreme close up!  I layed most of the light tones first, then overlayed darker graphite tones, next I layed in Carbon pencil tones and finished with white prism color pencil highlights. To blend the pencil tones I used my finger, blending stumps and a paper towel. 

These are the tools I used to achieve my results.  I used watercolor graphite (in container) to soften the background of the image and around the face. I'm new to this technique but it's definitely promising so I will keep using it in other drawings.