Graphite portrait art works through line, tone, and contrast instead of relying on color. Darker pencil work gives definition to areas such as hair and eyes, while lighter shading gives the face dimension without making the drawing feel heavy.

Graphite has a long history in portrait drawing. Museum collections include portraits created entirely or primarily with graphite, from small preparatory studies to highly finished works. The Metropolitan Museum of Art holds a mid-19th-century graphite portrait by Abu’l Hasan Ghaffari that the museum describes as an example of sensitively rendered portraiture.