Falling Asleep - in progress

Falling Asleep
Graphite & ink on bristol, 14x18

I started this today for an upcoming drawing competition.  I found this photo on my son's old ipod - which he gave to me to use.  Instantly, I knew I must draw it!  I want to do this one in oils at a later date, too.  This is my youngest daughter putting little Alastair (my second grandson) to sleep.  I love the peaceful expressions and the natural positions of both.  I still have some work to do on this, but am posting this one for today's work.  The shadows are very dark in my reference photo, and I still have a ways to go on that.  My 8b water-soluable graphite was not getting the job done, so I added a black intense pencil to the mix.  These pencils work well for small dark areas, but are hard to get even in a large shaded area.  So, in just a while, I will add black charcoal in the deepest shaded areas - hoping to bring them to the desired depth.  This is my 265th artwork in as many days, and Day 25 in Leslie Saeta's 30 Day Painting Challenge.