I am a self-taught amateur artist specializing in celebrity portraits rendered in a tonal manner predominantly using graphite pencils. That's not an entirely accurate statement, I shouldn't say self-taught as much as self-teaching because I consider myself a lifelong art student. As of this writing I've been a member of this website for about 24 hours and I'm near overwhelmed by the warmth, welcome and acceptance I've received and I am in awe of the level of artistry and talent displayed here. I know I'm going to have trouble keeping up with all the kind comments eventually so I'd like to take this opportunity to express my appreciation for the support and the pride I feel being a part of this community of such great artists and wonderful human beings