My name is Brittany Hass. I'm a graphic designer by day and an analog artist by evenings and weekends. I work in several media, but carbon dust, traditionally used for medical illustration because of its ability to quickly capture great depth of contrast and smooth gradation, is a favorite. Carbon dust looks a bit like graphite, but it's applied with brushes and can achieve much blacker blacks. I decided this medium would be really impactful applied to a Disney villain style dried maple leaf I found outside, especially if I drew it several times larger than life so you could really engage with the details and the deep shadows. Carbon dust's high dynamic range and the strong scientific-style lighting collaborate here to heighten the drama that begins with the spidery contours of the leaf.