Herrenporträt mit Haartolle 

Egon Schiele drew this portrait of a man with a quiff in 1907, using graphite on paper. It might seem simple, but let's consider the material and how it was handled. Graphite pencils, though commonplace now, were increasingly standardized by the late 19th century, and allowed artists to create very fine, detailed images, like this one. It’s a medium that is easily portable, easily correctable, and therefore lent itself to rapidly capturing the likeness of a sitter. But look closer: Schiele hasn't used the pencil to create a photorealistic image. Instead, he's used the side of the graphite to create broad areas of shading. You can see the individual strokes, almost scribbles, building up the form of the man's face, hair, and clothing. This is a kind of 'action drawing', prioritizing the artist's gesture and direct expression. It goes to show that even the humblest material can be used to great expressive effect. Ultimately, what matters is the artist's creative vision and how they choose to manipulate that material.