Pencil
Portrait lesson explains and illustrates the step by step drawing
techniques involved in creating the above portrait of a young girl.
The
general proportions
of a head that
we outlined on previous pages are ideal for drawing realistic heads
from your imagination. They are also a good reference if you feel
that you are making major errors in your portraits.
However,
when you draw a portrait from life, a more accurate approach to
drawing is needed. You need to record the subtle variations of the
features which make that individual's face unique. Such an approach
was used to build our pencil portrait below.
There
are three basic stages in the creation of this image:
1.
Using line drawing to organise the position, shape and
proportion of the features.
2. Using
softly shaded tone to create the form and texture of each feature.
3. Using
larger areas of tone to unite all the elements of the portrait.
Pencil
Portrait by sanjeev menon
Establishing
the basic features
Most
artists make the greatest number of changes at the start of a
drawing. Therefore it is important to draw lightly at first, as
lightly drawn lines are easier to erase.
You
begin a portrait with the eyes as they are the main focal point.
Take care where you choose to position them on the page as this
will affect the overall balance of the portrait. Mouse over the
image above and you will see that right eye is situated on the
vertical centre of the page. This is a strong compositional
starting point for a three quarter view portrait.
The
size and position of the other features are directly related to
the scale and placement of the eyes.
If
you get the correct relationship between the eyes, nose and
mouth, you will end up with a good likeness.
|
The
next step is discover the size of the head by establishing the
distances between the eyes and the top of the head and the eyes and
the chin. Note that these measurements should be similar.
The
main features are then framed by the outline of the face and hair,
while the neck and shoulders form an angular support for the head.
The hairline on the right side of the face creates a sweeping curve
as it meets the neckline of the t-shirt. This movement builds a
strong visual link between the head and shoulders.
At
this stage, the drawing is no more than a set of carefully measured
features that establish the final proportions of the portrait.
The final stage of the line drawing in this portrait is to sketch some of the detail in the hair .The lines of detail in the hair should follow the direction and shape of the locks as they split into different strands. They should be drawn quickly and forcefully to give a natural rhythm and vitality to the shape of the hair.
.
