Week Five Portrait Drawing Tool Box

Week Five
Over the past 10 weeks we have learned many ways of observing combined with specific skills to render an image on paper. This week we are going to assemble our tools, our drawing tools and our concept tools. Working on one long pose in class today we will take each step one element at a time.
Step One
Position yourself to see the model and see your paper with only a slight turn of your head. Make it easy to compare your drawing to the model. Ideally you will be standing at an easel, close to the model for portrait, farther away for figure drawing. Get yourself set up with good drawing tools, a selection of pencils, a range of H's and B's. Have your pencils sharp and a sharpener ready when you need it again.
Paper, ideally should be on a clip board and of good quality, heavier weight drawing paper best for a developed drawing. Try different kinds of paper to see what you might like best.
Step Two
Take a look at the model, identify what kind of orientation you see in the pose. Look for certain characteristics of the pose, frontal, slight 3/4, 3/4, 7/8, side view or something in between. What kind of tilt does the head have? side to side? front to back? Do a thumbnail sketch to get a feel for the pose, block in a quick envelope, abstracting the pose into it's major 4 or 5 lines.
Step Three
Square off your page, draw the rectangle to establish the edges. Using a light(H) and sharp pencil, mark in the envelope. Just like the thumbnail sketch, mark the 4 or 5 major straight lines that establish the gesture of the pose. Start to refine the major lines, one at a time. Drop in the center line of the pose. Is it straight up and down or tilted? Everything will be hinged off this line, so make sure there's a good understanding of the center line. Mark in the eye line, 90 degrees to the center line. Come up to the brow line, determine the hairline, the base of the nose and the chin. Compare the model to these "ideal proportions". Mark in the approximate location of the mouth, 1/3 of the way from the nose to the chin. Establish the approximate location of the eyes, an eye width apart. With fresh observations, look how the model might differ or be the same as portrait standards. Start to shape the neck and head by blocking in, better defining one line at a time, line by line. Check angles and check spacing, check distances across the face and up and down. Keep checking your drawing compared to the model. Work towards a line only contour. If you have certain weaknesses, double check those areas. I tend to make the nose too long, I double check that. this is a good time to use a compact mirror to see the image in reverse, which will immediately show structural problems.
Step Four
Where is the light? How does the light wash over the model? Put an arrow on your page to indicate where the light is coming from. (This is a useful idea for outdoor painting too.) Un-focus and look only at light and shadow, no details. Look for warm light, yellow artificial light if the model is lit, and cool shadows. See how the light falls across the portrait. Look at transitions between light and shadow.Do this before you pick up the pencil. Start to block-in shadow shapes, just like contour lines. This will help map out shadow shapes and give new mapping points where none might have existed before! There might be a transition point somewhere in the forehead, cheek, chin, or elsewhere that can be used to measure or gauge other parts of the portrait.
Tone in the shadow area with an even flat value, about a number 3 in value all over.
Be sure to make everything an even tone: light and shadow only.
Step Five
Look only at the shadow areas for this step. Look into the shadows for the darker core shadows. Look at the transition edges, right after the turn from light into shadow to find core shadows. Tone in areas of core shadows and leave areas of reflected light alone. Darken areas like creases, nostril openings, look for darker values to punctuate.
Step Six
Go back edge by edge and look for soft edges on form shadows, look for hard edges on close cast shadows, moving to soft edges farther away. Shadow shapes and edges will define the individual character of the model.
Step Seven
Look into the lit area of the portrait, where the values will be in the 1 to 4 range. Look for a gradation of tones where the form is farther from the light, thought still lit. Look where lit planes are turned slightly away from direct light to see a different value. Make good comparisons between the shadow side and the lit side to have all the values read cohesively. Stand back and see where the drawing might need a little something. Look for the weakest part of the drawing and make it read better.

Week Four, Portrait Orientation and the Eyes

Many of this week's examples come from Tony Ryder, Artist and student of Ted Seth Jacobs. Here is a
Classic frontal view showing 3 main stages of drawing: 1. the envelope and block-in to achieve the contour 2. even toned shadow shapes 3. cast and form shadows, looking for core shadows and edge definition.

We see different views of the head and it's good to know what to look for on each view.
In doing any portrait we will be drawing from observations, but there are some things that hold true for each view point. '

Frontal View, This is the textbook view where things line up nicely, proportion are just like they should be. We hardly ever get to see that! In looking at the frontal view, we see a lot of symmetry. However, the 2 sides of person's face are rarely the same. Add to that some kind of side light and the lighting will instantly make the two sides different. Think of ways you can make a frontal view asymmetrical: hair, shadows, background, or slight enhancement of a dominant eye. It's natural to bounce back and forth from side to side with symmetrical compositions, so do what you can to make each side different or more unique from the other side.

As the head shifts up or down, the eye-line will change high or low. Mark in the eye-line and note that the ears will be high or low, depending on the fore and aft position of the head. Look for a possible tilt side to side and keep the eye line at exactly 90 degrees to the tilt. Looking up, the nose shortens and the underside of the nostrils become more visible. The eye line is no longer half way to the top of the head.




Slight ¾ View, as the head starts to turn, the portrait becomes more asymmetrical. Less of the far side cheek will be showing, less of the far side mouth will be showing. The inside corner of the far eye may still be visible, mark in the eye-line, the contour of the far check will have a nice shape of the cheekbone, zygomatic bone. The asymmetry gives a natural opportunity to favor the closer eye. This is a great view to measure across the form the get the width of the cheeks correct.

¾ View Now it's time to think of the head as a cube. The forward edge is the front check and one eye is definitely forward and more dominant than the other. The first aspect to consider is your own eye level or the horizon line. If you are looking down on the model, then the eye level is high. If you are looking up at the model the eye level is lower. This all comes into play when you determine your VANISHING POINTS. How does this work? Think of the head as a cube.




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The second eye may be partially hidden by the bridge of the nose. This all makes sense when you set the eye line and set the mouth line. They will not be at the same angle, they will be based on vanishing points.
7/8 View, Not much of the second cheek is showing, and most of the second eye will be hidden.


Side view. Work an envelope from the base of the nose, down and up and back towards the brow line, don't worry too much about the nose early on, get the overall angles of the facial planes correct first. Then go back in for a block-in. Remember the front of the ear takes off at the end of the jawbone and shoots up to the top of the head.


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Eyes some things to note:

Round ball sits within the orbital socket.
Upper lid is often lit.
Eyebrows start below the brow line and go up and over the brow line.
The eyes are small, even though we think of them as big and important. The truth of it is that often when portrait drawing, we don't even see the eyes. We suggest them. We may only see light on the eyelid for example.
Start by placing the inner corner or what is known as the medial canthus, where the tear duct is and the pink cul-de-sac officially known as the caruncula. Usually we see a strong crease above the eyelid, look for the crease. The eyes are not diamond shaped, infact the high and low point of eyes is offset. The upper high point is 1/3 from the inner point and the lower low point is 1/3 from the outside end, approximately, they are offset. See where they are on each individual and don't assume the eyes are evenly diamond shaped.







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The colored disc is the Iris. It is like a little camera lens, with the aperture dilating to let in light. The iris sinks in to the eyeball, it is concave, while the cornea sits on top of the eyeball, like a convex contact lens. These qualities influence how much light comes into the cornea lens sideways and hits the opposite side of the iris. Check this out on your own eyes, you'll have to look closely.
The iris is round, ROUND. You often don't see much of them. They can be concealed by the upper eyelid. But, they are still round even though part of the iris can be cut off.
What happens as the head turns? The round iris becomes more oval shaped. The eyes work in unison, keep them even. Do one eye and then make the second one match.
Inside the iris is the black pupil, very dark and round. Because the eyeball is wet, it is highly reflective. A highlight will often traverse the pupil and the iris, BUT DON'T OVER do it!!! There's nothing worse than a big window shaped highlight in the eye. You may have to plan for a small highlight, save some clean paper for the highlight and a dark contrasting pupil, go slow.....Next, The whites of the eye are NOT WHITE. Just because they are called the “whites of the eye”, do not leave them white. Look on both sides of the iris on both eyes, there could be 4 different values, look and see what's going on. Another thing about the whites of the eyes: notice the upper lid and lashes creating a ledge over the eyeball, that ledge will make a shadow, all the way across. The lower lid will tuck under the upper lid. Sometimes on the lower lid, if you are sitting very close to the model, you can see a thickness and because it is wet, you can see a small highlight on that thickness.

Long term project, Continue with your self portrait at home, this week evenly tone in shadows only. No core shadows, look carefully at shadow shapes. Here is a nice Tony Ryder drawing where he is starting to block in shadow shapes. Bring your drawing up to this stage this week.
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This week's master portrait drawing is by Michelangelo, a sensitive tonal drawing:


This week's drawings, working from the model, quick 15 minute poses. Taking what we know and bringing it to life and practice with the model.

Portrait Drawing Week Three

Week Three

Planes of the Face
Light and Shadow
Start of Self Portrait.
Planes of the Face
Back in Lesson 6 on Creating Space, we saw this drawing:


This stylized drawing gives the idea of different planes that will show different amounts of light or different values.
There is no face that looks like this, of course, there are no straight lines on a curved surface. This drawing gets us to think about facial planes, faceted or chiseled flat planes of a particular value.
As an aside, some geometry can give a lot of vitality to a portrait. A straight line can make a curves feel curvier. It's possible to use the background to start composing in this way.

Below, Allen Loomis thinks about the planes of the face, and counts
1 2 3 ... 1 2 3 …. 1 2 3.... where ever he can,
not a bad idea!


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Here are some photos of planar heads with two light sources. What observations can we make?
Facial Planes give the portrait a sculptural three dimensional appearance. This is a way to start thinking of volume of the head.
Loomis liked to think in terms of 1,2,3. Look at the planes and think 1,2,3. Look in the mirror and see if you can find planes of your own face.




Light will hit different surfaces with varying amounts of light. This concept is an introduction to light and shadow. As we start to look more at portraits, we will begin to see light and darks, how they define each unique individual. Typically, after we identify a light source, the face will fall into patterns of light and shadow. The face however is not made up from geometric planes. There are no convenient straight lines....
Remember our axiom about when we change distance, even if only slightly, we change value, even if only one or 1/2 of a value shift. Slightly changing value will indicate a change in planes!!!!Remember our basic concept of how light hits a sphere? Remember our value scale of 1 to 10 values? The same principles apply to the face. Things to think about
Light areas.... 1 to 4 values
Shadows, …...6 to 10 values, start them off massed evenly at a #4 value
Edges.....looking for soft and hard edges.
Cast shadows and Form shadows.
After we establish a good contour, with features correctly places, with line only,
we start to think about the location of the shadows.
In the first go-around of shadows, think of big broad evenly toned shapes.
Let's go back to our side portrait from Week one, Here is a nice block-in




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From the block in (1), shadows are massed (2) into even toned areas, a middle value. A nice pattern of light and dark should emerge(3). Next step is to look into the shadow and look for the darker core shadow (4)It never hurts to measure once you have the shadows blocked in, especially if things look off. Use the new shadow shapes as new measuring points, compare the drawing to the model, with these new shapes to measure & compare.
The darker core shadow will give the portrait a sense of volume. As the curved surface continues around, still within shadow, ambient light will enter the shadow.... there may be a slight lightening. Or there may be some reflected light if a lit surface is nearby. A typical place to see reflected light is under the chin, sometimes under the nose, sometimes along a check if a hand is nearby.
Establishing the core shadow will make your portrait come alive. Once you are happy with the placement of everything, look to see where you can accentuate darker values, accents, or edges.

Shadow Shapes
Cast Shadow and Form Shadow



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Remember our mannikin from last session? Let's look at her again with strong directional light to see:
1. Form Shadow, SOFT EDGES as the form turns away from the light: Head check, chin. Nose only slightly because everything is within a tighter curved radius around the nose.
2. Cast Shadows, HARD EDGES close to the thing casting the cast shadow. Here we see cast shadows to the left of the nose, under the nose, under the lip and across the neck. What happens towards the back of the cast shadow as it gets farther away? The edge softens up! See the edge of the nose-cast shadow above the corner of the mouth. Where else does this typically occur? The Neck! A long distance cast shadow starting with a crisp hard edge, moving into a soft edge cast shadow.
3. Core Shadow, look right at the turn of the shadow by the chin, darkest core shadow.
4. Reflected Light under the chin and under the nose.
That's lot to keep track of!
Once you get it, it's the same for every portrait.

Each person has their own characteristic unique shadows. Through good observations on the contour, measuring and accurate observations on shadow shapes, you can create a likeness of any person, really!

Shadow shapes, generally start in the middle and work out to the outer limited of each shape. Keep edges soft. Crisp up your hard edges where you might need them, darken your core shadow value where you see them.

Project We are going to enter next into a long tradition for artists, the self portrait. Artists to check out for their self portraits are Rembrandt, Van Gogh, and Frida Kahlo
This week we are going to use our mirrors to try self portraits. We will do 20 minute poses, you can do an envelope, blockin, and contour, blockin shadow shapes, Maybe start to look for core shadows if time. Self portraits quickly move into the world of shapes and values, it's fun!!
Set up your mirror and your drawing so it only take a very slight turn of your head to see your own portrait. Get as close a look as you would like. Practice going back into the same position each time. Look carefully, memorize, draw, compare...Take your time.
Long term Project Over the next several weeks, at home:
Take all the time you need to do an envelope, block in and contour. In fact take at least an hour + to do your contour and bring it into class next week, please no shadows yet, that will be the following week...
I would like everyone to have the experience of really digging into a portrait study and what better model than yourself!

Master drawing to copy, Nicolai Fechin!