CAPTURING A LIKENESS

CAPTURING A LIKENESS 
Once you've practiced drawing the individual features, you're ready to combine them in a full portrait. Use your understanding of the basics of proportion to block in the head and place the features. Study your subject carefully to see how his or her facial proportions differ from the "average"; capturing these subtle differences will help you achieve a better likeness to your subject.

Drawing What You See Working from a photo helps you draw what you really see-as opposed to what you expect to see-because you can change your viewpoint. Try turning both the photo and your drawing upside down as you work; you'll find that you can represent many shapes more accurately.

Step One Using an HB pencil, I sketch the general outline of the subject's face. Then I place the facial guidelines before blocking in the eyes, nose, and mouth. (Notice that the mouth takes up about one-fourth of the face.) I also block in the shape of her hair, including the bangs.

Step Two Switching to a 2B pencil, I indicate the roundness of the facial features. I compare my sketch to the photograph often, making sure that I've captured the things that make this individual unique, like the turned-up nose, slightly asymmetrical eyes, and wide smile.

Step Three I erase my guidelines and then begin shading, following the form of the face with the 2B pencil and softly blending to create the smoothness of the skin. Next I create the teeth, lightly indicating the separations with incomplete lines. Then I switch to a 3B pencil to lay in more dark streaks of hair. 

Step Four To render the smooth, shiny hair, I use a 4 B to lay in darker values. I vary the length of the strokes, pulling some strokes into the areas at the top of her head that have been left white for highlights to produce a gradual transition from light to dark. Then I refine the eyes and mouth by adding darker layers of shading.

FOCUSING ON FEATURES 

This drawing shows the same young lady with a different hair style, expression, and pose. Although she's in costume, she is still recognizable as the same subject because I was faithful to the facial characteristics that are specific to this individual.

APPLYING YOUR SKILLS

APPLYING YOUR SKILLS 
Now that you've mastered all the techniques in this chapter, you can incorporate them into one finished work. As you can see, this drawing demonstrates principles of perspective, line of action, and center of balance. It also illustrates successful renderings of figures bending and twisting, sitting, and moving in a variety of action poses. It's important that you attempt to draw a challenging work like this to improve your artistic skills. On location, record your subjects with quick simple lines, creating a reference for a tighter, more polished work back at home. Remember, success requires patience and a lot of practice.

INCLUDING A BACKGROUND

INCLUDING A BACKGROUND 
An effective background will draw the viewer's eye to your subject and play a role in setting a mood. A background always should complement a drawing; it should never overwhelm the subject. Generally a light, neutral setting will enhance a subject with dark hair or skin, and a dark background will set off a subject with light hair or skin.

Simplifying a Background When working from a photo reference that features an unflattering background, you easily can change it. Simplify a back ground by removing any extraneous elements or altering the overall values. 

Step One With an HB pencil, I sketch in the basic head shape and the guidelines. Then I block in the position of the eyes, brows, nose, and mouth. (Notice that the center guideline is to the far left of the face because of the way the head is turned.) Next I indicate the neck and the hair. 

Step Two Switching to a 2B pencil, I begin refining the shape of the eyes, brows, nose, and mouth. I block in the hair with long, sweeping strokes, curving around the face and drawing in the direction the hair grows. Then I add a neckline to her shirt.

Step Three First I shade the irises with a 2B pencil. Then I begin shading the back ground using diagonal hatching strokes. Once the background is laid in, I use a 3B to build up the dark values of the hair. (I create the background before developing the hair so my hand doesn't smear the delicate strands of hair.) 

Step Four I finish shading the face, neck, and shirt with a 2B; then I switch to a 3B to add more dark streaks to the hair. I apply another layer of strokes to the background, carefully working around the hair and leaving a few gaps between the strokes to create texture and interest. Next I use a kneaded eraser to smooth out the transitions. 

CREATING DRAMA 

A darker background can add intensity or drama to your portrait. Here the subject is in profile, so the lightest values of her face stand out against the dark values of the background. To ensure that her dark hair does not become "lost," I create a gradation from dark to light, leaving the lightest areas of the background at the top and along the edge of the hair for separation.

WORKING WITH LIGHTING

WORKING WITH LIGHTING 
Whether you're drawing from a photo or from life, lighting is extremely important to the overall feeling of your portrait. Lighting can influence the mood or atmosphere of your drawing-intense lighting creates drama, whereas soft lighting produces a more tranquil feeling. Lighting also can affect shadows, creating stronger contrasts between light and dark values. Remember that the lightest highlights will be in the direct path of your light source, and the darkest shadows will be opposite the light source.

Using Back lighting Here the light source is coming from behind the subject-the face is in shadow, but the hair is highlighted. When drawing a back light subject, try leaving some areas of paper white around the edges of the head. This keeps the hair from looking stiff and unrealistic, and it also separates the hair from the background.

Step One I sketch the basic shape of the head, neck, and hair with an HB pencil. My subject's head is turned in a three-quarter view, so I curve the guidelines around the face accordingly. (See page 99.) Then I lightly sketch the facial features, indicating the roundness of the nose and the chin.

Step Two Switching to a 2B pencil, I define the features and fill in the eyebrows. I also sketch a few creases near the mouth and around the eyes. Then [ add the collarbone ton, and neckband to his shirt. 

Step Three Using a 2B and frequently referring to my photograph, [ shade the right side of the face: First [ apply a layer of light, short strokes; then [ go back and apply a layer of longer strokes, still maintaining a light touch. To shade the hair, [leave several white areas to indicate that the light is shining through it. [ apply long strokes, staggering them at the top of the head to produce an uneven, more realistic shape. 

Step Four Still using a 2B pencil, [ continue shading the face, keeping the left side a bit lighter in value to show that the light source is coming from the subject's left. [ also refine the left eye, leaving the right eye more in shadow. [ shade the neck, again making his right side a bit darker. Then [ add more definition to the hair, leaving some white space around the edges to suggest the light shining through the hair. 

APP ROACHING A PROFILE VIEW

APP ROACHING A PROFILE VIEW
A profile view can be very dramatic. Seeing only one side of the face can bring out a subject's distinctive features, such as a protruding brow, an upturned nose, or a strong chin. Because parts of the face appear more prominent in profile, be careful not to allow any one feature to dominate the entire drawing. Take your time working out the proportions before drawing the complete portrait.

Drawing in Profile When drawing a subject in profile, be careful with proportions, as your facial guidelines will differ slightly. In a profile view, you see more of the back of the head than you do of the face, so be sure to draw the shape of the skull accordingly. 

Step One After lightly drawing a circle for the cranial mass, I use an HB pencil to block in the general shapes of the face, chin, and jaw line. Then I add guidelines for the eyes, nose, mouth, and ear. (See page 99 for general rules regarding the placement of features in a profile view.) I closely observe my subject to see how the positions and angles of his features differ from the "average."

Step Two Following the guidelines, I rough in the shapes of the features, including my subject's slightly protruding upper lip. I sketch a small part of the eye, indicating how little of the iris you actually see in a profile view. (See page 100 for more information on drawing eyes in profile.) 

Step Three When I sketch the eyebrow, I pay particular attention to the space between the eye and the eyebrow; in this case, the subject's eyebrow is fairly close to his eye. It also grows past the inside corner of his eye, very close to his nose, and tapers toward the outside corner of the eye. Next I continue refining the profile, carefully defining the shapes of the chin and the neck (including the Adam's apple)

Step Four In a profile view, the hairline is important to achieving a likeness, as it affects the size and shape of the forehead. This subject has a very high forehead, so the hairline starts near the vertical center line of the cranial mass. Once I'm happy with the shapes of the face and hairline, I start refining the features, giving them form.

Step Five Here you can see that the drawing is really starting to resemble the subject. Next I switch to a 2B pencil and continue building up the forms: I round out the nose and chin; add light, soft strokes to the area above the lip for the mustache; and suggest the hair using short, quick strokes. Then I add more detail to the eye and develop the ear and the eyebrow.

Step Six Still using the 2B, I continue to develop the hair, eyebrows, and mustache, always stroking in the direction that the hair grows. I leave plenty of white areas in the hair to create the illusion of individual strands. Next I begin to suggest the curves and shadows of the face by shading the eye, ear, and nose. (See "The Effects of Light" on page 97 for tips on shading a profile.) 

Step Seven I continue shading the lips, pulling out a white highlight on the bottom lip with a kneaded eraser. Then I shade more of the ear and add even darker values to the hair, leaving highlights on the crown of the head, as it is in the direct path of the light source. I also shade the forehead, the nose, and the chin. I leave the majority of the cheek and the middle part of the forehead white. This helps indicate that the light source is coming from above, angled toward the visible side of the face. 

FOCUSING ON FORESHORTENING

FOCUSING ON FORESHORTENING
Drawing is all about illusion, but not the sleight-of-hand variety magicians perform. In my drawings, I create the illusion of three dimensions in a variety of ways, but in every case I'm just drawing what I see in front of me. Foreshortening is an important method of creating the illusion of depth, and it works hand in hand with perspective; that is, the part of the subject that is closest to us appears to be larger than the parts that are farther away.

TAKING A DIFFERENT VIEW So what exactly is foreshortening in terms of drawing? It's a technique for rendering objects that aren't parallel to the picture plane in which you shorten the lines on the sides of the object that is closest to you. (It may sound confusing, but it's really not once you get the hang of it.) For example, if you look at someone holding his arm straight down against the side of his body, the arm is perfectly vertical and so looks in proportion to the rest of the figure. But if he raises his arm and points directly at you, the arm is now angled (and not parallel to the picture plane), so it appears distorted. In other words, the hand looks bigger and the arm looks shorter. So, in turn, you would draw a big hand and an arm with shortened sides. That's foreshortening!

Recognizing Foreshortening This photo of Justin is an excellent example of fore shortening_ Notice the difference in the size of his tiny head compared to his huge feet. This is because his feet are closer to us, so they appear much larger_ Additionally, I know his legs must be longer than they appear from this view­ point, and I know that his foot can't be the same length as his shin. But these are the size relationships I see, so these are the size relationships I will draw.

Step One I began, as always, by lightly blocking in the outlines of only the major shapes-no details yet. The most important thing was to study the photo carefully and make sure I had all the size relationships correct. However, although I followed the photo faithfully, I noticed that the book appeared to be unnaturally supported, so I added the right arm and hand. Even though I keep repeating "draw what you see," sometimes you need to take what is called artistic license and make a few changes, or no one will believe that's really what you saw! 

 Step Two Next I lightly added secondary curves to represent the roundness of the figure and the folds in the clothes_ I am still blocking in basic information at this point, so I kept these lines light so they wouldn't interfere when I refined the outlines. 

Be selective
when you draw. Analyze the scene or subject matter, and change it around if Yo Ll think it will rnah e a stronger visual statement.

Step Three As I began refining the shapes, I needed to check my
reference frequently. I added a dark shadow for an eye anchor to help me keep my place as I glanced back and forth from photo to drawing. Notice how the darker, thicker lines on the feet already make them appear to come for· ward, whereas the thinner, fainter lines of the upper body recede. This technique enhances the sense of depth.





Step Four In the final stage, I added some light shading and all the details of fabric folds and facial features. Within the overall foreshortened pose, there are secondary areas of foreshortening. For instance, notice how Justin's left foot is foreshortened (because it points toward us) and his right one is not (because it points straight up). The backs of his hands, wrists, and forearms also are foreshortened (because they point toward us), whereas his fingers are not.




FORESHORTENING SIMPLIFIED

Fingers Straight Up Hold your hand in front of a mirror, palm forward. Notice that your fingers are the right length in relation to your palm. Nothing is foreshortened here.

Fingers Angled Toward You Now tip your hand a little, and see how the length of the fingers and the palm appears shortened. This is subtle foreshortening. Of course, your fingers didn't really get shorter; it just looks that way! 

Fingers Pointing Front Now point them straight at you. This is the most extreme fore· shortened view; the fingers appear to be mere stubs. Notice the shape of the fingernails as they curve over the cylindrical fingers.

Fingers Angled Down The fingers appear longer now but still not full length, yet the fingertips are still visible. This pose shows some foreshortening; the fingers seem too long and thick in relation to the back of the hand.

Fingers Pointing Straight Down No fore· shortening is at work in this position-another frontal view. The tips of the fingers cannot be seen, and the length of the fingers and hand are not distorted at all. 

EXPLORING OTHER VIEWS

EXPLORING OTHER VIEWS 
Beginning artists often study profile views first, as this angle tends to simplify the drawing process. For example, in a profile view, you don't have to worry about aligning symmetrical features. But the rules of proportion still apply when drawing profile views, as well as the more complex three-quarter views.

Simplifying the Profile To draw an adult head in profile, start by blocking in the cranial mass with a large circle. Add two curved lines that meet at a point to establish the face and chin. Place the ear just behind the vertical center line.

Placing the Features Use the large cranial circle as a guideline for placing the features. The nose, lips, and chin fall outside the circle, whereas the eyes and ear remain inside. The slanted, broken lines indicate the parallel slant of the nose and ear. 

Drawing a Three-Quarter View In a three·quarter view, the vertical center line shifts into view. More of the left side of the subject's head is visible, but you still see only the left ear. As the head turns, the guidelines also curve, following the shape of the head.

Distorting the Features When the head turns, the eye closest to the viewer (in this case the left eye) appears larger than the other eye. This is a technique called "foreshortening," in which elements of a drawing are distorted to create the illusion of three·dimensional space; objects closer to the viewer appear larger than objects that are farther away. 

ADULT FACIAL PROPORTIONS

ADULT FACIAL PROPORTIONS 
Understanding the basic rules of human proportions (meaning the comparative sizes and placement of parts to one another) is imperative for accurately drawing the human face. Understanding proper proportions will help you determine the correct size and placement of each facial feature, as well as how to modify them to fit the unique, individual characteristics of your subject.

Establishing Guidelines Visualize the head as a ball that has been flattened on the sides. The ball is divided in half horizontally and vertically, and the face is divided horizon· tally into three equal parts: the hairline, the brow line, and the line for the nose. Use these guidelines to determine the correct placement and spacing of adult facial features. 

Placing the Features The eyes lie between the horizontal center line and the brow line. The bottom of the nose is halfway between the brow line and the bottom of the chin. The bottom lip is halfway between the bottom of the nose and the chin, and the ears extend from the brow line to the bottom of the nose. 

Looking Up When the head is tilted back, the horizontal guidelines curve with the shape of the face. Note the way the features change when the head tilts back: The ears appear a little lower on the head, and more of the whites of the eyes are visible. 

Looking Down When the head is tilted forward, the eyes appear closed, and much more of the top of the head is visible. The ears appear higher, almost lining up with the hairline and following the curve of the horizontal guideline. 

LEARNING THE PLANES OF THE FACE

LEARNING THE PLANES OF THE FACE 
Once you understand the basic structure of the head, you can simplify the complex shapes of the skull into geometric planes. These planes are the foundation for shading, as they act as a guide to help you properly place highlights and shadows.

Shading the Planes of the Face Many types and values of shadows contribute to the piecing together of all the planes of the face. Core shadows-or the main value of the shadows-are a result of both the underlying structure and the light source. Protruding objects, such as the nose, produce cast shadows, like the dark area on the left of this subject's nose. Highlights are most visible when directly in the light's path; here the light source is coming from above left, so the lightest planes of the face are the top of the head and the forehead. The darkest areas are directly opposite the light source, here the left side of the subject's face and neck. Even in shadow, however, there are areas of the planes that receive spots of reflected light, such as those shown here on the chin and under the eye.

THE EFFECTS OF LIGHT 

Lighting the Planes from Above When light comes from above, the more prominent planes of the face-such as the bridge of the nose and the cheekbones-are highlighted. The eyes, which recede slightly, are shadowed by the brow; the sides of the nose, bottom of the chin, and underside of the neck also are in shadow. 

 Lighting the Planes from the Side Features are shaded differently when light hits the side of the face: The eyes are still in shadow, but the side of the face and neck are now highlighted. The shading on the head becomes darker as it recedes toward the neck; the sides of the cheeks appear "sunken"; and the ear casts a shadow on the back of the head.

UNDERSTANDING FACIAL ANATOMY

UNDERSTANDING FACIAL ANATOMY
When drawing faces, it is important to be aware of the underlying structures of the head. Although the bones and muscles aren't visible in a final portrait, they provide the framework for the drawing, establishing the shape of the head and guiding the placement of the features. Having an understanding of the basic anatomy of the head will lend realism and credibility to your drawings.

Understanding Bone Structure Becoming familiar with the bones of the skull and the way they affect the surface of the skin is essential for correctly placing the curvatures, ridges, and other prominent features of the head. 

Understanding Muscle Structure When facial muscles contract, they affect the shape of the skin, cartilage, and underlying fatty tissues that cause the bulges, furrows, and other forms that create various facial expressions. 

Seeing the Skull in Profile In a profile view, it is easy to see how much area the back of the skull takes up. Notice that the length of the skull is just shy of its width. 

Visualizing the Underlying Muscles The large muscles of the neck and the clavicle bone twist when the head is turned. The muscles and clavicle are visible, even underneath the skin; they can create a bulge or tension that is evident on the surface.