Process in portrait drawing.

Taking a break from the development of my sample pages for the new Top Cow talent search, I thought I would post some images of my process for a current portrait I have been working on.

I like to show the process to my work as it gives students insight into the many steps that it can take in building a finished drawing.

Step 1. The gesture. Quickly executed 20-30 second drawing

Step 2. Refined gesture. Slight refinement of gesture and suggestion of shadow shapes.

Step 3. 

Continued refinement of shapes and adjustment of proportions and placement.

Step 4. Here I start picking out some of the lighter values still thinking about adjustment

of proportions and designing shadow areas

Step 5. Continued exploration of values.

Step 6. I realized I had goofed up the mouth shape and also the eye placement so I lightly erased out and began to rebuild. I also began sculpting out the hair.

Step 7.  Here I began to try and express the range of values in the entire portrait and unify the image.

Step 8. And now even wider expression of value.

Step 9. And even wider expression.

This is not finished but I am starting t feel that the values are looking unified and that the shapes are starting to agree. So much of what happens at this stage is subtle adjustments of value and quality of light.