Hello students!
Here is part 1 of the face forward neutral portrait demonstration that I have put together for you all.
This is intended to help you walk through some of the process that I have talked about in class. Some of this is specific to portrait and some of it pertains to more of the general drawing considerations that we have covered throughout the term such as blocking in and shadow shapes.
Here is how I started - first I built my canon of proportions.
I kept this light - not over drawing! But I made it specific and proportional knowing that this is just my starting point!
My next step I set up my model and let her with a strong directional light so as to create specific shadow forms. I then lightly erased my canon and began to adjust the drawing trying to make it a bit more specific to my model. I blocked in the hair shape and tried to see how the hair line framed the face. I also blocked in the general, abstracted shape of the jawline and chin. Still keeping it very light!
In this next step I began to build my shadow ares and to lightly suggest the general shapes of the features. I am not over drawing anything here - it is all about general placement, shape and proportions. I am keeping my shadows light and thinking about them in relation to how they are being created - cast or form.
Here in my next step I lightly erase again and start rebuild the drawing looking for my proportional errors and trying to adjust the drawing as far as shapes of the features and relationships of the shadow forms.
In this, my next step, I am doing some subtle adjustments trying to pay attention to the shapes of the features, the shapes of the shadows and the shape of the face/hair
As I only had about an hour and 15 minutes with my model I then shot a picture and ended my first drawing session and brought the drawing home to my studio. Unfortunately, my drawing got scratched in the process and you will see the marks on the paper as I show you the following images.
As I began working from the photograph I noticed that I had some proportional errors to the face so I lightly erased again and did some adjusting to get a bit closer to the model. I shortened the distance between the mouth and nose and shifted the mouth and nose over a bit towards the lit side. I also noticed that the light in the shadow was a bit oddly placed so I shifted it down and in, towards the nose, a bit.
This was closer but still a bit wonky as the eye in the shadow was "floating a bit so I lightly erased again and rebuilt the drawing trying to get closer to the model.
Allot of what is happening in these later stages if just subtle adjustments to shapes of the features and to the shadows while keeping an eye on the proportions. Still no real value and no committed darker finishing lines. This drawing is still in the developmental "finding my errors" phase.
I will continue to update this post as I get a chance to work on this drawing. I hope to at least get to the beginning value stages so you all can see how I move into that phase.
I hope some of this is helpful and that your drawings are going great!
