From the artist: This is my first pencil portrait - in fact, my first pencil drawing. The subject is Michal Kotonsky, who lives in Warsaw, Poland. Thank you for your wonderful website - I visit it often, and study your suggestions to others, so that I can apply them in my own oil paintings. Best wishes for 2000, from Melbourne, Australia. - Judy

The Learning Gallery: Portrait of Michal
Your Original	Strong Points: You did an outstanding job to be your first drawing, even if it had been your thousandth. The proportions are accurate.

My Modified Version

Areas to Work On / My Modifications: Your light source is coming from the front. There is nothing wrong with that, but it is easier to depict volume and roundness if the light source comes from one of the sides.(See how the two shadows on each size of the face compete?). That way we have one side in light and the other in shadow. Try to leave more white areas in people's faces. Here would be a typical example of "less is more". Think about the value scale. Only focus on the plane changes and these would be subtle soft shifts of shadow. Check out this lesson. There should be dark, medium, and light values, and even some ranges in between. This is easier to achieve with different grades of pencils from 4B, 2B, HB, 2H, 4H (There are grades). Try different ones to see what you would be comfortable with.

My modifications: More white areas were added to the portrait giving it a cleaner look. The picture was cropped so it wouldn't seem like the figure is zoomed out. Also there was too much space dedicated to the sweater. By doing this, the face becomes more important. Additional comments: An excellent first pencil portrait, for sure! Keep it up! [ Discuss in the Art Critique Message Forum! ]