I'm not into forgery honest?

[simonyeomans]

Take a look at Washington on a dollar bill or our own higness the queen on a 5 quid note.

I want to draw people like that!

not on plates and in reverse but on paper in pen and ink. hopefully with straight forward cross hatching

Any ideas or help or advice would be really appreciated.

You see what really fascinates me is how a face or portrait can be made so convinving and even soft looking with hard lines.

If you look closely there is real skill in operation. How does the engraver create convincing shadows etc. It appears to be not only the depth density of lines also in the ever changing direction of those lines as they eventually fade.

Now I can cross hatch nicely with inanimate forms but creating human characteristics is another matter. How do I know how to draw a sunken cheek with such effects

Any help would be much appreciated?

fanks

simon

[Diana Lee]

Practice, Practice, Practice. You must also be willing to create some pretty bad pictures. That has always been my bugaboo. I have always wanted to sit down and just do it. It drives me nuts to create failures, but that is the way to learn. I'll be willing to bet you will, eventually, accomplish what you want. You have that kind of determination.

Diana

[Diana Lee]

I should also mention that if you look at work done by other artists it helps to study their technique. Also if you practice with pencil it may help your confidense because it's not quite so harsh and it will give you a feel for the technique.

Diana

[anita Stewart]

Just a note. It's good to practice drawing a skull before you draw a face because a face is just a skull with muscels and skin added. There are lots of good books out there to help with drawing the anatomy.

[dponder]

You might also want to check out a book entitled "Sketching Your Favorite Subjects in Pen and Ink" by Claudia Nice available from North Light Books (Advertises in The Artists Magazine.)

[Paula_NZ]

I know this is a very very old thread, but I would like to update it with my .02.
I am adding a book that I have come to love in the last 3 weeks. It's called "Drawing Problems and Solutions" by Trudy Friend. Over the last several months I have purchased a total of 8 books on How to draw. I am a beginner and most of the so-called beginner's books really don't help a beginner discover why you do what you have to do. They show you a finished picture and tell you to do it the way they did it. Ok - that doesn't really help if you are a beginner and don't know how to get there. These books are more aimed towards the intermediate level artist. Trudy's books shows you on one page a drawing the way a true beginner would draw it, then on the opposite page she shows you the way it should look and tells you what to do to accomplish the effects. My work has improved in the short time I've actually practiced (with Holidays and all). My work is not perfect and there is still lots of room for improvement, but it certainly is much better.

[JayD]

Well, regarding the Washington Dollar--that portrait was done by Gilbert Stuart so you may want to check out his work. Gilbert Stuart and George Washington were not on the best of terms and if you follow his portraits of the first president--some on highly complimentary while others, like the one on the dollar are NOT--so please--be kind to George's Jaw!

Check him out here:

http://www.artcyclopedia.com/artists/stuart_gilbert.html

OH, and Gilbert Stuart has the honor of being one of the most forged of our American artists.