Home Forums Explore Media Drawing and Sketching The Classroom Basic 101: Class 18 – Drawing Portraits

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  • #984964
    JayD
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        Basic 101
        Class 18
        Drawing Heads
        Introduction

        It sits there perched atop our body like a periscope sitting high on a two legged submarine. It is the pilothouse on the steamboat. It sits there and surveys—turning this way and that on its biological turret. It takes in an makes daily assessments and then orders the carrying out of those assessments. Simplicity is its design and what is the head but a carrying case for the mind.

        It is the most important part of our body. It is our command center. It is the head of project “us”. Without the head to control the mechanical means to express ourselves, we would not, could not be artists. Yet we go through our lives not really thinking about how important this spherically shaped piece of hardware actually is. We are only sitting here communicating because the brain that in encased in this writer’s head is allowing the typing to take place..

        When we meet someone, the first thing that our eyes will gravitate toward will be the face. The head encases the brain and thrust forward the face—the face shows people a portion of our lives—it is an indicator of health, environment, experience (be it pain or joy). The face makes the head special, an ever-moving decoration in celebration of our lives—good or bad.

        TAKE NOTE: at the end of each section will be a set of links relevant to that particular section. This is a brand new format, which will allow you to quickly access threads closely related to the topics. The point being that I want to make absolutely sure that no ONE point of view is dominant. Different artists have different approaches and it is vital that you, as students, be exposed to as many points of view as possible.

        1. The Structure of the Head

        In order to properly draw the head there are some generic proportions that you should memorize as well as the underlying planes that make up the face.

        a. Ears extend from the brow to the nose

        b. There is ONE eye length between the two eyes

        c. The crown of the head to the eye equals one half the head’s length

        d. The nose is about halfway between the eyes and the chin

        e. The mouth is halfway between the nose and the chin

        Learn these proportions. They will make your experience drawing the head much easier.

        Structural Planes—I have put together an illustration of the planes of the head. Notice that the planes reflect the PLANE of the skull.

        To indicate the structure of the head and to pull forward the facial features, study the edges of the nose, eyes and mouth and look for places where hard edges graduate from hard to soft changes of the plane.

        To see what I mean click on the related threads—especially the first one:

        Related Threads:

        https://www.wetcanvas.com/forums/showthread.php?t=255528&highlight=head+structure

        https://www.wetcanvas.com/forums/showthread.php?t=259176&highlight=drawing+eyes

        catmandolin.deviantart.com

        #1050391
        JayD
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            2. The Eyes

            There are three generic parts of the eye that you should always keep in mind: The eye is a sphere, the sphere fits into a socket and the eyelid wraps itself over the eyeballs. From the side, take a look at the relative thickness of the upper and lower eyelids. The eyelids are accordion-like in nature, able to reflexively open and close in order to protect the eye. Note the curves of the eyelids as well. Be sure to
            look for the contrast between curved and straight areas. Here are some points to remember:

            a. The cornea sits on top of the eyeball like a small mound—it
            is separate until itself. The point where the edge of the cornea meets the eyeball may pick up a bit of shadow.

            b. Notice that the lower lid is MOLDED around the eyeball.

            c. Always keep in mind the effect of LIGHT on the pupils. Bright light will cause the pupil to get smaller while darkness will cause the pupil to open up.

            d. If you are looking at a near object, the pupils will get small. If looking at a distance object, the pupils will become larger.

            e. The upper lashes curl UP, the lower lashes curl DOWN

            f. HOWEVER: upper lashes swoop down before curling up.

            g. Highlights are captured by the moisture contained in the cornea’s tissue and can be exploited to create expression. . This tissue is highly reflective so there may be multiple highlights in the eye caused by multiple light sources.

            h. The lower the lid, the more pronounced the shadow over the eye.

            i. Eyelashes are generally arranged in double or triple rows. This arrangement may result in the lashes clustering at the end of the eye.

            j. For fun—the word “Iris” means “rainbow” and is, appropriately, the colored portion of the eye.

            k. Keep in mind that the lids may be darker in tone then the rest of the face.

            l. Always be aware of folds in the eyelid. These folds increase with age. I know.

            Here are some eye demonstrations as drawn may other WC Artists as well as a great piece on construction:

            Related Threads:

            https://www.wetcanvas.com/forums/showthread.php?t=260523&page=1&highlight=eyes

            https://www.wetcanvas.com/forums/showthread.php?t=265318&highlight=drawing+eyes

            https://www.wetcanvas.com/forums/showthread.php?t=264819&highlight=drawing+eyes

            https://www.wetcanvas.com/forums/showthread.php?t=264537&highlight=drawing+eyes

            https://www.wetcanvas.com/forums/showthread.php?t=260300&highlight=drawing+eyes

            https://www.wetcanvas.com/forums/showthread.php?t=245708

            catmandolin.deviantart.com

            #1050392
            JayD
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                3. The Nose and the Mouth

                To draw the nose and the mouth, focus on locating planes. You should study the nose and the mouth and become familiar with your subject so that you can indicate planes every half-inch or so on both the nose and the mouth. Notice the changes from sharp edges to curves. When drawing a mouth at a three quarters view, notice that the mouth’s far corner WRAPS around the teeth. When viewing the lip from the bottom the edge of the lower lip will overlap the upper lip at the corner. When viewed from above, the upper lip will over lap the lower lip at the far corner.

                The Mouth (the Megaphone of the Mind):

                a. On the female mouth, there are around 24 lines across the both the top and the bottom lip.

                b. Where the lower lip follows under the upper lip, look for an opportunity for shadows.

                c. The rim of the upper lip projects further out then the lower lip.

                d. The darkest part of the mouth is the line dividing the upper lip from the lower lip

                e. The lower lip will sometimes catch the shadow of the upper lip.

                f. Do not forget the hollow or depression over the top center of the upper lip commonly known as the “cupid’s bow”.

                g. this may seem like common sense but when you smile the distance between the corners of the mouth and the two sides of the edge of the face lessens as the mouth stretches.

                Relevant Threads:

                https://www.wetcanvas.com/forums/showthread.php?t=245905

                One other thing about the eyes and the mouth—an afterthought:

                The movement of the eyes is synchronized with the movement of the eyebrows and vice versa. Look in the mirror and try it. As you do you eye exercise in the mirror observe how the eyebrows move with the eyes:

                The mouth comes with it own set of quarks as well. JUST REMEMBER ACTION AND REACTION. When one thing moves, something else must move along with it. In the case of the mouth, notice how it WRAPS around the teeth. When you move the mouth the reaction is that the lower jaw and zygotic areas (the cheeks) will work in concert with the motion of the mouth. Look in your mirror and give yourself a big grin. Watch the cheeks and the jaw and notice how the skin tenses and stretches. Notice that even the foundations of the plane shift in cooperation with your expression. All for one and one for all, so to speak.

                Here are some mouth demonstrations:

                The Nose:

                a. The nasal bone extends halfway down the nose before the cartilage takes over.

                b. When drawing the nose, try to use the fewest lines possible. Let the shape of the nose come with the development of light and shadow.

                c. Look for abnormalities such as previously broken nose, pock marks, scars etc. in order to achieve a likeness or to project character.

                d. In some people the nose will take on a red quality because of drinking or genetics (Northern European Caucasian). The redness is caused by a bursting of capillaries—an occurrence common in Northern European Caucasian male and females).

                e. Look to the nostril and for flares—in some people the nostrils are more pronounced then in others. This flaring is, again, a genetic trait.

                f. On either side of the top of the nose below the socket is a mound of bone. Be aware of this point.

                g. In some people (like myself) the nose will have a small linear indentation on the tip of the nose. Look closely for this trait.

                https://www.wetcanvas.com/forums/showthread.php?t=249234

                catmandolin.deviantart.com

                #1050393
                JayD
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                    4. Facial Expressions:

                    The great thing about drawing a face is that when we are born, we each get a face of our own. You might inherit traits from both or one of your parents but like a fingerprint, the face is your own unique mark in the human pool.. I see a lot of portraits (even from the masters) that are totally devoid of any kind of facial expression. Yet our faces twist and turn and change almost every waking and sleeping second. A facial expression is a reaction to something that the brain as perceived. Be it surprise or a really ugly smell, the brain will send out its opinion in the form of the facial expression.

                    Not those facial expressions are a concert of events:

                    Here is a quick exercise—practice the following eye symbols:

                    (Insert eye symbols here–eyebrows)

                    Keeping in mind that the eyeball is a SPHERE in a socket—look at all of the expressions such a simple mechanism can create! Look at yourself in the mirror and move your eyes about—experiment. It’s silly but it is fun and it illustrates a point.

                    5. Male and female profiles:

                    a. More males then females have indentations in their foreheads

                    b. Male brows extend out further then females

                    c. The bridge of the female nose may be more rounded

                    d. Female lips are thicker then male lips

                    Related Threads:

                    https://www.wetcanvas.com/forums/showthread.php?t=264516&highlight=portrait+profile

                    https://www.wetcanvas.com/forums/showthread.php?t=255053&highlight=portrait+profile

                    https://www.wetcanvas.com/forums/showthread.php?t=177851&highlight=portrait+profile

                    https://www.wetcanvas.com/forums/showthread.php?t=249907&highlight=portrait+profile

                    catmandolin.deviantart.com

                    #1050394
                    JayD
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                        5. Hair

                        There is nothing more important for expressing a personality then hair (or in some cases—lack of it). From the first shock on a baby’s head to that inexplicable time of blue hair–hair says it all. A snarl and a forelock and you have Elvis.

                        Some things to remember about hair:

                        a. First always note the shape of the hairline. This is crucial. Little points like the hair line go a long way to defining a likeness.

                        b. Do NOT draw hair one strand at a time—that is akin to weaving baskets in an asylum. Instead, look for planes and shapes and draw those first—keep everything simple—break everything down into shapes.

                        c. The hair sits on a sphere and so follows the shape of the sphere.

                        d. Look for striking lights and darks. Be aware that light treats the hair as a sphere. The light is broken up by mass and layers, which create moments for shadows to occur.

                        e. Hair tends to fall and gather in clusters even after being combed.

                        f. Hair is also effected by static electric and is also the cause of the clustering of the hair.

                        g. Bear in mind that because the head is the part of the body that moves the most, it is also effected by air currents. This correct effect causes light textured hair to divide into strands and curls.

                        h. Artificial devices also effect the look of the hair.

                        i. The degree of dryness or oiliness of the hair will effect the way that the hair falls.
                        b
                        Relevant Threads:

                        https://www.wetcanvas.com/forums/showthread.php?t=262172

                        https://www.wetcanvas.com/forums/showthread.php?t=266439&highlight=hair

                        catmandolin.deviantart.com

                        #1050395
                        JayD
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                            7. Light and Shadow

                            How light strikes the head is extremely important. It is a determining factor in establishing mood and atmosphere and with the head this is no exception. I have included some models that have been shot by our good friend and fellow artist, Reinhard Linder. Reinhard thanks for the contibution. Study these carefully and see how they apply to the project for this class.

                            Relevant Threads:

                            https://www.wetcanvas.com/forums/showthread.php?t=265241

                            catmandolin.deviantart.com

                            #1050396
                            JayD
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                                Here are some more

                                catmandolin.deviantart.com

                                #1050397
                                JayD
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                                    and yet some more–Rheinhards a busy bee..

                                    catmandolin.deviantart.com

                                    #1050398
                                    JayD
                                    Default

                                        And the last of the heads!

                                        catmandolin.deviantart.com

                                        #1050399
                                        JayD
                                        Default

                                            8. Class assignment—SELF PORTRAIT. I would like to see what you all look like or rather how you think you look so the assignment for this two week class is to do a self portrait. I know of no better way to come to terms with the subject of drawing the head and face then drawing the one closest to you.

                                            I ask that you please try to stick to the assignment, as this project will play an important part in upcoming classes. You will have fun, I am sure. I have included an early self-portrait for you to see as a demonstration . My skills were not like they are now but the great thing about self portraits is that you can exercise a certain amount of vanity—I worked from a reference photo.
                                            Here are the portrait demonstrations:

                                            https://www.wetcanvas.com/forums/showthread.php?t=243775&highlight=portrait+profile

                                            https://www.wetcanvas.com/forums/showthread.php?t=250297

                                            https://www.wetcanvas.com/forums/showthread.php?t=206952

                                            https://www.wetcanvas.com/forums/showthread.php?t=218699

                                            https://www.wetcanvas.com/forums/showthread.php?t=208011

                                            https://www.wetcanvas.com/forums/showthread.php?t=204469

                                            https://www.wetcanvas.com/forums/showthread.php?t=195068

                                            https://www.wetcanvas.com/forums/showthread.php?t=243848&highlight=portrait+profile

                                            https://www.wetcanvas.com/forums/showthread.php?t=155589&highlight=portrait+profile

                                            Have FUN!!!!

                                            catmandolin.deviantart.com

                                            #1050173
                                            Deb Leger
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                                                Yikes, Yikes, Yikes, Yikes, Yikes, Yikes, Yikes, !!! :eek:

                                                Heads, mouths, eyes, noses and expressions! Could it get any worse? :wink2:

                                                But …. I’ll do it.

                                                Only for you, Jay! :evil:

                                                Yikes!

                                                #1050174
                                                Deb Leger
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                                                    And, :angel: pardon me, but …………

                                                    I seem to recall ***someone*** saying this was going to be “fun”. :rolleyes:

                                                    (is there a little smiley for laughing hysterically while trying to control the panic at having to do heads, etc?)

                                                    (just kidding!)

                                                    Great job on the lesson Jay!!!! I know that, no matter what I’ve said above, by the end, I’ll be much better at them than I am now! :D

                                                    #1050444
                                                    Judi1957
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                                                        Here comes the cheapest facelift ever! :D

                                                        Really great class JayD!!!!!!
                                                        (as they all have been!)

                                                        :clap: :clap: :clap:
                                                        Love doing portraits!

                                                        [FONT="Impact"][FONT="Arial Black"]Judi

                                                        #1050400
                                                        JayD
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                                                            You know I love ya, Deb!

                                                            This will be a good excercise for everyone–one project-self portraits–no fuss, no muss. Besides–you guys are getting really good. This is your first flight! :)

                                                            Hey, Judi–thanks for reminding me!!!! :evil: Try to work in a facial expression–no police mug shots–lets see some character. :)

                                                            NOW

                                                            I hae this disturbing image of Sults sitting on a giant foot–what a self portrait that would make! :D

                                                            catmandolin.deviantart.com

                                                            #1050172
                                                            Zarathustra
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                                                                Awesome thread and information Jay! :evil: But oh, what an evil thread! I remember my first efforts at a self-portrait – talk about pitiful! I wonder how many brave folks will take up your challenge?

                                                                I don’t want to add too much technical info, because you’ve done a good job and it is easy to simply overwhelm people. However I seriously recommend that if anybody wants to take up portrait drawing further, visit the website below and check out the online book “Drawing the head and hands”
                                                                http://www.saveloomis.org/
                                                                Check out some samples in the attachments.

                                                                The other important aspect is where to start!! If you jump straight in trying to drawing the entire outline of a face you are very unlikely to succeed – the distances involved are too general and great to be accurately measured and as portrait drawing requires accuracy, my recommendation would be to start small and work out. I.e. start with an eye – it may just be an outline of an eye, or you might decided to complete it in full before moving on. If you have an accurate part of the face drawn (eyes are usually the most popular part to start with), then you can move towards the nose for example – as the distance between the eye to nose is small, you can make better judgements about positioning. If you drew one side of the left cheek and then tried to add the right side of the face, then marked off the forehead and chin – it’s very unlikely that your eyes, nose and mouth would sit very accurately within this framework. So the best tip I can give is measure in small distances – eye to eyelid, eyelid to eye brow, eye to eye, eye to nose, nose to top lip, top lip to bottom lip, bottom lip to chin, etc, etc.

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