Portrait Challenge for January 2011!

**kevinwueste** · #1 01-02-2011, 11:41 PM

Welcome to the January Portraiture Challenge! It's a new day and since we might say we are beginning again, I thought it would be good to take another look at basic structures in, largely black and white. The goal this month is to start with the basic structure of the head that Loomis shows - the Ball and cone - and develop your heads the way he has. Your heads, believe it or not- will improve by developing a consistent plan. I know, everyone wants to paint in color but before that can stand any chance of being good, you gotta' have the drawing thing DOWN! I hope to see basic drawings and as you are comfortable to develop more complex heads - based on these and then, if you like from your own CLEAR shadow and light -based photo references.

Here beginneth the visual lesson --

And a few things for fun and in color for when you've sorted the head structure!

I hope you enjoy this new Challenge and let's see your work!

Kevin

**Lauren F-M** · #2 01-03-2011, 01:55 PM

Good stuff, Kevin!

This will certainly teach us a lot -- a great start to the year!

asarkis · #3 01-03-2011, 02:54 PM

Thanks for this thoughtful challenge. Hopefully a lot of Portrature forum participants will join it.

**kevinwueste** · #4 01-03-2011, 03:10 PM

Great to hear that Anna! At the very least I will be doing some practice!! Hope you and Lauren will join in.. can we twist more arms for the hard but important foundational work ? time will tell!!

Kevin

pls note that the last few plate are by Norm Nason - an amazing artist/illustrator..

lovin art · #5 01-03-2011, 06:04 PM

Hey there Sir K ,you Rock my Dear Homeboy love this

, I started with doing the exercises , Im bored already can i just move straight onto the heads with features

see Im a bad school girl ... honestly these are great and will help me see greatly .....Thankyou !!

**kevinwueste** · #6 01-03-2011, 07:38 PM

Awesome Sandra! Keep going - don't let me down!!! how about another sheet of these same ones - do a few until they are easy and rote.. that's how this becomes a tool for us! Great work! Kevin

lovin art · #7 01-03-2011, 08:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kevinwueste

don't let me down!!! how about another sheet of these same ones -

Not a CHANCE of that Homeboy!!

uggh~ I knew you would say do more !!!

heres my next lot -+ I can see how that ball shape over and over is the basic structure of making the head come into focus .....

**Lauren F-M** · #8 01-03-2011, 09:11 PM

Good for you, Sandra!

That first lot look just like the references!

I will get on to these challenges soon -- problem for today and next few days is that I am out of town and don't have my usual access. Will try to fit in some drawing time and post them up when I get back home later in the week.

lovin art · #9 01-03-2011, 09:18 PM

Thankyou heaps Lauren

, I hope you get to do some and join in with me

....although I do think the teacher should be made to join us ~and no posting old stuff either ....

**kevinwueste** · #10 01-03-2011, 09:38 PM

Great work!

I will be posting likely tomorrow - all new all the time! ;-)

lovin art · #11 01-04-2011, 03:00 AM

Ok, I loved the red lips

.....my last quickie for the day !!

Bella Jo · #12 01-04-2011, 06:34 AM

Thanks for posting these Kevin. This is just what I need!
Sandra, you are off to a flying start to the new year! Looking good.
I will try to fit in some drawing this week sometime.

Happy New Year everyone.

Clive Green · #13 01-04-2011, 07:22 AM

mmm, I like a challenge. Did this guy draw anything after they made Mr. Ed ? I'll see what I can do.

ishiprog · #14 01-04-2011, 08:05 AM

Hi all, and thank you Kevin for this great Challenge!

I try to understand the construction steps of Loomis' method and will post my results here now.

Thanks to my beloved wife I have a digital drawing tablet since Christmas and with that I tried to work with layers to show you the steps I performed.
I'm rather pleased with the result and will work more with Loomis's method (promise!)

Thanks for your C&C

Cheers

Wolfgang

Reference:

1. The Constuction

2. Placement of the features

3. Refinement of the features

4. Placement of the shadows

5. Refinement of shadows

6. Final (not finished)

I will not work further on this - will try different people with different angles of the head etc.

Clive Green · #15 01-04-2011, 04:14 PM

couldn't print the ref. need to get more toner today. used one of my ceramics books instead, just for a laugh. second image is a typical day in town but with fewer figures, a tangi at the marae and a penguin I saw in a childrens book.

this is a4, usually I'd do a page or two on a5 each day or even a couple of A6s if I'm just having a quick coffee and running out of time.

sorry about the quality but my scanner doesn't like pencil and I've had to adjust the levels

Salute to our Partners