Tips on Pencil Portrait Sketching - the Profile Pose
A curious thing about drawing the profile view is that novices find it much simpler than the other poses. Yet, the advanced draftsperson can find the side view quite challenging.
For the advanced draftsperson the challenge lies in the effort to affect a three-dimensional sculptured look.
Looking at the construct in the side view note how the head is broken down into straight lines. Using these architectonic lines communicates a firmness of shape.
At first, you should keep the shapes simple. Also at this point, do not place all the profiled features. There are two reasons for this:
1. It is very likely that even the most gifted draftsperson will be off, and
2. Once a line is drawn the language center of your brain will consider that relationship as right one. Therefore, it will look right to you but everyone else will see the error.
There is a superior way. You start with striking the construct using architectonically straight lines. The primary concerns are fixing the general proportions and shape properly. At a more advanced level you should also consider rhythm and flow.
Instead of right away incorporating the nose into the construct you should employ the facial angle, i.e., the line from the forehead to the chin that breaks at the bottom of the nose. The marker reference for the bottom of the nose is the small ledge-like protuberance.
A plumb-bob is an good instrument for accurately placing the bottom of the nose. A plumb-bob is a length of thread (preferably black carpet thread) that has a weight attached to it. The plumb-bob is used to check vertical alignments (when working with life models) and their relationships to that vertical line. The vertical line is referred to as the plumb-line.
Aligning the plumb-line to the chin allows you more correctly to see the relation of brow to chin. The brow is set back from the chin. By the way, the entire area of chin and mouth is referred to as the "muzzle".
Having verified that the initial construct and facial angle are correct you can now proceed with locating the facial proportions, primary anatomical markers, and the hair-line. So, at this point do not even think about drawing the full nose. Drawing the nose at this point is a sure prescription for disaster. The angle of the nose and the creation of the tip require a high degree of accuracy.
Instead, begin to lay down the general light/dark pattern.
The lights are taken out using a kneaded eraser. The look we are looking for is that of a ghost image. That means, above all, not to add minutia. Also, work from the general to the specific.
Once the general light/dark pattern is developed then the profiled features can be done. employing a very sharp pencil you can draw upwards from the chin to the forehead carefully observing the shape. As you sketch mumble the anatomical definitions of each feature that you draw. You would be amazed at how that illuminates the sketching process. Having an understanding of the facial anatomy will set your portrait sketching miles ahead of those who do not.
The end of the nose, particularly, demands anatomical reconstruction to get it correct.
A common error beginners make with the side view is placing the eye too far forward. The eye sockets are recessed quite considerably into the head. If you drop a plumb-line from the inner corner of the eye you will notice that the eye aligns itself with the corner of the mouth.
Further drawing and hatching values are accomplished with 2H and 4H pencils. Decideing how far you want to take your drawing is an creative decision you have to make yourself. If you wish, you can leave the portrait somewhat unfinished.
In closing, sketching the side view involves the same general ideas relevant to any view. In this situation, the construct is particularly critical. The critical thing to recall is not to place the actual full features of the head too early in the process.
(ArticlesBase SC #736460)
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