January 2010

A Character Portrait: Plumbing & Spectacles

Drawing a portrait with spectacles has its unique challenges. Spectacles cannot be drawn in as an afterthought, otherwise the portrait will appear stilted and the glasses will look pasted on. Spectacles need to incorporated early into the drawing.

My initial study for this pose was the sketch shown here. Not only did I have to deal with the issue of spectacles, but also, the overall forward tilt of the head significantly added to the challenge.

It is good practice to rehearse a work, whether it be a painting or a sustained drawing, with a quick sketch or, even, many sketches if need be. The rehearsal sketch will alert you to potential pitfalls and their solutions.

I chose to work with sanguine conté on a darker tone of Fabriano Ingres charcoal paper than I usually use. It is difficult to say why I choose one medium over another. On one hand I have a personal preference for sanguine conté, but on the other the subject matter dictates the medium. It is a ‘feel’ that an artist develops over time. Each medium professes its own timbre. However the approach to drawing and painting remains the same – you always work from the general to the specific.

I always begin with the arabesque which is the entire outside shape of the head. Using a sharpened crayon of sanguine conté – medium grade sandpaper will quickly sharpen the conté to a very fine point – I lightly struck the arabesque.

Before applying the conté to your paper, first let your eyes fall out of focus as you look at your model. This is called soft eye and helps to better ascertain the large abstract shape and overall proportion of the head.

An important caveat when you begin a drawing is to strike your arabesque first and then check your height/width proportion. Doing so will ensure a looser and freer arabesque while continuously developing and improving your sense of shape.

I have deliberately strived to keep this image of my arabesque as light as I do on my actual drawing. Your arabesque should be very lightly drawn; you should barely be able to see it. The actual drawings are significantly lighter than seen here; they have been adjusted for study purposes.

Once your arabesque has been struck, its’ height/width proportion checked and the overall shape corresponding accurately with the model’s pose the primary landmarks are then established.

The most important landmark in portrait drawing is the brow-ridge. This is the large, lateral skeletal structure (called the Supra Orbital Eminence) upon which the eyebrows lay. Generally you are looking for a specific point on the brow ridge that you can readily refer back to. Every portrait drawing will have a slightly different reference point depending upon the model, the pose and even the lighting.