Introduction to
drawing & the human Figure (or “Step One”) –
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Drawing, or any Art form really, begins with
pleasure and satisfaction.
No matter what the results – Did you enjoy doing
it?!
This is what counts. It has to be important
to YOU.
Everything improves with practice, attempts, experience
and experiments.
Every level can be fun as long you see it that
way.
Do not exasperate yourself with
dissatisfaction.
Humility is essential. For a true Artist
actual perfection is impossible, there is always some perhaps
minor flaw or oversight. But you can get darn close.
If you think anything is absolutely perfect you are
not being humble. If you are not being humble you are inviting an
arrogant breakdown earning little respect from fellow artists and eventually
the general public.
The satisfaction is sufficient. But there
should also be some pieces that end up in the wastebasket.
By the by, Art does take the virtues of patience
and fortitude.
Start by selecting a color photo of the subject
(animal; domestic human or pet) of your choice. Although wild can be
rather entertaining as well…
Casual photos can show more “life” if that is what
you want to achieve. It is a personal preference.
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This is a simple “testing the digital camera”
self-portrait photo. It seemed best not to use any of the others as an experimental
subject for this procedural demo.
Best to inflict upon yourself.
Make a black & white printed copy enlarged to
the desired size of your piece, secure to the back with a softly adhering acid
free tape. Using light from behind (light board or window), SOFTLY trace
the general outlines and main location of features and other important
points.
Here the graphite pencil did not photograph
well. So, the main lines of the eyes, glasses and mouth were touched with
Sepia to help give an idea of the placement of the subject on the paper making
it easier to note the positioning of softer lines.
[Or, if you like; SOFTLY draw a guiding sketch,
where enlarging on scrap paper with grid is helpful especially on larger
pieces.
OR: Scan-copy onto a thin plastic sheet, and use an
overhead to project it onto your larger paper.]
Find your comfortable way to hold the pencil
with true control. Professors mainly taught loose control like holding
chalk to use on the blackboard. But for perfect control of a pencil, in
the subtle spaces to be covered, it is best to hold it resting between your
index and middle finger instead of the index finger and thumb. Just put
that thumb to work for security and the pencil won’t slip. Work gently
with a very sharp pencil and be sure to keep the sharpener close by.
After gently marking the features, fill the flesh
space. NOT the eye, with an appropriate soft, light, main tone; beige,
light peach, peach. No matter what the genealogical heritage of the human
subject could be; one of these tones would be there somewhere.
When doing the skin, try to steer away from cold
colors - even if they are in the photograph. Warmth adds to the soft depth of
the portrait, cold takes away.
It is best to start now with the eyes, if only for
inspiration to continue. They are the most difficult part to do. If a
mistake is to occur, let it be now, before too much shading and detail is
attempted. Looking back to improve will be done throughout the project.
Be sure to leave the reflective light points in the iris and pupil, even
if the eye color is very dark, this adds personality and depth. The edge
ring of the Iris is usually a darker tone that should be securely placed.
This defines the ‘gleam’ and ‘twinkle’ that adds personality to the
piece. Cloud Blue is used to show the contour of the white of the eye.
Here the colors used are; Olive Green, Light Umber
and Black – very sharp fine points.
Slowly and softly start the shading of the
complexion, you can always add more – you can’t always take away.
The main colors used are: Sepia, Cream, Peach, Lt.
Peach, Pink, Blush Pink, Salmon Pink.
When working with a light color, BE SURE to gently erase
the graphite first or it will become a set-for-life smear in that
portion of the piece.
As far as contrast & shading; it is amazing
what a very thin touch of black at the edges of light or the strong shadow
points, do to provide depth.
The upper lip is generally a deeper tone. The
bottom lip is where varying shading comes into play; some points seem almost
white some are deep with rosy shadow.
But note that on men the variation in tone is
usually very mild - almost insignificant. It is just best at this point
to try for accuracy, you can always expand - carefully.
[Outlines are of Sepia, balanced with Henna,
Crimson Red and Blush Pink.]
This also shows the instigation of the soft shadow
of glasses, a nightmare to many artists. But challenges are good.
Again, start softly with sepia – a pencil artist’s friend! Work slowly
with the accuracy of the line’s shape -- layer by Layer.
The main technique to achieve accuracy is to look
at each feature, point, or portion of the subject individually and from varying
angles.
Here is where turning the pictures sideways or
upside-down helps in the conception of perspective and proportion - obtain a
view of every angle. Just keep them both lying in the same direction
(topside down, sideways, etc.)
It is amazing how this improves the
precision.
Precision’s good…
Some instructors and professors swear that is
almost imperative to finish each feature or portion of a piece concentrating on
one section at a time. But, logic shows that it is best to find your own
“flow”. For many, the balance blends if you step away and come
back. Shifting to another feature. Sometimes interruptions alert
you to a challenge that’s forming. Upon returning, you can more easily become
aware of the solutions.
Metal is an interesting challenge with pencil.
The Metallic Gold pencil is very dark in tone
working best as the shadow of golden portions, with a lighter yellow for the
gleaming points of the segment for glasses … or jewelry.
Doing one of the background colors (in this case a
blend of three greens) makes the depth and proportion become more visible.
It’s good to get that warm feeling of satisfaction,
as you’re moving along.
[Olive Green, Marine Green, Dark Green]
The lighter tones of the jade and gold of the
necklace, cross and palm ring (made fresh each year with a piece of palm leaf
on Palm Sunday at St. Madeleine Sophie Catholic Church), had to be finished and
secured before doing the dramatic black lines of the sweater. Yellow
Ochre If deep colors are done first light colors cannot be used on the
same space unless erasing is possible. Since that is not likely – think
watercolor! Light tones first.
As can be noted with the smoothness of the green
background, a Colorless Blender® pencil was used on the “wall.” This is
an excellent effect that is used everywhere in this piece except the face and
necklace.
When items are detailed, blending seems to smear
more than smooth.
The skin and necklace need to remain soft, subtle
and precise.
Continuing to work in the facial shading, while
doing a light ‘coat’ of black on the sweater. The fiber knitting lines
help a great deal in dimension and proportion for depth. Note how they
narrow in division and softly shift in angle following the flowing line.
Wanting a definite contrast between the depth of
the shadowed knitting lines and the lighter surface shade a subtle layer of the
same Black is used. Adjusted with the photo’s lighting to finish the
sweater shape with the tone desired, same color just variance of concentration.
Background woodwork was begun here more for
reassurance of depth. Four brown tones to be blended were used.
Dark Umber, Dark Brown, Tuscan Red, Terra Cotta.
For the colorful sections of hair begin with the
lighter base tone, you can always go darker, very seldom lighter.
After the Colorless Blender® was used with Sienna
Brown, lines of the darker tones were begun. A look in the mirroring of
the breakfast-nook window was enough guidance as for the ends of the
“French-clipped” hair. This satisfied the decision to expand the subject
rather than trim the paper, solving the problem of disproportion between the
photo and the paper.
Henna, Sepia, Terra Cotta, Tuscan Red, Dark Umber,
Light Umber, Dark Brown with, of course, Black.
The sweater was rubbed with Colorless Blender® to finish
the base surface tone without losing the shading effect.
Paying attention?
Hopefully the slow variations in the toning of the
shadows on the skin have been noticed by now.
A key word: subtle.
Before the upper section of background is
confronted, it is best to finish the subtle silvering of the hair (frosted – by
God) and Tuscan Red highlights.
Beginning the background woodwork just try to keep
grain and seam tones darker.
Continuing the deeper toning of the wooden cabinet,
shading mainly with Black.
Improving the facial shadows especially above
eyes. Even though the eyes can become almost invisible in shade try to
let them show their own sparkle, balance the shadow around them with Sepia and
Dark Brown.
This is one aspect of dissatisfaction in High
School and College projects. It never felt as “alive” as intended. The
secret answer here is to liven up the eyes; this helps dramatically.
Complete wood tones for blending..
Blend by applying pressure going with the direction
of the wood-grain but in small sections
Note a touch of light tone to edges of the hair
where the background is very dark. This satisfies the desire to have the
value of the figure project and differentiate from the background.
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It is always good to bring in a little of the
background color when finishing the main points of shadow in the face the face
or fur. For example; On the piece titled New Nephew , looking at
the piece and photo upside down it was noticed that his Auntie’s rosy shirt
“reflected” above his eyes. Softly touching that portion with the same
pencil completed the tonal balance of the piece, adding depth.
New Nephew –©
2005
Bill
Cosby –©2005
Now that you have been given all of these rules,
guidelines & tips; follow what you will. For any artist your own
“objective” or wish to attempt whatever YOU want to achieve is most
important. Hopefully these strategies will help you to reach your own
goal.
Please keep in mind, what
several more noble instructors have told me:
Rules were made to be
broken!
