This edition published in 2013 by:

The Rosen Publishing Group, Inc.

29 East 21st Street, New York, NY 10010

Copyright © 2013 Arcturus Publishing Limited

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without permission in writing from the publisher, except by a reviewer.

Illustrations: Barrington Barber

Editor: Ella Fern

U.S. Editor: Kathy Campbell

Design: Graham Rich

Cover Design: Graham Rich

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Barber, Barrington.

The practical guide to drawing portraits/Barrington Barber.—First.

p. cm.—(Great drawing: step-by-step)

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN 978-1-4488-7214-5 (library binding)

1. Portrait drawing—Technique. I. Title.

NC773.B37 2012

743.4'2—dc23

2011047691

Manufactured in China

SL002237US

CPSIA Compliance Information: Batch #S12YA: For further information, contact Rosen Publishing, New York, New York, at 1-800-237-9932.

Introduction

What is a portrait? It is said that Picasso made a Cubist portrait of a friend and when the painting was shown to Matisse he could not identify the person. Picasso then stuck a moustache on to the picture and Matisse could immediately see the likeness. This story shows that a portrait does not have to be an exact likeness, but it must contain some recognizable form of the person. In order to capture this you will need to spend a lot of time observing your subject.

How much you should flatter or be brutally honest with your subject when drawing is the big question. If your sitter wants a realistic portrait then you must try to be objective. However, few people are honest enough about their own appearance to be comfortable with an unflattering portrait. Most portrait artists try to give the best possible view of the sitter.

There are many ways artists can compose a picture that they will enjoy painting and their sitter will be happy with. Fortunately, most people have some good features that can be the focal point of a portrait.

Part of a portrait artist’s skill lies in getting the sitter to relax, which eases tension out of the face. The artist can also choose the medium to work in, suggest the position of the model, and alter the light. Making the right decisions will help produce a good portrait.

Throughout this book you will find a range of approaches to absorb and learn from. Each portrait can teach us something about the way to approach depicting the features of your friends, family and acquaintances.

What I hope you will also come to realize is that, although the measurable differences between faces are really very small, appearances are immensely varied. The human face has an extraordinary ability to show a whole range of expressions and emotions. It is this facility that artists have tried for generations to explore in many ways.

To produce good portraits you need to practice drawing. The more you practice, the better you will get. If you can’t regularly practice drawing faces, then any type of drawing is a good way to increase your skills. Change the situation, the lighting and the surroundings and you will have a different portrait. This is why so many artists find portraiture endlessly fascinating. There really is no limit to the possibilities for expression it offers.

Materials

Any medium is valid for drawing portraits. That said, some media are better than others in achieving the effect you want.

You don’t need to buy all the items listed below, and it is best to experiment gradually, as you gain in confidence. Start with the range of pencils suggested, and when you feel you would like to try something different, then do so. Be aware that each material is different, and you have to know it well before you can get the best out of it. So, don’t be too ambitious to begin with, and when you do decide to experiment, persevere.

Proportions of the Head

For beginners it can be very helpful to use a grid as a guide on which to map out the head, to ensure that the proportions are correct. Those shown here are broadly true of all adult humans from any part of the world, and so can be applied to anyone you use as a model. The head must be straight and upright, either full face or fully in profile. If the head is at an angle the proportions will distort.

For these two full-face examples, a proportion of five units across and seven units down has been used. Note the central line drawn vertically down the length of the face. This passes at an equal distance between the eyes, and centrally through the nose, mouth and chin.

The Horizontal Proportions: Full Face

• The width of the eye is one-fifth of the width of the whole head and is equal to 1 unit.

• The edge of the head to the outside corner of the eye is 1 unit.

• The inside corner of the left eye to the inside corner of the right eye is 1 unit.

The Vertical Proportions: Full Face

• Eyes: halfway down the length of the head

• Hairline: 1 unit from the top of the head

• Nose: 1½ units from the level of the eyes downwards.

• Bottom of the lower lip: 1 unit up from the edge of the jawbone.

• Ears: the length of the nose plus the distance from the eye-line to the eyebrows, is 2 units.

For easy comparison, these two profile examples have been drawn to exactly the same size as those on the preceding page.

Don’t forget that the human head is different in each individual. These grids will help you to look at the distances between features, but it is your observational skills that will be needed to create a likeness.

The Horizontal Proportions: Profile

• The head in profile is 7 units wide and 7 units long, including the nose.

• The front edge of the eye is 1 unit back from the point of the nose.

• The ear is 1 unit in width. Its front edge is 4 units from the point of the nose and 3 units from the back edge of the head.

• The nose projects half a unit from the front of the main skull shape.

HANDY HINT

It is important to remember that, while the female head is generally smaller than the male, the proportions are exactly the same. See page 10 for information on the head proportions of children, which are significantly different from those of adults.

Measuring the Head

The surest way of increasing your understanding of the head, and becoming skillful at portraying its features, is to practice drawing it. It is best to draw life size, using a model. Beginner artists tend to draw smaller heads, in the mistaken belief that it will be easier. In fact, it is very difficult to draw the head in miniature without first gaining experience of drawing it at exactly the size it is in reality.

Getting to know the head involves mapping it out, and this means measuring the distances between clearly defined points. For the next exercise you will need a live model, a measuring device, such as a ruler or caliper, a pencil and a large sheet of paper.

Measure the length of the head from the highest point to the tip of the chin. Mark your measurement on the paper. Measure the width of the head at the widest point; this is usually across the area just above the ears. Mark this measurement on the paper. The whole head should fit inside the vertical and horizontal measurements you have transferred to your drawing paper.

Measure the eye level. This should be about halfway down the full length of the vertical, unless the head is tilted. Decide the angle you are going to look at the head. Assuming it is a three-quarter view, the next measurement is critical: it is the distance from the center between the eyes to the front edge of the ear.

Measure the distance from the outside edge of the nostril to the front edge of the ear. Mark it and then place the shape of the ear and the position of both eyes.

Next check the length of the nose from the inside corner of the eye down to the base of the nostril.

Measure the line of the center of the mouth’s opening; you can calculate this either from the base of the nose or from the point of the chin. Mark it in. Now measure from the corner of the mouth facing you to a line projecting down the jawbone under the ear. Mark it.

HANDY HINT

It is important to draw the shape of the head and the position of the features from different angles, as the appearance can be very different.

The Proportions of Children

There are significant differences between children and adults that the artist has to bear in mind when drawing a child. One of the most obvious is seen in the head, which in an adult is about twice as large as that of a two-year-old. The features, too, change as a child grows. In adults the eyes are closer together and are set halfway down the head. The nose, cheekbones and jaw become more angular as we mature.

The Head: Major Differences

• In relation to its body a child’s head is much larger. This will be obvious even if you can only see the head and shoulders. A child’s head is much smaller than an adult’s, but the proportion of head to body makes the head appear larger.

• The upper part of the child’s skull is much larger in proportion to the rest of the face.

• With very young children, the forehead is high and wide, the ears and eyes very large, the nose small and upturned, the cheeks full and round and the mouth and jaw very small.

• The hair is finer and so tends to show the head shape more clearly.

• A child’s eyes appear much larger than an adult’s, whereas the mouth and nose are smaller. The eyes also seem to be wider apart.

• The nose is usually short with nostrils facing outward so that it appears upturned. This is because the nasal bones are not developed.

• The jawbones and teeth are much smaller in proportion to the rest of the head, again because they are still not fully developed. The rule with the adult – that places the eyes halfway down the head – does not work with a child, where the eyes appear much lower down.

An exercise in steps

To capture the likeness of a subject you will need to decide the position from which to draw the face. This position gives some idea of the kind of person you are drawing. Aggressive people look up or straight ahead, chin raised. Gentler people tend to look down, as with this young model. Let’s take a step-by-step look at drawing him.

Step 1
Before you start, look at the shape of the head as a whole. Study it; it is essential that you get this right.

Now draw an outline, marking the area of hair and the position of the eyes, nose and mouth.

Step 2
Build up the shapes of the ears, eyes, nose, mouth and a few more details such as the hair and neck.

Step 3
In the final drawing, tone has been added to the hair and shirt. There is shading around the eyes, nose and mouth in order to define the features. You’ll notice that the lines of tone go in various directions. There is no single, “right” way of doing this. In your own drawings you can try out single direction toning, multi-direction toning and smudging the shading until it becomes a soft gray instead of lines. What you do – and what you think works – is simply a matter of what effect you wish to achieve. Softer, smoother tones give a photographic effect, while stronger lines inject liveliness.

Drawing the Head: Basic Method

Before you draw any portrait, the basic shapes and areas of the head have to be taken into account. In the exercise below, I cover five basic steps. These will give you a strong shape to start your portrait. You can then work on the details to make your drawing a realistic representation of your sitter.

Step 1
Check the overall shape of the head and the way it sits on the neck. It may be very rounded, long and thin or square and solid. Defining the shape clearly and accurately at the outset will make everything else easier later on.

Step 2
Decide how the hair covers the head and how much there is in relation to the whole head. Draw the basic shape and don’t concern yourself with details at this stage.

Step 3
Now look at the basic shape and position of the features, starting with the eyes. Make sure you get the level, size and general shape correct, including the eyebrows.

The nose is next, its shape (whether upturned, straight, aquiline, broad or narrow), its tilt and the amount it projects from the face.

Now check the mouth, noting its width and thickness, and ensuring that you place it correctly in relation to the chin.

Step 4
The form of the face is shown by the tonal qualities of the shadows.

Step 5
Work in the tonal values over the whole head. Emphasize the darker areas and soften the lighter parts.

Drawing the Head: Advanced Method

An alternative method is to work from the center of the features and move outwards toward the edges. Start by drawing a vertical line down the middle of your paper and then make a mark at the top and bottom of it. Now follow the steps shown here. Look carefully at your model throughout the exercise.

Step 1
Mark a horizontal line for the position of the eyes, halfway between your top and bottom marks. Roughly draw in the relative position and shapes of the eyes.

Step 2
Draw in the shapes of the eyes and eyebrows. Notice how the eye nearest to you is seen more fully than the eye farther away. Show the point where the farther eyebrow meets the edge of the head as seen from your position.

Step 3
Trace out the shape of the shadows running down the side of the head facing you. Don’t make the lines too heavy.

Step 4
Begin by darkening the areas that stand out most clearly such as the side of the nose and the top lip. Where there is a strong contrast you increase the darkness of the tone and where there is less contrast you soften it. You can even rub out if necessary. Build up the tone with care, particularly the areas where there is a gradual shift from dark to light.

HANDY HINT

Always try to reproduce exactly what you see in front of you, and not what you don’t see. Trust your eyes. They are very reliable.

Different Ages

In these examples of children’s heads, the main thing to notice is their simplicity. The faces are round and there are hardly any lines at all. The features are much less prominent in the face, only projecting a little way out from the main shape of the head. It has always been difficult to draw children’s faces well, because there is not all that much to draw.

Also notice that the nose and mouth seem much closer to each other than in the adults on the facing page. The profile view shows how little the nose and chin project from the front of the face, and the area of the hair always seems to be quite large in contrast to the rest of the head.

Although all these children are different in looks, they all have round faces, simple features, and soft, luxuriant hair. Very young heads like these are difficult to draw. You will need to decide where to make your strongest marks, because if you get it wrong it will reduce the effect of youth. A lot of your marks will have to be quite delicate, to show the softness of the child’s skin and features.

The marks made when drawing adults are much more definite. Show the most characteristic features of the head in front of you. Drawing a recognizable portrait is mainly in the relationship of the eyes, nose and mouth, and then the general shape of the head. Don’t worry if your portrait turns out to be more like a caricature, because it is easier to soften a portrait than it is to strengthen it.

The two younger men have strong lines defining their faces, while the older men’s faces look less powerful because of the softer flesh and the light shading. Notice how the hair becomes thinner and less shiny with age – sometimes disappearing altogether!

HANDY HINT

Take care when drawing darker skin colors. You will need to use a wide range of tones in a subtle way in order to create a good portrait.

With the two women, the older woman’s face looks much more fragile and less dramatic. The younger woman has stronger, well-defined features and the signs of aging on her face are much less obvious.

The Features Close-Up

EYES

Seen in profile the eye is a simple shape to draw.

Profile view
The eyelids should project beyond the curve of the eyeball: if they didn’t stick out like this, the eye could not close.

Three-quarter view
Here, the farther eye is similar to the profile view, and the eyelid projects past the eyeball on the outside corner. On the nearer eye, because the inside corner is visible, the shape appears to be more complete. The far eyebrow appears shorter than the near one.

Frontal view
From this angle the eyes are more or less a mirror image. The space between them is the same as the horizontal length of the eye. Note that normally about one-eighth to one-quarter of the iris is hidden under the upper eyelid, and the bottom edge of the iris just touches the lower lid.

NOSE

The nose at different angles presents marked differences in shape. In young children the nostrils are the only areas that stand out.

Profile view
Notice the shape of the nostril and its relationship to the point of the nose.

Three-quarter view
The outline shape is still evident but notice how its relationship to the nostril has changed.

Frontal view
Look at the surface of the length of the nose and the point. The nostrils are the most clearly defined areas, so note their relationship.

MOUTH

Profile view
The line of the mouth (where the lips part) is at its shortest in this view. Note whether the upper lip projects farther than the lower lip, or vice versa, or whether they project similarly.

Three-quarter view
The angle accounts for the difference in the curves of top and bottom lip. The nearer side appears almost as it does straight on, whereas the farther side is shortened due to the angle.

Frontal view
This view is the one we are most familiar with. The line of the mouth is very important to draw accurately – you need to capture its shape precisely or the lips will not look right.

The angle of the eyes as they appear in relation to each other –

Do they look straight across from corner to corner?

Do the inner corners look lower than the outer corners?

Do the outer corners look lower than the inner corners?

The measurements you have taken will provide accurate proportions to guide you when drawing the features. When you have sketched out roughly where every feature begins and ends, look carefully at the shapes of each of them and then draw them in.

The eyes are often what make a person recognizable to us; the mouth and nose are next. The rest depends on the characteristics of your subject. The illustrations on this page show the main points and relationships to consider when drawing the features.

The curve of the mouth –

… up?

… down? Is it dead straight?

LIPS
Are they thin?
Are they generous?

The eyelids
Are they narrow?
… or broad?

The eyebrows
Are they curved?
… or straight?

HANDY HINT

Remember to look at the hairline since getting this right can make a big difference in your likeness – is it straight or uneven?

EARS
These come in a variety of types; here are a few for you to consider.

Bones of the Head

When drawing portraits we need to remind ourselves that what we see is due entirely to structures that are hidden from view: the bones and muscles. An understanding of the skull is helpful if we are to draw good portraits. Look at the features identified here and see if you can find them on your own head by touch.

Muscles of the Head

The expression on a person’s face is governed by his or her muscles. It is helpful for the artist to know where the muscles are and how they behave. Understanding anatomy helps us to produce portraits of character and individuality.

Muscle/Function

Some of the muscles in the human face have been labelled. Here are some of the things these muscles do.

Corrugator: pulls eyebrows together

Orbicularis oculi: closes eyes

Quadratus labii superioris: raises upper lip

Orbicularis oris: closes mouth and purses lips

Masseter: closes mouth

Zygomaticus: moves mouth up

Quadratus labii inferioris: pulls lower lip down

Setting up a Portrait

When you are confident of your ability to draw the features of a face accurately, you are ready to try your hand at a full-scale portrait. Ask a friend or family member to sit for a formal portrait. Be as professional as you can when you approach them.

You will need to agree on a number of sittings with your model, and how long each of these should last; two or three sittings of between 30 minutes and one hour should be sufficient. Try not to let your subject get too bored, because dullness may creep into their expression and into your portrait.

Once the schedule has been decided, it is time to start work. First, make several drawings of your subject’s face and head, plus the rest of the body if that is required, from several different angles. Aim to capture the shape and form clearly. In addition, take photographs: front and three-quarter views and possibly also a profile view.

All this information will help you decide which is the best view, and how much of the subject’s figure you want to show. The first sketching will also help you to get the feel of how the features appear, and shape your ideas of what you want to bring out in the finished work. Changing light conditions and changing expressions will give subtle variations to each feature. You have to decide exactly which of these variations to include in the drawing.

HANDY HINT

Decide on the pose. If you choose to put your model in a chair, or incorporate some other prop, include this in your sketches. See pages 34–41 for more on designing a composition and posing.

Draw the face from left and right and also in profile.

Rule of Thumb

It is helpful for new artists to draw at sight size – that is, the size a figure or object looks from where you are standing. The proportions can be gauged by using the rule of thumb method.

Take the measurement by holding your arm outstretched with your pencil upright in line with the drawing board (see illustration below). Once the measurement has been taken, you can then transfer it to your drawing paper. You must ensure that you measure everything in your drawing in the same way, keeping the same distance from your model and your pencil extended at arm’s length. If you do this, your proportions will be fairly accurate.

Lighting your Subject

Any portrait will be affected by the sort of lighting used, whether natural or artificial. The artist Ingres described the classical mode of lighting as “illuminating the model from an almost frontal direction, slightly above and slightly to the side of the model’s head.” This approach gives a clear view of the face, but also highlights the side of the head and the nose, so that the features show up clearly.

The light coming from one side produces a dramatic effect, with strong, well-marked shadows to the left giving a sharp-edged effect to the shadowed area.

Here the light comes from directly above, although the whole effect is softer than in the previous example. The shadows define the eyebrows and cheekbones and gently soften the chin and lower areas of the head.

Lighting the face from the front and to one side gives a very even set of shadows – in this example on the right side – and clearly shows the bone structure.

HANDY HINT

As these images show, directional lighting can make a huge difference to a face. The same principles apply to figures and objects. Experiment for yourself, using a small lamp. Place objects or a subject at various angles and distances from the light and note the differences you see.

With artificial lighting, you can control the direction and amount of light and you are not dependent on the weather. To achieve satisfactory results, you will need several anglepoise lamps and some large white sheets of paper to reflect light.

Lighting from behind the subject has to be handled very carefully; there is a danger of ending up with a silhouette if the light is too strong. Usually a reflection of light from another direction creates a better portrait.

The only directional lighting that is not very useful is lighting from beneath the face, because light from below makes the face unrecognizable.

This model is lit frontally and from above. The slight tilt of the head allows the shadows to spread softly across the far side of the face.

Lighting the model from directly in front shows the features strongly, leaving the back of the head in deep shadow.

Lighting from behind is not usual in portraiture although it has been done quite effectively. The trick is not to over-do it.

Reflected light can be used to flatten out too many shadows cast over the face. If you want to try this, place a large white sheet of card or something similar opposite your light source.

Effects with Technique

There are various ways of producing an effective picture, so try out different techniques. Here are a few variations in the treatment of the head of a young man to show you some of the possibilities.

The tones have been worked over with a stub, smudging the pencil to produce a softer, more gradual tonal effect on the areas of shadow.

The method used here, in ink, is time consuming. The tonal areas have been built up with crosshatching and random strokes, giving a solid feel to the head.

Using a brush and ink, or watercolor in one color, will give a painterly feel to your portrait. When attempting this approach, don’t be too exact with your brushstrokes.

There has been no attempt to build up tone in this example in ink. Open and loosely drawn, it is a very rapid method requiring confidence and skill with the pen.

This last method is all about using technique to capture form, not likeness. Once you have got the features down, try making the tonal areas very smooth. Use a stub to work on the shadows until they graduate very smoothly across the surface.

Exercises in Technique

Pencil and Graphite

A pencil is the easiest tool with which to explore technique. Try the following warm-up exercises, which can be practiced every day that you draw. They are very useful for improving your technique.

Using a pencil, draw out a long line of squares measuring about 1in (2.5cm). Shade each one, starting with a totally black square. Allow the next square of shading to be slightly lighter, and so on, shading each square as evenly as possible. Continue with a lighter and lighter touch, until you arrive at white paper.

Building up tones by crosshatching

1. Vertical strokes first, close together.

2. Oblique strokes from top right to bottom left over the vertical strokes.

3. Horizontal strokes over the strokes shown in 1 and 2.

4. Then make oblique strokes from top left to bottom right over the strokes shown in 1–3.

Try using a graphite stick for the next two exercises; they can also be done with a well-sharpened soft pencil.

Lay the side edge of the point of the graphite or pencil on to the paper and make smooth, smudged marks.

Using the point in random directions also works well.

HANDY HINT

Smooth and finely graduated tones can be achieved by working over your marks with a stub.

Pen and Ink

Here are a range of exercises to help familiarize you with using a pen and ink. Remember to use your pen lightly and carefully so that its point doesn’t catch in the paper.

1. Vertical lines close together in one direction.

2. Horizontal lines close together in one direction.

3. Oblique lines close together in one direction.

Now repeat as above but this time building up the strokes.

4. Draw vertical lines.

5. Draw oblique lines on top of the verticals.

6. Draw horizontal lines on top of the oblique and vertical lines.

7. Draw oblique lines at 90 degrees to the last oblique lines on top of the three previous exercises to build up the tone.

8. Make patches of short strokes in different directions, each time packing them closer together.

9. Draw small overlapping lines in all directions.

10. Draw lines that follow the contours of a shape, placing them close together. For an additional variation, draw oblique lines across these contour lines.

11. Build up lots of dots to show tonal areas.

Shading with Chalk

This next series of exercises is similar to the one you have just done but requires extra care not to smudge your marks as you put them down. Textured paper is better than paper with a smooth surface.

1. Shading obliquely in two directions.

2. Shading vertically in two directions.

3. Shading horizontally in two directions.

4. Shading in various directions, heavily.

5. Shading in various directions, more lightly.

6. Shading in various directions, very lightly.

7. Shading in one direction obliquely.

8. Shading in one direction horizontally.

9. Shading in one direction vertically.

Brush and Wash

The best way to start with brush and wash is to try these simple exercises. Your brush should be fairly full of water and color, so mix a generous amount on a palette or saucer first, and use paper that won’t buckle.

With a brush full of ink or watercolor diluted in water, lay a straightforward wash as evenly as possible on watercolor paper.

Repeat but this time brushing the wash in all directions.

Load a lot of color onto your brush and then gradually add water so that the tone gets weaker as you work. Keep working with the brush until it finally dries and you wipe out the last bit of color. Practice drawing soft lines with a brush and wash.

Scraperboard

Take a fine pointed and a curved edge scraper and try your hand at scraperboard. The curved edge tool produces broader, thicker lines than the pointed tool, as can be seen from the examples shown below.

1. Oblique fine line.

2. Vertical fine line.

3. Horizontal fine line.

4. Short pecks.

5. Short pecks and strokes.

1A. Thicker vertical lines.

2A. Even thicker vertical lines.

3A. Draw a ball, then scrape away to reveal lighter side.

4A. Thin, measured vertical strokes.

1B. Scraped wavy lines.

2B. Crosshatching with fine lines.

3B. Gradually reducing from thick to fine lines.

4B. Draw eye shape and then scrape out light areas.

1C. Lightly scraped wavy lines.

2C. Thickly scraped wavy lines.

3C. Criss-cross pattern.

4C. Multiple crosshatching increasing in complexity from left to right.

Styles

On the following pages are a series of examples using the different techniques we have looked at. Some portraits are more finished than others, but they all have a unique style and capture something of the character of the sitter.

The details of the face are simplified and most of the tonal values dispensed with in this copy of a drawing of Aristide Maillol by fellow sculptor Eric Gill. The different emphasis in the outlines helps to give an effect of dimension, but it is more like the dimension of a bas-relief sculpture.

This black chalk drawing on a tinted paper took about twenty minutes. The style is fairly simple. The face has been drawn without much detail and with the emphasis on placing the features correctly. Interest has been created by the texture of the chalk line and the model’s longish hair.

The most time-consuming aspect of this pen and ink drawing was tracing out the profile. The drawing had to be done quickly because the model was only available for a few minutes. The outline was the main point of emphasis, with a bit of tone, especially on the hair. It is important with quick drawings to concentrate on one aspect and not try to be too clever.

Plenty of water has been used to keep the tones on the face and the background soft in this example of watercolor on watercolor paper. The strength of color on the jacket and hair is greater than elsewhere in the picture. The eyes, nose and mouth have touches of strong tone, especially the line of the mouth. This drawing was built up slowly, with the lighter tones put in first and then strengthened with the darker tones.

The greatest depth is achieved through the least effort in this example. The reason is the use of three materials in combination: brown and terracotta conté pencil, white chalk and toned paper. Notice how the strong emphasis provided by the darker of the Conté pencils is used sparingly. Similarly the chalk is used only for the strongest highlights. The mid-tone is applied very softly, with no area emphasized over-much. The toned paper does much of the artist’s work, making a quick drawing look like a detailed study.

With scraperboard technique the artist has to draw back-to-front, working on the light areas and leaving the dark ones. This subject was ideal, her white bathrobe ensuring there were plenty of light areas, although it was difficult to judge how much to work the face. The hair and hairband were made up of dark tones, and so required only the addition of highlights.

HANDY HINT

Similar effects to scraperboard can be obtained with white chalk on black paper. Try it before you use a scraperboard; it will teach you a great deal about judging the balance between light and dark.

A range of colored felt-tip pens were used for this quick drawing, hence the variation in tonal effect. Felt-tips are fairly difficult to work with, so I was careful to leave space between the lines, except in the outline.

An ordinary fountain pen with a fine nib was used to produce this sketch. The technique is almost scribbly because only a few minutes were available to get the drawing down. The tonal areas had to be put in very simply with the dark areas gone over repeatedly to give them sufficient emphasis. The contrast between the shadows and the lighter areas gives depth to the drawing.

Designing a Frame

Once you have chosen a subject to draw, the next step is to look at composition. The most basic consideration is how you arrange the figure in the frame of the picture. The pose or attitude you choose will have a large bearing on this. Each of the arrangements shown here conveys an idea or mood associated with the subject. Good composition is never accidental.

1. In order for this sitter to be clearly recognizable the picture would have to be huge. There would be a reason for choosing this degree of detachment from the viewer.

2–5. In this series of viewpoints the onlooker gets a progressively closer picture of the sitter. A tight close-up of the head demands that the artist achieves an accurate likeness.

6–8. An off-center position can produce a dramatic effect. The picture becomes more than just a recording of someone’s likeness, and we begin to consider it as a piece of art. The space in the picture acts as a balance to the dynamic qualities of the figure or face.

9. Not many faces can stand such a large, detailed close-up and not many people would be comfortable with this approach. However, it is extremely dramatic.

10. In this unusual and interesting arrangement, enough is shown of this figure turning away from the viewer for him to be recognizable.

11. Showing a half figure to one side of the picture with a dark background adds mystery to a portrait.

12. Firmly placed center stage in an uncompromising pose, this sitter comes across as very confrontational. The well-lit surroundings ensure that nothing is left to the imagination, emphasizing the no-nonsense direct view of the subject.

13. This head and shoulders view is evenly lit with little or no tonal values and absolutely no decorative effects. As such it demands a strong, attractive face.

14. The indirect positioning of the figure suggests a timid character, and an almost reluctant sitter.

15. The figure takes up only a quarter of the frame. The emphasis here is on lifestyle and the atmosphere of home.

16. This sitter is made mysterious and moody by the device of posing him so that he is not looking at the viewer.

17. A soft, slightly out of focus effect can be very flattering, and in this example gives a sympathetic close-up of an elderly woman.

18. This close-up of a face floating in a dark void gives a dreamlike effect.

19. An off-beat dramatic twist has been brought to this portrait by placing the sitter at the bottom of the picture, as though she is about to sink from our view.

20. This sitter is presented as playful by placing her in dramatic perspective along the lower half of the picture.

Composition

Here we look at examples of composition from two modern-day masters of portraiture, David Hockney and Lucian Freud. While Hockney has chosen to borrow from past conventions, Freud has more obviously struck out on his own. Both approaches provoke our curiosity, which is a good response to any portrait.

In this copy of David Hockney’s painting, Ossie Clarke, his wife Celia Birtwell and their cat, Percy, are shown at home in their apartment. The positioning of the figures is formal, accentuated by the very dark dress worn by Celia and the dark legs of Clarke himself.
The position of both flowers and the cat is interesting in relation to the main subjects. Also look at how the dark walls next to the bright window give both space and a dramatic tonality that contrasts well with the two figures.

This is a copy of Lucian Freud’s double portrait of himself and his wife in a Parisian hotel bedroom. The poses are informal but the situation is ambiguous. Why is she in bed and he standing by the window? Obviously he needed to be upright in order to produce the portrait but he hasn’t shown us that he is the artist. There is no camera, sketch book, easel or brush in his hands. So what could be his intention? The slightly accidental look of the composition is very much of the period in which it was painted (the 1950s).

HANDY HINT

Don’t expect your own subjects to hold a pose for long periods, especially when children are involved. You won’t be in the same position as the great painter Caravaggio, who, at the height of his fame, paid his models so well that they’d pose for him for days on end.

Posing

When arranging your subject, think about the position of the hands, arms and legs. They are a significant part of the overall composition. Portrait artists have always been interested in the relationship of the limbs because they can suggest a sitter’s character or state of mind.

This pose shows a typical resting attitude. This is good for a portrait because your sitter will be able to relax, rather than hold an unnatural position. It also allows the hands to be shown, which is a bonus. A pose that brings in the arms and hands in some attractive way is a great help in giving depth and structure to the portrait.

In this copy of an Edouard Manet painting, a young woman is sitting draped around her plum dessert, with her right hand supporting her cheek. The naturalistic pose gives a gentle, relaxed air to the portrait.

In this seemingly very relaxed portrait the frame of the window is also the frame of the portrait. The angles of the limbs make for a very interesting composition within this frame. It is not an easy pose to hold for any length of time, so quick sketches and photographs were needed as reference for the final portrait.

Joshua Reynolds’ painting shows the dashing Duchess of Devonshire with her little son, his arms held up in delight. In its time it was a groundbreaking picture, showing a playfulness that was new in portraiture. The naturalness of this interaction turns this from a fashionable portrait into a study of the interplay that occurs between any mother and child.

This subject is the writer Lytton Strachey. He perches sideways on a wicker chair in the studio of Henry Lamb, the painter. The strangely off-balance pose has his long legs draped lazily across the floor rather like the helpless lower limbs of a puppet. With his bespectacled, bearded face and long hair, Strachey looks a very curious, almost doll-like figure.

Grouping Figures

All sorts of arrangements can make good compositions, and in the process tell us a great deal about the sitters. Most artists like to give subtle hints about the relationships between the subjects in the groups they portray. You may choose to introduce an object into your arrangement as a device to link your subjects.

There are many ways of drawing a group of people. In this example, the closeness of the arrangement is integral to the final result. The central interest is shared between the baby and his parents.

Our eye travels from the infant to the couple as they support him and each other on the armchair.

In front, the elder son is slightly detached but still part of the group. His forward movement is beautifully caught, and he looks as though he is getting ready to leave the nest. The portrait captures the family dynamics perfectly.

This arrangement makes a very obvious wedge shape leaning to the right. The shape is quite dynamic, but also very stable at the base. The slight lean gives the composition a more spontaneous feel.

This example might almost be a portrait of the car as much as it is of the family. It is the centerpiece of the arrangement. The pride of possession is very evident among the males. The females inside the car are less obvious, although the mother is in the driving seat. This sort of casually posed arrangement is more often found in photo-portraiture.

This composition is unusual and dynamic, partly due to the position of the car. The three figures outside the car form an acute-angled triangle that also gives perspective. The bulge of the car against the longer side of the triangle produces a stabilizing element.

HANDY HINT

The two adult figures and the lifted top of the harpsichord give a stable effect. The curved line that links the heads pulls the eye smoothly across the composition.

Like many 18th-century portraits, this is carefully posed to include clues to the sitters’ social position. The artist, Carl Marcus Tuscher, wants to show us that these people are comfortably off – note the care that has gone into the clothing. The head of the family is Burkat Shudi, a well known harpsichord manufacturer and friend of the composer Handel. The harpsichord is centrally positioned but set behind. Shudi is at the keyboard to emphasize that the family owes its good fortune to the instrument. The arrangement of the picture is balanced and relaxed.

Other Arrangements

Most of the arrangements we have looked at so far have been formal in terms of their composition and very obviously posed. The next example takes a different approach, and shows six individual studies. It is by the English painter William Hogarth, who was known for his progressive social attitudes. The people shown here are not powerful members of society, but Hogarth’s own servants.

A very straightforward fanning out of the six heads from the base, placed close together – all slightly off-center but still very symmetrical.

The painting shows great characterization. Each head, although obviously drawn separately, has been placed in a balanced design in which every face has its own emphasis. Hogarth’s interest in his subjects is evident from the lively expressions; we feel we are getting genuine insights from a man who knew these people well.

Obvious Doubles

Usually an artist does not set out to draw a double portrait unless someone specifically asks for it. Very often parents with two children will choose to have their offspring painted or drawn in this way, and it is a favorite method of married couples celebrating important anniversaries.

The close-up of these twin brothers gives an effect of family unity. This degree of close-up is not an easy choice for the artist, however. The skin of children of this age (eight years) is smooth and the bone structure largely hidden by the flesh so that there are no lines to help give an accurate portrait. In such circumstances you have to measure out the face – and quickly, because an eight-year-old will not sit still for very long, and their faces are also very mobile.

This drawing was made from a photograph by Jane Chilvers that now hangs in the National Portrait Gallery in London. I didn’t attempt to put in too much surface detail because the smoothness of the facial surface is part of the charm.

Two round shapes, seen so close-up, make a strong composition.

The pose in this unusual father-and-son portrait – taken from a photograph by John Nassari – suggests a sense of humor in the artist. Despite the humor, the effect is fairly cool and detached. The drawing is simple and mainly concerned with the outline, demonstrating that if you get the main shape right, individual qualities can shine through.

The two vertical oval shapes, overlapping in the center, make this a stable and uncomplicated arrangement.

Self-Portraits

Artists are their own easiest models, being always around and having no problem about sitting as long as they like. Some artists, such as Rembrandt, have recorded their own faces right up until almost the point of death. Drawing yourself is one of the best ways to improve, because you can be totally honest and experiment in ways that would not be open to you with most other people.

Posing for Yourself

The most difficult aspect of self-portraiture is being able to look at yourself in a mirror and still be able to draw. What usually happens is that your head gradually moves out of position, unless you have some way of making sure it always comes back to the same point. The easiest way to do this is to make a mark on the mirror, just a dot with a felt-tip pen, with which you can align your head each time you look up.

You can only show yourself in one mirror in a few positions because of the need to keep looking at your reflection. Inevitably, the position of the head is limited to full-face or three-quarters so you can see yourself in the mirror without too much strain. Some artists have tried looking upwards or downwards at their mirrored face but these approaches are fairly rare.

If you want to see yourself more objectively you can use two mirrors, one reflecting the image from the other. This way you can get a complete profile view of yourself. This method is worth trying because it enables us to see ourselves the right way round instead of left to right as in a single mirror.

Individual Viewpoints
These portraits were drawn 46 years apart and represent two different stages of Stanley Spencer’s career. The younger Spencer is portrayed as a more expectant and confident individual. The second drawing was done in the year of his death and reflects a clear sense of mortality.

The artist John Ward has chosen to portray himself in profile for this self-portrait. He has found a brilliant way of conveying vivid animation and a businesslike approach through the pose (the balance of the poised brush and palette, the half-glasses perched on the nose) and the dress (formal jacket and tie).

Caricatures

Caricature is an extreme form of portraiture. The essence of caricature is exaggeration. You have to take whatever you are drawing beyond the bounds of reality to an area of extravagant shapes.

The Process of Caricature

Every attempt at caricature begins with detailed study of the subject’s facial features and an assessment of the relationships between them. Your observations will provide clues as to which parts you should exaggerate and which you should play down.

In this first exercise we are going to take a subject and put the features together in such a way that we end up with a reasonable result. Look at the sample face (right) – what do you see?

When you have assessed his features, look at my stage drawings below.

An egg-shaped skull attached to a rather thin neck. Draw this shape first.

Look at the way the hairline recedes from the forehead. Work this in. Put in the prominent nose, making it larger than it is in reality. Give it a smooth, aquiline curve.

Draw in the eyebrows in thick black lines. Place the ears well back. Don’t make them too small.

Add a dimple to increase the smile. Put tone on the jaw to suggest beard shadow.

Darken the hair. Define the chin.

Experimenting

Here are examples for you to experiment with and see how far you can take the exaggeration before the subject becomes unrecognizable. Try to capture the obvious features first and then the general effect of the head or face.

Don’t try caricaturing your friends, unless you don’t mind losing them or they agree. If you can’t get the subject you want to pose for you, try to obtain good photographs of them. These are a good reference point as long as you draw on your knowledge of the person as well.

These two portraits of British artist Tracey Emin are in different styles, but both capture her amused, provocative expression.

IDENTIFYING FEATURES:

1. Round head

2. Fat chin

3. Grim mouth

4. Heavy, anxious eyebrows

5. Little eyes with bags

6. Blobby or broken nose

7. Wrinkles and unshaven chin

Normal

Exaggerated

IDENTIFYING FEATURES:

1. Round-ended, turned-up nose

2. Bright eye

3. Thick eyebrows

4. Big hair on top

5. Chin

6. Cheeky grin

Normal

Exaggerated

Glossary

animation Making drawings of animals or people that appear to move.

aquiline Thin and curved.

bas-relief A sculpture in which the figures are raised from the background to give a three-dimensional effect.

carbon pencil A pencil made from charcoal but stronger than regular charcoal.

caricature A funny drawing that exaggerates some of a person’s features.

characteristic Something that is typical of someone’s character.

characterization The way in which a character is shown.

charcoal A black substance made from wood that is used for drawing.

clutch pencil A pencil with a lead that extends so you don’t have to sharpen the pencil.

composition The arrangement of people or objects in a painting.

Conté A crayon that is similar to chalk; usually comes in black, brown or red.

contours The outline of a shape or form.

convention Usual custom.

crosshatching A series of parallel lines crossing another series of parallel lines.

Cubist Cubism was an art movement in the early 20th century; Cubist artists showed people and objects as geometric shapes.

etch In drawing, to cut lines into a material to make a picture.

exaggerate To make something seem much bigger, smaller, better, worse, etc., than it really is.

graphite A soft black material used to make pencils.

illuminate To shine light on.

naturalistic Similar to how it appears in the natural world.

objective Considering only the facts.

oblique Sloping at an angle.

observation Looking at something carefully.

pastel Soft colored chalk, for drawing.

projects Sticks out beyond the edge of something.

prominent Sticking out from something.

proportion The relationship of one thing to another, for example, the features in a face.

protruding To stick out from a place or surface.

sable brush An artist’s brush made from the hair of the sable, a furry northern European mammal.

scraper A tool for cutting lines in a piece of artwork.

scraperboard A scratchboard with a smooth finish used to produce drawings, usually in white lines that are cut in a blackened surface; also means the art of using a scraperboard.

silhouette The dark outline of a person that you see against a light background.

stub A pen with a short, blunt nib.

subtle Not very noticeable or obvious.

tonal To do with the shade of color.

tone The tint or shade of color.

wash Wide sweep of color made as if by a long stroke with a coarse brush.

watercolor Type of paint that you mix with water.

For Further Reading

BOOKS

Discover Your Inner Artist as You Learn to Draw Portraits in Graphite (Drawing Made Easy) by Lance Richlin (Walter Foster Publishing, 2008).

Drawing: The Head – Learn the Classical Approach Step by Step (How to Draw and Paint Series) by Nathan Rohlander (Walter Foster Publishing, 2011).

Face Off: How to Draw Amazing Caricatures & Comic Portraits by Harry Hamernik (Impact, 2006).

How to Draw and Paint Portraits by Sarah Hoggett and Vincent Milne (Anness, 2011).

How to Draw Lifelike Portraits from Photographs Revised: 20 Step-By-Step Demonstrations with Bonus DVD by Lee Hammond (North Light Books, 2011).

How to Draw Portraits, Faces and Heads by Mark Bergin (Book House, 2010).

E-BOOKS

Discover Your Inner Artist as You Learn to Draw Portraits in Graphite by Lance Richlin (Kindle Edition, 2008).

Draw People Step By Step Home Study Review by Seth Lance (Kindle Edition, 2011).

How To Draw A Girl In Six Easy Steps by Tanya L. Provines (Kindle Edition, 2011).

YOU CAN Draw Portraits (The Conni Gordon YOU CAN Series) by Connie Gordon (Kindle Edition, 2010).

WEB SITES

Due to the changing nature of Internet links, Rosen Publishing has developed an online list of Web sites related to the subject of this book. This site is updated regularly. Please use this link to access the list:

http://www.rosenlinks.com/draw/port

Index

age of faces 14–15

bones

head 18

brush and wash

exercises 27

carbon pencils 5

caricatures 44–5

chalk 5

drawing 28, 30

exercises 26

charcoal 5

children

faces 14

proportion 10–11

clutch pencil 5

composition 34–5, 38–9, 40, 41

Conté sticks 5

drawing 30

crosshatching 25

directional lighting 23–4

double figures 41

ears 17

eye level 9

eyebrows 17

eyes 16, 17

faces

ages 14–15

children 14

horizontal 6

older 15

features 16–17

felt-tip pens

drawing 31

fine line pens 5

framing 32–3

Freud, Lucian 35

graphite pencils 5

graphite stick 25

grouping figures 38–9, 40–1

hairline 17

head

bones 18

caricatures 44–5

drawing 12–13

measuring 8–9

muscles 19

proportions 6–7

skull 18

Hockney, David 34

Hogarth, William 40

horizontal

face 6

profile 7

Lamb, Henry 37

light 23–4

lips 17

Malliol, Aristide 28

Manet, Edouard 36

materials 5

measuring

head 8–9

men

head 7

mouth 16, 17

muscles

head 19

Nassari, John 41

nose 16

older faces 15

paper

toned 30

pastel 5

pen and ink

drawing 24, 29, 31

exercises 25

pencils 5

exercises 25

pens 5

posing 20, 35, 36–7, 42

profile 7

proportions

children 10–11

head 6–7

reflected light 23

Reynolds, Joshua 37

rule of thumb 21

sable brush 5

scraperboard

drawing 30

exercises 27

tools 5, 27

self-portraits 42–3

shading 26

sizing 21

skull 18

Spencer, Stanley 43

stub 5, 25

styles 28–31

tone 24, 29, 30

toned paper 30

Tuscher, Carl Marcus 39

vertical

face 6

Ward, John 43

white carbon pencils 5

women

head 7