Advice On Pencil Portrait Rendering – The Side Pose
A interesting thing about drawing the side view view is that novices find it much simpler than the other poses. Yet, the advanced draftsperson can find the side view quite demanding.
For the advanced draftsperson the test lies in the struggle to affect a three-dimensional sculptured look.
Looking at the construct in the side view note how the skull is broken down into straight lines. Using these architectonic lines suggests a firmness of shape.
At first, you should keep the shapes plain. Also at this point, do not draw 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 established the language center of your brain will consider that association as proper one. Therefore, it will look proper to you but everyone else will see the error.
There is a better way. You start with drawing the construct using architectonically straight lines. The key worries are fixing the general proportions and shape accurately. At a more advanced level you should also consider rhythm and movement.
Instead of immediately incorporating the nose into the construct you should make use of the facial angle, i.e., the line from the forehead to the chin that breaks at the bottom of the nose. The signpost reference for the bottom of the nose is the tiny ledge-like protuberance.
A plumb-bob is an good tool for rightly placing the bottom of the nose. A plumb-bob is a length of wire (preferably black carpet thread) that has a weight attached to it. The plumb-bob is utilized to check vertical alignments (when working with life models) and their relations to that vertical line. The vertical line is referred to as the plumb-line.
Aligning the plumb-line to the chin allows you more accurately to see the relation of brow to chin. The brow is set back from the chin. Note that the entire region of chin and mouth is referred to as the “muzzle”.
Having confirmed that the initial construct and facial angle are accurate you can now proceed with establishing the facial proportions, key anatomical signposts, and the hair-line. So, at this point do not even think about drawing the full nose. Rendering the nose at this point is a sure remedy for disaster. The angle of the nose and the construction of the tip require a high degree of accuracy.
Instead, begin to lay down the general light/dark pattern.
The lights are painted 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 taken on. making use of a very sharp pencil you can sketch upwards from the chin to the forehead carefully viewing the shape. As you sketch mumble the anatomical terms of each feature that you construct. You would be amazed at how that clarifyies the sketching process. Having an idea of the facial anatomy will set your portrait sketching miles ahead of those who do not.
The tip of the nose, particularly, demands anatomical reconstruction to get it correct.
A common error novices make with the profile view is placing the eye too far forward. The eye sockets are recessed quite significantly into the skull. If you drop a plumb-line from the inside corner of the eye you will observe that the eye aligns itself with the corner of the mouth.
Further drawing and cross-hatching values are accomplished with 2H and 4H pencils. Choosing how far you want to take your drawing is an creative choice you have to make yourself. If you wish, you can leave the portrait somewhat unresolved.
In closing, sketching the profile view involves the same general ideas relevant to any view. In this situation, the construct is particularly significant. The significant thing to remember is not to place the actual full features of the skull too early in the process.
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Remi Engels is a pencil portrait artist and oil painter and practiced sketching teacher. See his work at graphite pencil portraits by Remi.
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