Instructions On Pencil Portrait Drawing – Drawing A Chin Supporting Hand Including Shoulders
Including a hand in your portraits adds a significant measure of excitement but can quickly ruin an otherwise fine portrait if done incorrectly.
The goal is to incorporate the hand so that it is not only proportionally and gestural accurate, but is in agreement in personality with the expression of the face.
For instance, an agreeable facial expression juxtaposed with a clenched fist may not yield the effect you want unless you intend to add an ironic twist to your portrait. On the other hand, a hand supporting the head goes very well with a stern scowling expression.
First, absolute novices should not be trying to draw both the hand and portrait together. Things will quickly get muddled. The lesson for the absolute novice here is to get an appreciation of the significance of acquiring a solid foundation of your skill.
In a pose where a hand supports the head there is a faint forward tilt because the subject is a little bit hunched and leaning forward. For the draftsperson, this situation translates into the presence of a subtly foreshortened and reclined portrait. In the hand/head case this means that the chin is somewhat receding relative to the forehead.
As always, you should begin with the all encompassing arabesque, which in this situation, includes the hand and the shoulder. If you first draw the head and then attach the hand to it you are definitely asking for problems. The hand and the head will lack unity and will give the awkward impression that they are two different objects that are coincidentally next to each other.
When sketching the construct be aware of the negative as well as the positive spaces. In addition, do not pre-measure any aspects of the construct. It should be rendered with as much fluidity as possible without losing your sense of size. Draw first then verify.
Further build upon the construct by positioning the face, hand, and shoulder marker
s and sizes. The internal architecture of the construct is initiated by hatching-in the primedarks and painting out the lights with a putty eraser.
What you are doing is to set the stage for sketching the facial features, the hand, and the shoulder. The hand must be positioned and sized in accordance with the head and the facial features. The compression of the jaw into the palm must also be taken into account.
Utilizing a sharp pencil you can now further develop the tone and shape with hatiching, stumping down, and erasing. In this, you will be going back and forth hoping that you know when to stop. Drawing is about making decisions, i.e., knowing what to build up and, just as significant, knowing what to leave out.
In the hand/head situation you have to be particularly careful how far you develop the hand. The hand should be seen as an extra element, that is, a supporting element that should not be part of the focus. Do not feel compelled to finish every element in your sketch. Everything in rendering is about equilibrium and transferring your meaning directly to the viewer’s eye.
In conclusion, it is essential to see the hand and the shoulder as parts of one whole. Starting your sketch with striking the construct will aid you greatly with maintaining this unity. Treat the hand and shoulder as props that surround the face. This means that you should draw them in a subordinate role.
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Remi Engels is a pencil portrait artist and oil painter and skilled sketching teacher. See his work at pencil portraits.
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