Portrait Sketch

Even though the portrait sketch was done spontaneously in such setting where the artist did not know how long the sitter would be available to pose, the artist decided to use more time-consuming and safe step by step approach.

The portrait sketch was done quickly from a live sitting, using an hb pencil, charcoal, kneaded eraser, on a strathmore medium textured paper.Even though this sketch was done spontaneously in such setting where the artist did not know how long the sitter would be available to pose, the artist decided to use more time-consuming and safe step by step approach.

Using a pencil, the artist started to lightly block in the figure using mainly the straight lines. He focused on achieving accurate shapes, proportions, and dimensions, doing a quite a bit of comparative measuring.

To measure comparatively, the artist basically drew in some vertical lines down the subject, equally spaced in between one another. You can see 5 lines here lightly marked in. Then the artist made sure that those lines would fall down over the same way it does on the live subject as it does on his drawing.

Using straight lines enabled the artist to simplify the shapes and avoid complications. The artist took time with this stage of establishing an accurate lay-in, so he can avoid any major mistakes that may occur in the long run.

Unlike an oil painting, it is very difficult to correct and cover up mistakes in a pencil drawing as the paper surface has its limits and mistakes would easily show through. So we recommend taking time with each step, especially when you are learning how to draw and not rush into completing the drawing. If a drawing is completed fluidly without mistakes step by step, it would result in a fresh appearing portrait sketch!

Now that the artist feels solid with the block-in he has established for this portrait sketch, he started to render with the final marks. First the artist marked in the darkest darks he saw on the subject, using a charcoal. By establishing the darkest dark early on, the artist can easily work out the values, comparing all values to fall between the darkest dark he has marked, with the white of the paper.

So here, the artist renders the face with subtle values, making down the darks and lights he sees in front of him. He blended with stomp took as well as fingers. Kneaded eraser was also used to alter things and also as a drawing tool, picking up lights, etc. The brick compressed charcoal stick was used to fill in the dark hait of the subject. The eyes were carefully rendered, taking extra care to leave the whites of the paper for the highlights of the eyes. Artist always considers the roundness of the forms and how the lights falls on it to give lifelike 3-dimensional effect.

The artist evaporated outward from the head to indicate the rest of the subject with mostly lines. The artist marked the lines so they would wrap around the forms of the draperies, to indicate how things are coming forward and going backwards, etc.

The artist decided to leave the body unfinished to focus on the portrait sketch

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