Uh-oh, it looks like your Internet Explorer is out of date.
For a better shopping experience, please upgrade now.
Overview
Product Details
| ISBN-13: | 9781633227835 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Foster, Walter Publishing, Incorporated |
| Publication date: | 05/07/2019 |
| Series: | How to Draw & Paint Series |
| Edition description: | Revised ed. |
| Pages: | 40 |
| Product dimensions: | 10.25(w) x 13.75(h) x 0.12(d) |
About the Author
Read an Excerpt
CHAPTER 1
Tools & Materials
Graphite pencil artwork requires few supplies, and fortunately they are fairly inexpensive. Choose professional pencils and paper, rather than student-grade materials; they will last longer and ensure a higher-quality presentation.
Pencils
Pencils are labeled based on their lead texture. Hard leads (H) are light in value and great for fine, detailed work, but they are more difficult to erase. Soft leads (B) are darker and wonderful for blending and shading, but they smudge easily.
Medium leads, such as HB and F, are somewhere in the middle. Select a range of pencils between HB and 6B for variety. You can purchase wood-encased pencils or mechanical pencils with lead refills.
Wooden Pencil The most common type of pencil is wood-encased graphite. These thin rods — most often round or hexagonal when cut crosswise — are inexpensive, easy to control and sharpen, and readily available to artists.
Flat Carpenter's Pencil Some artists prefer using a flat carpenter's pencil, which has a rectangular body and lead. The thick lead allows you to easily customize its shape to create both thick and thin lines.
Mechanical Pencil Mechanical pencils are plastic or metal barrels that hold individual leads. Some artists prefer the consistent feel of mechanical pencils to that of wooden pencils; the weight and length do not change over time, unlike wooden pencils that wear down with use.
Woodless Graphite Pencil These tools are shaped like wooden pencils but are made up entirely of graphite lead. The large cone of graphite allows artists to use either the broad side for shading large areas or the tip for finer strokes and details.
Graphite Stick Available in a full range of hardnesses, these long, rectangular bars of graphite are great tools for sketching (using the end) and blocking in large areas of tone (using the broad side).
Paper
Paper has a tooth, or texture, that holds graphite. Papers with more tooth have a rougher texture and hold more graphite, which allows you to create darker values. Smoother paper has less tooth and holds less graphite, but it allows you to create much finer detail. Plan ahead when beginning a new piece, and select paper that lends itself to the textures in your drawing subject.
Blending Tools
There are several tools you can use to blend graphite for a smooth look. The most popular blenders are blending stumps, tortillons, and chamois cloths. Never use your finger to blend — it can leave oils on your paper, which will show after applying graphite.
Stumps Stumps are tightly rolled paper with points on both ends. They come in various sizes and are used to blend large and small areas of graphite, depending on the size of the stump. You can also use stumps dipped in graphite shavings for drawing or shading.
Tortillons Tortillons are rolled more loosely than a stump. They are hollow and have one pointed end. Tortillons also come in various sizes and can be used to blend smaller areas of graphite.
Facial Tissue Wrap tissue around your finger or roll it into a point to blend when drawing very smooth surfaces. Make sure you use plain facial tissue, without added moisturizer.
Chamois Chamois are great for blending areas into a soft tone. These cloths can be used for large areas or folded into a point for smaller areas. When the chamois becomes embedded with graphite, simply throw it into the washer or wash by hand. Keep one with graphite on it to create large areas of light shading. To create darker areas of shading, add graphite shavings to the chamois.
Erasers
Erasers serve two purposes: to eliminate unwanted graphite and to "draw" within existing graphite. There are many different types of erasers available.
Kneaded This versatile eraser can be molded into a fine point, a knife-edge, or a larger flat or rounded surface. It removes graphite gently from the paper but not as well as vinyl or plastic erasers.
Block Eraser A plastic block eraser is fairly soft, removes graphite well, and is very easy on your paper. Use it primarily for erasing large areas, but it also works quite well for doing a final cleanup of a finished drawing.
Stick Eraser Also called "pencil erasers," these handy tools hold a cylindrical eraser inside. You can use them to erase areas where a larger eraser will not work. Using a utility razor blade, you can trim the tip at an angle or cut a fine point to create thin white lines in graphite. It's like drawing with your eraser!
CHAPTER 2SHADING TECHNIQUES
The key to transforming flat, simple shapes into convincing, lifelike forms is employing a variety of shading techniques. These contrasts in value (the relative lightness or darkness of a color or of black) are what give depth and form to your drawings.
Creating Depth
Separating the dark values of your shading from the light areas and highlights of your drawing helps produce a sense of depth and volume. When creating highlights, you can either "save" the white of the paper by leaving areas of the paper white, or you can "retrieve" highlights by pulling out the value — removing graphite from the paper using the edge of a kneaded eraser that has been formed to a point. Value tells us more about a form than its outline does, so use a variety of techniques to create a range of shades and highlights.
Seeing Values This value scale shows the gradation from black — the darkest value — through various shades of gray, ending with white — the lightest value.
Shading to Create Form Shading must be added to create the illusion of depth. The plain circle to the left is simply a flat disk; but adding shading gives it form, creating a three-dimensional sphere.
Practicing Basic Techniques
By studying the basic shading techniques below, you can learn to render everything from a smooth complexion and straight hair to shadowed features and simple backgrounds. Whatever techniques you use, though, remember to shade evenly. Shading in a mechanical side-to-side direction, with each stroke ending below the last, can create unwanted bands of tone throughout the shaded area. Instead try shading evenly, in a back-and-forth motion over the same area, varying the spot where the pencil point changes direction.
Hatching Hatching is a shading technique in which you make a series of parallel strokes placed closely together.
Crosshatching Cross hatching is a shading technique in which you make a series of crisscrossed hatching strokes.
Gradating To create graduated values (from dark to light), apply heavy pressure with the side of your pencil, gradually lightening the pressure as you stroke.
Blending To smooth out the transitions between strokes and create a dark, solid tone, gently rub the lines with a blending stump or tissue.
PENCIL STROKES
Learning to draw requires a certain amount of control and precision, so get used to the feel of a pencil in your hand and the kinds of strokes you can achieve. Before you begin sketching, experiment with different pencil grips to see how they affect the lines you produce. Fine detail work is more easily accomplished with a sharp pencil held as though you were writing, whereas shading is best done with the side of your pencil, holding it in an underhand position. Practice holding the pencil underhand, overhand, and in a writing position to see the different lines you can create. You can also vary your strokes by experimenting with the sharpness or dullness of your pencil points. A sharp point is good for keeping your drawings detailed and refined; the harder the lead, the longer your pencil point remains sharp and clean. A flat point or chisel point is helpful for creating a wider stroke, which can quickly fill larger areas. Create a flat or chisel point by rubbing the sides of a pencil on a sandpaper block or even on a separate sheet of paper.
CHAPTER 3BASIC ANATOMY
When drawing faces, it is important to be aware of the underlying structures of the head. Although the bones and muscles aren't visible in a final portrait, they provide the framework for the drawing, establishing the shape of the head and guiding the placement of the features. Having an understanding of the basic anatomy of the head will lend realism and credibility to your drawings.
Understanding Bone Structure Becoming familiar with the bones of the skull and the way they affect the surface of the skin is essential for correctly placing prominent features of the head.
Understanding Muscle Structure When facial muscles contract, they affect the shape of the skin, cartilage, and underlying fatty tissues that cause the bulges, furrows, and other forms that create various facial expressions.
Seeing the Skull in Profile The length of the skull is just shy of its width.
Visualizing the Muscles The large muscles of the neck and the clavicle bone twist when the head is turned. The muscles and clavicle are visible, even underneath the skin.
THE EFFECTS OF LIGHT
Lighting the Planes from Above When light comes from above, the more prominent planes of the face — such as the bridge of the nose and the cheekbones — are highlighted. The eyes, which recede slightly, are shadowed by the brow; the sides of the nose, bottom of the chin, and underside of the neck are also in shadow.
Lighting the Planes From the Side Features are shaded differently when light hits the side of the face: The eyes are still in shadow, but the side of the face and neck are now highlighted. The shading on the head becomes darker as it recedes toward the neck; the sides of the cheeks appear "sunken"; and the ear casts a shadow on the back of the head.
Shading the Planes of the Face Many types and values of shadows contribute to the piecing together of all the planes of the face. Core shadows — or the main value of the shadows — are a result of both the underlying structure and the light source. Protruding objects, such as the nose, produce cast shadows. Highlights are most visible when directly in the light's path; here the light source is coming from above left, so the lightest planes of the face are the top of the head and the forehead. The darkest areas are directly opposite the light source, here the left side of the subject's face and neck. Even in shadow, however, there are areas of the planes that receive spots of reflected light, such as those shown here on the chin and under the eye.
CHAPTER 4ADULT PROPORTIONS
Understanding the basic rules of human proportions is imperative for accurately drawing the human face. Understanding proper proportions will help you determine the correct size and placement of each facial feature, as well as how to modify them to fit the unique, individual characteristics of your subject.
Establishing Guidelines Visualize the head as a ball that has been flattened on the sides. The ball is divided in half horizontally and vertically, and the face is divided horizontally into three equal parts.
Placing the Features Use these guidelines to determine the correct placement and spacing of adult facial features.
Looking Up When the head is tilted back, the horizontal guidelines curve with the shape of the face. Note the way the features change when the head tilts back.
Looking Down When the head is tilted downward, the eyes appear closed, and much more of the top of the head is visible. The ears appear higher.
Simplifying the Profile To draw an adult head in profile, start by blocking in the cranial mass with a large circle. Add two curved lines that meet at a point to establish the face and chin. Place the ear just behind the vertical centerline.
Placing the Features The nose, lips, and chin fall outside the circle, whereas the eyes and ear remain inside. The slanted, broken lines indicate the parallel slant of the nose and ear.
Drawing a Three-Quarter View In a three-quarter view, the vertical centerline shifts into view. More of the left side of the subject's head is visible, but you still see only the left ear. As the head turns, the guidelines also curve, following the shape of the head.
Distorting the Features When the head turns, the eye closest to the viewer (in this case the left eye) appears larger than the other eye. This is a technique called "foreshortening," in which elements of a drawing are distorted to create the illusion of three-dimensional space; objects closer to the viewer appear larger than objects that are farther away.
CHAPTER 5ADULT FEATURES
If you're a beginner, it's a good idea to practice drawing all the facial features separately, working out any problems before attempting a complete portrait. Facial features work together to convey everything from mood and emotion to age. Pay attention to the areas around the features, as well; wrinkles, moles, and other similar characteristics help make your subject distinct.
EYES
Make a circle for the iris first; then draw the eyelid over it. (Drawing an entire object before adding any overlapping elements is called "drawing through.") Note that part of the iris is covered by the eyelid.
Draw through a circle for the eye first; then draw the eyelid around it. In a profile view, the iris and pupil are ellipses; the top and bottom of the iris are covered by the upper and lower eyelids.
Start shading the iris, drawing lines that radiate out from the pupil. Then add the eyelashes and the cast shadow on the eyeball, working around the highlight on the iris.
To draw eyelashes in profile, start at the outside corner of the eye and make quick, curved lines, always stroking in the direction of growth. The longest lashes are at the center of the eye.
Continue shading the iris, stroking outward from the pupil. Then shade the eyelid and the white of the eye to add three-dimensional form.
When shading the eyelid, make light lines that follow the curve of the eyelid. The shading in the iris radiates out from the pupil.
Rendering Eyes Once you are comfortable with drawing the eye itself, start developing the features around the eye, including the eyebrows and the nose. Be sure to space adult eyes about one eye-width apart from each other. And keep in mind that eyes are always glossy — the highlights help indicate this. It's best to shade around the highlights, but if you accidentally shade over the area, you can pull out the highlight with a kneaded eraser.
VARYING QUALITIES
There are several characteristics that influence the final impression that a pair of eyes give: The shape of the eye, position of the eyebrows, length and thickness of the eyelashes, and number of creases and wrinkles. Study the examples below to see how these different elements work together.
NOSES
Rendering Noses To draw a nose, first block in the four planes — two for the bridge and two for the sides (see "Combining Features" on the next page). Then study the way each plane is lit before adding the dark and light values. The nostrils should be shaded lightly; if they're too dark, they'll draw attention away from the rest of the face.
EARS
Dividing the Ear The ear is shaped like a disk that is divided into three parts: the rim, the bowl, and the lobe.
Sizing the Ear The ear usually connects to the head at a slight angle; the width is generally about one-half of the length.
Developing the Ear in Profile First block in the general shape, visually dividing it into its three parts. Next start shading the darkest areas, defining the ridges and folds. Then shade the entire ear, leaving highlights in key areas to create the illusion of form.
LIPS
To draw lips, first sketch the basic outline. The top lip slightly protrudes over the bottom lip; the bottom lip is also usually fuller than the top lip.
Next begin shading the planes of the lips. The shading on the top lip curves upward, and the shading on the bottom lip curves downward.
Continue shading, making the darkest value at the line where the lips meet. Pull out some highlights to give the lips shine and form.
(Continues…)
Excerpted from "Drawing Faces & Features"
by .
Copyright © 2006 Debra Kauffman Yaun.
Excerpted by permission of The Quarto Group.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.
Table of Contents
Tools & Materials, 2,
Shading Techniques, 4,
Basic Anatomy, 6,
Adult Proportions, 8,
Adult Features, 10,
Capturing a Likeness, 14,
Drawing from Life, 16,
Approaching a Profile View, 18,
Working with Lighting, 20,
Including a Background, 22,
Developing Hair, 24,
Depicting Age, 26,
Creating Facial Hair, 28,
Child Proportions, 30,
Drawing Child Features, 32,
Rendering a Baby, 34,
Capturing Details, 36,
Establishing Values, 38,