The Complete Book of Drawing Techniques

(Darren Dugan) #1
49

Pencil projects

STEP BY STEP DRAWING OF A HEAD


The illusion of volume is central to the
success of the following portrait, which I
built up in a series of six drawings. I used a
2B pencil and cartridge paper, but almost
any pencil would do, as would any type of
paper. You might like to practise drawing
ellipses, cylinders, eggs or ovoids before
starting.


1.









METHOD

1/ Draw the shape of an egg/ovoid. Try
to do this with a free, expansive movement,
sensing the shape rather than using your eye
to gauge it precisely. Repeat the shape several
times, drawing over your original lines, as I
have done here. Now draw an ellipse, as
shown, to give the shape the appearance of
form.
2/ Create the basic form of the neck by
adding a cylinder to the bottom of the egg
form.
3/ Draw in outline the back of the head.
Now extend the ellipse to meet these lines,
giving the form of the skull. The lines of the
ellipse are called cross-sectional analysis
lines. They enable you to have a full visual
understanding of the form and a sense of the
back, front and sides of the head you are
creating. These lines also provide the illusion
of volume.
4/ Now we begin to build the face. Draw
two parallel lines at a slight angle from the
centre plane of the forehead. This appears as
a wedge protruding out of the front plane of
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