The Portrait chapter 11
Here the artist has begun to develop some range of tone.
The drawing has been “keyed” at this point, indicating the
lightest light and darkest dark. Every other tone in the subject
will fall between these two tonal points.
Because the model has very dark hair and the darkest dark
occurs there, the entire shape of the hair has been darkened,
which in turn makes the light side of the face appear lighter.
Be careful not to overstate the lights in the hair; the high-
lights, may appear light, but if you compare them to the
lightest lights, you will see that in reality they are usually con-
siderably darker. As the shadow is darkened in the central
area of the face close to where the shadow meets the light,
the face begins to appear rounder because of the increased
tonal contrast. Remember, contrasted tones will emerge and
less contrasted tones will recede.
In the final stage of the drawing the artist proceeded to
refine the features, mainly the sitter’s right eye. It’s crucial to
pay special attention to the eyes, as this is usually the first
place the viewer of the portrait will look. Much of the expres-
sion is carried by the eyes, but it is very important that the
mouth and musculature throughout the face be rendered to
be consistent with the facial expression that is being sought
after. The half tones in the light area of the face are added to
give form to the cheek and mouth, which are slightly flexed
to help render the gentle smile of the sitter. More attention is
given to the rendering of the hair and shirt, keeping in mind
that these areas must also be modeled with solidity, with a
consistent light source to the rest of the drawing.Portrait of Tommy, by Dean Fisher