Artist's Drawing & Inspiration - USA (2019-09)

12 ArtistDrawingandInspiration

DEMONSTRATION

ARTIST’S HINTS AND TIPS

• It is best to print the photograph
  horizontally flipped so that
  when you trace the portrait
  and place it on the paper it is
  viewed the same as the original
  photograph. Also print out a
  smaller copy of the photograph
  so you can use it as reference
  when drawing the portrait.


• For portraits like this in which the
  head is cropped to the edges of
  the frame, it is more aesthetically
  pleasing to have a white border
  around the portrait rather than
  having the drawing go all the way
  to the edges of the paper. To do
  this use masking tape and place it
  around the perimeter of the paper

you are using. Be sure to take

away some of the glue from the

tape first by sticking it to clothing

or even carpet before using

it. This will make the masking

tape much less sticky and make

it easier to remove without

ripping the paper when the

portrait is done. When removing

the tape be sure to remove it

very slowly and carefully.

• The larger range of pencils
  you use will give you a wider
  range of tonal values in your
  portrait and create more depth


• When drawing the portrait and
  building up tone you should
  work left to right if you are right

handed and right to left if you are

left handed. This will help reduce

smudging the portrait as you work

• You should always use a scrap
  piece of clean paper to rest your
  hand on that you are drawing with
  so that it does not smudge the
  drawing underneath your hand.


• Spray the portrait with
  fixative at least every step
  of the drawing or as often
  as you feel it is needed.


• I try not to use an eraser as they
  create an oily texture where
  they are used in the portrait,
  but if you do choose to, use
  a rubber use a good quality
  eraser and/or a putty eraser.

STEP ONE

After finding the photograph you
want to use, use a sheet of tracing
paper and a 2H or H pencil to trace
the main facial features of the person.
This will give you accurate placement
of the person’s face and its features.

STEP TWO

Flip over the tracing paper, so that
the traced drawing is underneath and
place it on the paper you are using to
draw on. Use some masking tape to
hold the image in place whilst you

use a coloured pencil and go around

the lines you can see that you have

drawn, and rub them down onto the

paper. This will create marks from

the pencil you used to trace the

image and create an outline of the

portrait on the paper underneath.

Spray the outline with fixative to

avoid smudging when drawing.

STEP THREE

Once you have the outline drawn

up you can start to build up tone.

Although the way I was taught to

build up tone was on the drawing as

a whole (starting with lights all over

and building up the dark tones all

over), I much prefer to build up the

drawing in sections as I work better

seeing the lights to darks straight

away. Use a 2B pencil at first with

detailed areas such as the eyes, mouth

and hands, working your way up

to 3B and 4B. For tone around the

face and hands lightly use a 4B first

before using it with more pressure.

For dark areas around the face, the

hair and the clothing, use a 5B or

an even softer pencil if preferred.

STEP THREE- CONTINUED STEPTHREE-CONTINUED