58 Artists&Illustrators
RENAISSANCE DRAWING
DEMO
1
Drawthemidlineoftheface
witha sanguinepencil.Findthe
perpendicularlinerunningthroughthe
cornersoftheeyes.Thesetwolines
helpestablishthetiltandangleofthe
head.Withthoseinplace,layinmore
generalproportionalguidelines,such
astheheightandwidthofthehead
andtheplacementofthefeatures.
Confirmtheplacingofthoseagainst
themodelusingthesight-sizemethod.
It is importanttoestablishallthe
proportionsaccurately,asthisstage
laysthefoundationfortherestofthe
portrait.Uselightpressureonthe
pencilatthebeginningtomake
correctionspossible.If youdrive
pigmentdeepintothetoothofthe
papertoosoon,it willbenotpossible
toeraseit completely.Svetlana materials
•Paper
Canson Mi-Teintes 160gsm
‘Moonstone’ paper, 41x32cm
•Colour
Conté à Paris charcoal pencils in H,
HB, 2B; Derwent dark charcoal and
sanguine pencils; Conté à Paris
sanguine and white pencils
•Kneaded eraser
•Paper blending stumps2
Continue building upon the
construction lines, adding some
indication of plane changes and
mapping out the shadow areas, such
as eye sockets, the dark side of the
face, the hair, and the shadows cast
by the nose and chin.
Unify and connect all the shadow
shapes by blending them with a paper
stump, leaving no gaps between
pencil marks.3
So far, sanguine has been
used for the middle values
only so it is time to push the
value scale in both directions by
adding black to the darker areas and
white to the highlights. I find it helpful
to establish the extreme ends of my
value scale fairly early, because it
makes it much easier to orchestrate
the middle values in between.
Everything is relative, and everything
you add to your drawing alters the
perception of the other elements.
If mid-tones seem dull, one can spend
hours trying to correct them, while all
you may need to do is deepen the
cast shadows or lighten the highlights.4
Continue to refine the drawing,
gradually adding more details and
paying particular attention to the
colour temperature. While it is the
light-shadow balance that makes a
drawing look three-dimensional, it is
the warm-cool temperature shifts that
make the skin tones appear lifelike.
Add more sanguine where it is
needed, such as the corners of the
eyes, the nostrils, the line separating
the lips, the cheeks, the shadows
cast by the hair onto the skin. These
small warm accents will immediately
make the portrait come alive.ABOVE Liza,
charcoal, sanguine
and conte crayon
on paper, 42x32cm5
To finish the drawing, carefully
review the likeness and tweak the
expression, taking as much time as
needed until it looks right. Add more
volume and texture to the hair and
clothes. Check that the “catch” lights
in the eyes are balanced and add the
reflected light elsewhere where it is
needed. Finish by softening or
sharpening some edges to add more
variety and visual interest.
Svetlana’s next exhibition runs from
5-16 May 2020 at D Contemporary Gallery,
London W1. http://www.svetlanacameron.comTop tip
Use a bristle fan brush
for fine blending and
removing excess
pigment from
the paper