22 Artists Magazine December 2019
Build DRAWING BOARD
THE SIDEWAYS GLANCE
Once my side-view setup is in place, my working process is no different than it would be
for any other drawing or painting. Here’s how I leverage this configuration.STAGE ONE
I start loosely, usually with a simple circular
scribble to get a feeling for where I want to position
the head on the canvas. I use highly erasable vine
charcoal so I can reposition the head or the
proportions of my features more easily.STAGE TWO
I gradually block in the features, using angles to flesh
out the specific curvature of the head, hair and more
rounded forms of the forehead, nose and chin. In any
side view, it’s crucial to compare widths against
lengths to avoid the common problem of making the
head too narrow. I start by measuring the distance
between the eye and the corner of the mouth (A-B)
and between the eye and the ear (A-C). On average,
these are similar distances. I then often drop a plumb
line down from the forehead to observe how much
muzzle projects outward beyond it, while also
extending a horizontal plumb from the ear to the back
of the head to ensure there’s enough skull. Using a dry,
stiff brush, I’ll sometimes thin out the width of the
charcoal line to make it more precise and accurate.ABC