PORTRAIT EXERCISES
M
any artists strive to find the most well
balanced or harmonious composition
in their drawings or painting as this
creates an image that’s impactful and
accessible to the viewer. Some may even shroud
the design in expressive mark making or fancy
detail but behind the façade there’s generally a
strong compositional foundation.
Most beginners just want to get painting
straight away and work things out as they go. I
prefer to do plenty of planning before beginning
a painting, even more so now as my style has
become looser and more expressive. I think
about the overall design and any preliminary
drawing before I begin painting. The drawing is
concerned not by details but rather establishing
the most important elements. To some, these
guidelines may dampen the immediacy of
getting going or the passion for the subject.
Yet without a strong design, your painting skill
will be showcased on a flimsy platform.
There are a few essentials to understand
when composing a painting that I’ve outlined in
the box opposite. A lesser-known tool is the
Japanese design concept of Notan, which
artists use to help provide balance and harmony
in drawing or paintings. Notan is relativelysimple to understand and refers to the balance
of light and dark areas. It can be used when
composing any subject as at its core is the
recognition of interesting abstract qualities that
underpin an artwork. The idea is to use a basic
black-and-white study to identify patterns of
light and dark. In doing so, details are
generalised and distracting colour is avoided.
As well as looking for interesting shapes, the
main purpose of a Notan is establishing a clear
path of light, framed by darks, which directs the
eye towards the main focal point. This is
different from using a tonal study to locate
strong contrasting shades as, in Notan, we are
trying to exaggerate interesting shapes, keeping
the most vital ones, and editing the least
important. This does away with simply copying
an image and makes the overall design or
compositional elements paramount.
When painting portraits there may seem less
need to compose the scene, especially with a
head and shoulder composition. However, when
engraining or understanding a new concept it’s
best to start relatively simple. As a genre,
portraiture could do with a shake up so anything
that contributes to a fresh perspective is a
major plus.COMPOSITION
TOOLS
SIX ESSENTIALS
FOR HARMONIOUS
PAINTINGS
1 Balance
A good composition must be
balanced to create unity
2 Contrast
Variations in tones, colours and
textures add interest
3 Depth
Consider the shape and size of
your subjects in relation to one
another
4 Repetition
Similar patterns, including
shapes or colours, can effectively
link a scene
5 Motion
Lines, such as shadows or rows
of buildings, can be manipulated
to direct the viewer’s eye
6 Emphasis
Use visual clues to draw the
viewer into areas of interest
or a focal point
AIM
Notan studies are meant to be quick, and as
such you want to avoid over-thinking or being too
self-conscious about your sketch. The aim is to
allow your brush arm to move freely as you feel
your way round a subject in paint. You will be
looking at the marks you make which means the
less contrived they are the better. Squint at the
subject to blur the detail and focus on the key
elements. If you’re computer literate, you could
adjust the photo settings of your reference
material to explore similar effects.MATERIALS
When making Notan studies I tend to avoid using
pens or pencils and opt for less precise tools
such as a flat brush or palette knives.
For these sketches, I’ve used a black or white
acrylic paint with a 0.5-inch flat brush on
300gsm paper suitable for acrylic paint.WHAT YOU WILL LEARN
To consider the path of light within a potential
subject and use that to create believable
looking faces.EXERCISE 1