Brenda Hoddinott U-10 ADVANCED: FACES & FIGURES Your goal in this heavily illustrated project is to gain an understanding of how various aspects of contrast and key can enhance composition. The process includes bringing an artwork from its original concept, through compositional planning, photography, sketching accurate proportions, shading a thumbnail sketch, and rendering a contour drawing, to its finale as a profile portrait in graphite of a young man. This lesson is divided into the following four sections: PLANNING COMPOSITION: You plan the composition of a portrait by rendering a preliminary sketch (called a thumbnail). PLANNING SHADING: You add shading to the thumbnail to provide you with a guide for balancing key and contrast in the final drawing. DRAWING A DETAILED OUTLINE: The detailed contour drawing outlines accurate proportions, and cements intricate details of the overall pose. You can either completely redraw Joel on a sheet of good quality drawing paper or transfer the important aspects of your thumbnail onto good paper. ADDING SHADING: Shading always makes the greatest contribution to any drawing. This section is heavily illustrated; hence, very little instructional text is needed! However, as you work through the various shading techniques, I explain the use of key and contrast to enhance composition. Suggested drawing supplies include sketch paper, a sheet of good quality white drawing paper, various grades of pencils, kneaded and vinyl erasers, and a pencil sharpener. 14 PAGES 43 ILLUSTRATIONS This lesson is recommended for artists, with advanced drawing skills, as well as home schooling, academic and recreational fine art educators. Published by Hoddinott Fine Art Publishers, Halifax, NS, Canada, 2008
- 2 - PLANNING COMPOSITION In this section, you plan the composition of a portrait by rendering a preliminary contour sketch (called a thumbnail). A thumbnail sketch allows you to work through potential problems before you begin the final drawing. Generally speaking, thumbnails are sketched on inexpensive paper. Some artists prefer to transfer the outlines of the thumbnail to the new sheet of paper and others prefer to simply redraw the subject all over again. The final drawing is usually rendered a good quality paper, such as Arches Hot Presses Watercolor Paper. Being more than a little technically challenged when it comes to cameras, I often employ the skills of a professional photographer to help capture my artistic vision. My long time friend, Bruce Poole has taken many of the photos I use as references for drawings and paintings. To make his job a little easier, I usually render a rough sketch of the model s pose and the lighting setup I need prior to the photo shoot. From the many photos taken, I chose the one closest to my original vision and then render a more detailed thumbnail sketch. Art Speak Composition: refers to the arrangement of the various parts of your drawing subject within the borders of a drawing space. A strong composition brings the eyes of the viewer to what you consider to be the most important elements in your drawing. Focal point: is the most important center of interest (or focus) in a drawing. In a portrait it may be the eyes, the entire head, or a whole section of the body that is especially fascinating. A drawing can have more than one center of interest, known as secondary focal points. Rule of thirds: is a simplified variation of an ancient Greek compositional formula known as The Golden Mean. A rectangle is divided into thirds both horizontally and vertically. The points where these lines intersect are ideal locations for focal points. Figure 1001: Reference photo used for the drawing of Joel Allan in this project; Photography: Bruce Poole. Composing drawings of people relies on your personal preferences, and an understanding of a few fundamental compositional guidelines. A key aspect of composition is finding ways to emphasize focal points. Your choice of a primary focal point is usually the characteristic that initially attracted you this particular subject. Secondary focal points can be used to help direct the viewer s eye toward the primary focal point. Once you decide on focal points, you need to find ways to make them stand out within your drawing space. At this stage, I am already thinking about the final drawing. Modifications to the photo (Figure 1001) will include adding more details and replacing some of the black with middle values. The primary focal point will be the face. The head and clothing will serve as secondary focal points. While I rely primarily on my instincts for planning composition, I often take the Rule of Thirds into consideration. This simple formula identifies four ideal locations for focal points.
- 3 - Setting up a drawing format for a Rule of Thirds is quite easy (refer to Figure 1002). First, you draw a horizontal or vertical rectangular. Then you divide it into three equal sections both vertically and horizontally (nine sections in total). Each of the four points where the lines intersect (I ve drawn circles around them) offers a great place for a focal point. The best two are on the upper and lower right. In most of the Western world, we are taught to read from left to right. This is why the eye usually enters a drawing from the lower left. By placing a focal point on the right, the viewer is naturally brought into a drawing and toward the focal point. I plan my compositional goals with the help of a simplified version of the rule of thirds. 1) Use a ruler to draw a rectangle and divide it into nine equal sections. Refer to Figure 1003. I use a sheet of ordinary computer paper. I instinctively keep my lines very faint, but really it doesn t matter. Thumbnail sketches are kept simple and usually done very quickly. My sketch is 6 inches high by 8 inches wide; the same size as I want the final drawing. I plan to transfer an outline of my sketch to a new sheet of paper for my final drawing. Figure 1002 Figure 1003 Figure 1004 2) Sketch his head in the upper right. The upper right point is ideal for the center of his head. To bring attention to his face, the head is the largest section of the sketch. 3) Refine the sketch and plan a visual flow. Visual flow refers to the perceived order in which a viewer sees an image. Keep in mind that a viewer s eye usually enters a drawing composition from the lower left. I sketch his features and the locations of his clothing and hand. My compositional goal is to find ways to keep the viewer engaged within my drawing for as long as possible. Figure 1006 identifies seven elements that can help with the visual flow. Figure 1005
- 4 - The various parts of the figure provide me with an opportunity to keep the viewer s eye engaged within a circular flow. I hope to accomplish this by using a strong contrast in values around this circular shape. Additional aspects of shading will also help accentuate the flow and bring more attention to the face. My proposed visual flow is as follows: 1. The view s eye enters the drawing space. 2. The angle of the edge of the hand draws the viewer toward the face. 3. The outline of the nose, the curved shape of the eyebrow, and the edge of the hairline bring attention around the face. 4. The shape of the ear draws the eye downward. 5. The edge of the collar of his shirt brings the eye toward the left. 6. The other side of his collar catches the viewer s attention and brings attention up toward the hand. 7. The details of the hand bring the focus back toward the face. Figure 1006 Figure 1007 4) Double check the proportions and make any changes you wish. PLANNING SHADING In this section you add shading to the thumbnail to provide you with a guide for balancing values before you begin the final drawing. I use extremely dark and very light values beside one another to make his face stand out. 5) Use HB, 2B and 4B pencils to finish the thumbnail sketch. Refer Figures 1008 to 1011. Art Speak Contrast: is the comparison of different values when put beside one another, and is invaluable for heightening the effects of composition. High contrast shading: includes a full range of values between very light to almost black. Low contrast shading: has a limited range of values. Key: refers to the overall amounts of light and dark values in a drawing. High key: can refer to an entire drawing or a specific section(s) of a drawing that is light. The shading is mostly light values rather than dark. Even shadows are shaded with medium values rather than darks. A drawing of a white horse in a snowstorm is a fun example of high key. Low key: refers to drawings or sections of drawings that are shaded with mostly dark values. Think of a drawing of a black horse at night. Low key drawings can have high contrast sections when the darkest values are beside the lightest. Imagine a big bright full moon added to the scene with the black horse.
- 5 - High contrast shading exaggerates the facial area and the directional flow plan. Figure 1008 Figure 1009 Figure 1010 Low contrast helps to underplay less important areas such as his hand, clothing, and the background. Figure 1011 With high contrast and high key shading, his face stands out strongly as the focal point. The dark shading of the background, serves as a sharp contrast to his brightly lit facial profile. DRAWING A DETAILED OUTLINE In this section, you render a detailed contour drawing to identify the overall pose, compositional details, and accurate proportions. You can either completely redraw Joel or transfer the important aspects of your thumbnail onto a sheet of good quality drawing paper. To redraw Joel, refer to the photo in Figure 1001. You can also use your thumbnail as a guide; you may even want to tape it onto your drawing surface or drafting desk.
- 6 - To transfer the basic proportions of a thumbnail sketch to a new sheet of paper, follow along with these five simple steps: 1. Use graphite powder or the side of a 6B pencil to completely fill in the reverse side of the thumbnail sketch paper. 2. Tape the thumbnail in place on your new paper. Use very tiny pieces of tape, so the good paper isn t damaged when the thumbnail is removed. 3. Use a stylus or ballpoint pen to go over important lines. Press very gently with the pen; you don t want to dent the good paper! The graphite on the reverse side of the thumbnail, works as carbon paper. 4. Gently remove the tape and lift the thumbnail from the good paper. You are left with a very faint outline (as in Figure 1012). 5. Use a kneaded eraser to erase any graphite that has accidentally fallen onto the good paper. Figure 1012 6) Outline the face, ear, neck, hand, hair, and clothing with a freshly sharpened 2H pencil in preparation for shading. Figure 1013 Figure 1014 Figure 1015 Refer to close-ups of various features in Figures 1012 to 1023. Take your time. Don t draw final outlines directly over the transferred lines. Rather, refer to Figure 1001 and my drawings to draw your outlines more accurately. Figure 1016
- 7 - Figure 1017 Figure 1018 Figure 1019 Figure 1021 Figure 1020 Remember, if you begin to feel frustrated with a section, refer to the detail drawings of the various features. Figure 1022 Figure 1023 on the next page shows the complete outline of the drawing.
- 8 - Figure 1023 Check over your drawing and change anything you don t like. Use an eraser to clean any messy parts before continuing on to the next section. ADDING SHADING Finally, the fun begins! Shading always makes the greatest contribution to any drawing. This section is heavily illustrated; hence, very little instructional text is needed! However, I do explain the use of key and contrast in relevant sections. Figure 1024 7) Use a full range of values and 2H, HB, 2B, and 4B pencils (6B for the pupil of the eye) to add shading to the portrait of Joel. The lightest values are added to the face. The goal is to identify the highlights and leave them white. The light values then graduate from the highlights toward the sections that are in shadow. To help make the edge of the face, stand out against the dark background, the shading is mostly light values (high key).
- 9 - The primary light source is from the left. A diffused secondary light source from the right, serves to separate the back of the hair and clothing from the background. Figure 1025 Figure 1026 High contrast shading is used to make the eyes the strongest facial feature. Figure 1027 Mostly medium values, with a few dark details, give character to the face and accentuate its various forms. Slightly darker values emphasize the corners of the mouth, the nostril, the pupil of the eye, and the upper eyelid crease. Figure 1028
- 10 - Light shading is added to the hand to emphasize form and then medium values are added. The hand is less detailed and has very few highlights or dark values so as to not detract from the face. Hatching is used to begin shading the dark values of the background next to the facial profile. A dark background beside a light facial profile is an example of high contrast shading. Crosshatching lines are used to make the shading darker closer to his face. The extreme high contrast between the facial profile and the background make this section of the drawing very powerful. Figure 1029 Figure 1031 Figure 1030 Figure 1032 Figure 1033 The background shading is completed with crosshatching graduations of medium and dark values.
- 11 - Figure 1034 Figure 1035 An overall low key, low contrast background accentuates the bright facial profile. The darkest background shading continues to be next to the face. Mostly medium and dark hatching graduations (low key shading) are used to shade in his hair. Figure 1036 The only sections of hair that are light are in the front and around the edges of his head. Some sections of curls in the front are made very prominent with high contrast shading.
- 12 - Squirkles and low key, low contrast values are used to add textured shading to his vest. Figure 1037 Figure 1038 Figure 1036 Figure 1039 Figure 1040 Figure 1041 Low contrast shading also works well to complete his shirt. The shading on the upper section of the sleeve is darker that the front of the shirt.
- 13 - Examine the overall shading and adjust the values as needed. For example, you may want to use a kneaded eraser to make the lightest shading a little lighter. A 2B pencil works well to darken sections slightly. Figure 1043 shows the final drawing with the cropping I can use for framing. Figure 1042 Figure 1043
- 14 - BRENDA HODDINOTT - BIOGRAPHY As a self-educated teacher, visual artist, portraitist, forensic artist, and illustrator, Brenda Hoddinott utilizes diverse art media including graphite, technical pen, colored pencil, chalk pastel, charcoal, conté crayon, and oil paints. My philosophy on teaching art is to focus primarily on the enjoyment aspects while gently introducing the technical and academic. Hence, in creating a passion for the subject matter, the quest for knowledge also becomes enjoyable. >Brenda Hoddinott< Born in St. John s, Newfoundland, Brenda grew up in the small town of Corner Brook. She developed strong technical competencies with a personal commitment to self directed learning, and the aid of assorted Learn to Draw books. During Brenda s twenty-five year career as a self-educated civilian forensic artist, numerous criminal investigation departments have employed Brenda s skills, including Royal Canadian Mounted Police and municipal police departments. In 1992, Brenda was honored with a commendation from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, and in 1994, she was awarded a Certificate of Membership from Forensic Artists International. Her home-based art career included graphic design, and teaching recreational drawing and painting classes. As supervisor of her community s recreational art department, Brenda hired and trained teachers, and designed curriculum for several children s art programs. In 1998, Brenda chose to end her eighteen-year career as an art educator in order to devote more time to writing, drawing, painting, and developing her websites. Drawspace http://www.drawspace.com incorporates her unique style and innovative approach to curriculum development. This site offers downloadable and printable drawing classes for students of all abilities from the age of eight through adult. Students of all ages, levels and abilities have praised the simple step-by-step instructional approach. This site is respected as a resource for fine art educators, home schooling programs, and educational facilities throughout the world. LEARN-TO-DRAW BOOKS BY BRENDA HODDINOTT Drawing for Dummies: Wiley Publishing, Inc., New, York, NY, this 336 page book is available on various websites and in major bookstores internationally. The Complete Idiot s Guide to Drawing People: Winner of the Alpha-Penguin Book of the Year Award 2004, Alpha - Pearson Education Macmillan, Indianapolis, IN, this 360 page book is available on various websites and in major bookstores internationally.