Art Studio: Faces & Features: More than 50 projects and techniques for drawing and painting heads, faces, and features in pencil, acrylic, watercolor, and more!

by Walter Foster Creative Team

Overview

Art Studio: Faces & Features introduces beginning artists and art enthusiasts to the art of drawing and painting heads, faces, and expressions using a variety of mediums.

Drawing and painting heads, faces, and expressions can be an intimidating prospect for a beginning artist. Art Studio: Faces & Features is here to help, with more than 50 tips, techniques, and step-by-step projects that will have you creating expressive faces and mastering textures in all your drawings.

This intuitive guide shows you how to work with graphite and colored pencils; acrylic, oil, and watercolor paints; pastels; and even pen and ink. This range of mediums is the perfect way to experiment, build artistic confidence, and define your own unique style. Art Studio: Faces & Features makes the art of drawing expressions possible for beginning fine artists.

The Art Studio series is designed to help beginning artists venture into fine art; an overview of each art medium helps them determine which they like best.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781633226432
Publisher:	Walter Foster Publishing
Publication date:	11/06/2018
Series:	Art Studio Series
Pages:	144
Sales rank:	648,974
Product dimensions:	8.60(w) x 11.60(h) x 0.40(d)

About the Author

Founded in 1922 by artist Walter T. Foster, Walter Foster Publishing, an imprint of The Quarto Group, is the world’s leading publisher of instructional art books and kits for adults and children. Walter Foster’s diverse selection of drawing, painting, doodling, and mixed media art books and kits have created a foundation for millions of beginning, intermediate, and advanced artists looking to hone their talents, learn new techniques, and discover different mediums. From color mixing recipes and art tools to the fundamentals of drawing and painting, Walter Foster’s books cover a wide variety of topics and mediums across a broad spectrum of traditional and eclectic subject matter for artists of all skill levels. Walter Foster Publishing continues to expand its offerings every year, producing cutting-edge art-instruction books and kits for a worldwide audience.

Read an Excerpt

CHAPTER 1

PORTRAIT TECHNIQUES

Shadows & Highlights

This drawing of the head was deliberately kept in halftone (a middle value of graphite) so you can see the elements of shading more easily, without the darkest darks.

How to Light the Model

Always use one dominant light on your model. It's okay to have some general light in the room, but several competing lights directed at the model will create forms that are flat or hard to read. Below are two drawings of the same woman done with two different lighting styles. One creates a harsh look with distinct shadows and more contrast (high-contrast side lighting); the other produces a more delicate image (low-contrast front lighting).

SIDE LIGHTING This portrait was drawn in a dark room with one light positioned to the model's right. This style makes the model look older and more serious, as the contrasts create harsh shadows, deepening and creating lines on the face and neck. This type of lighting is best for giving a model an air of power.

FRONT LIGHTING This method involves using a well-lit room with one light positioned in front of the model. When using this method, position the light as far away as possible to avoid hurting the model's eyes.

Anatomy of the Head

Knowing the anatomy of the head will help you understand the basic forms beneath the skin. Listing the names of the points on the skull isn't practical for our purpose here. Instead, there is a dot at each point of the skull that you should be aware of when you draw. These points make an impression on the surface, and, if you include them, your drawings will be more accurate.

The diagram directly below includes the temporalis (on the temple) and the masseter (on the jaw) muscles. These muscles allow you to chew by pulling the jawbone. The illustration below right is a general (though not complete) diagram of the facial muscles so you can see the shapes of the muscles that lay over the bone.

FACIAL MUSCLES & EXPRESSIONS

Below is a list of the most important muscles used in facial expressions. Familiarizing yourself with them will help you understand how the muscles move to affect the shapes and bulges of the skin.

• The (eye) and the orbicularis oris (mouth) squeeze and narrow the eyes and mouth. They also close the eyes and mouth, respectively.

• The zygomaticus major is anchored on each cheekbone and inserts into a node at each side of the lips.

When they pull, they widen and raise the lips, forcing a cheek bulge under each eye. These are the main muscles for smiling.

• The procerus is in the middle of the brow ridge; the corrugator is on each side, like little wings. The orbiculares oculi (see below) work together with these muscles to create a frown.

• The frontalis contracts to create wrinkles on the forehead. It can contract in the middle alone (indicating sadness) or in the middle and on the sides (indicating surprise).

• Each levator is anchored to the skull and yanks up the side of the lip so you can sneer at other artists' drawings.

• The triangularis muscles are anchored on the jaw and tug at the nodes on the sides of the lips, pulling down the corners of the mouth.

• The mentalis is anchored below the teeth and pulls up the flesh of the chin. This creates a pout or the appearance of someone thinking (mental — get it?).

• The platysma is anchored to the fascia of the muscles on the chest. It goes up and over the front of the neck to the bottom lip and lip nodes. It tugs hard on the lips for extreme expressions. On the neck, it can contract itself into cords that stand out dramatically.

General Proportions

Proportion (the comparative sizes and placement of parts to one another) is key to creating a likeness in your drawing. Although proportions vary among individuals, there are some general guidelines to keep in mind that will help you stay on track. Before you study the diagrams and tips below, memorize these two most important guidelines:

1. The face is usually divided into thirds: one-third from the chin to the base of the nose, one-third from the nose to the brow ridge, and one-third from the brow ridge to the hairline.

2. The midpoint of the head from the crown to the chin aligns with the tear ducts.

The mouth is usually the same width as the distance between the pupils. This particular model's tear ducts are higher than the midpoint.

Heads are somewhat heart shaped. The temple (A) is wider than the cheek bone (B), which is wider than the jawline (C).

Generally, the distance between the tip of the nose and back of the head is longer than the distance from the top of the head to the bottom of the head.

To determine the width of the neck, use the features directly above each side of the neck to serve as guides for placement. To easily see this, hold up your pencil vertically in front of you, lining it up with the side of the model's neck.

Planes of the Head

It's helpful to approach the head with a general idea of what can be expected. With practice, you will automatically check for the basic forms and plane changes described below. Memorizing the planes early on will save you time.

• Artists unfamiliar with the top view of the head make errors at the brow, with the shape of the forehead, and in the head's overall length and width.

The face wedges toward the nose like this helmet. Notice the exaggerated highlights (A) and reflected light (B) on the metal.

• The neck doesn't narrow at the top, and it isn't concave at the sides (A). The body's forms bulge out (B). They can be flat but not concave (except in tiny transitions that are barely visible).

This illustration shows how the face wedges toward the center.

This illustration shows a flatter face and sharper angles at the sides of the head.

Shifts in Guidelines

When drawing the tilted head, it's essential to first measure to find the midpoint to see where it has shifted (A). Next draw lines to indicate the new positions of the features (B). A bit of shading is applied to make the horizontal lines easier to judge by.

ADJUSTING GUIDELINES As the head tilts, the curvature of the surface of the face becomes more prominent. Keep this in mind while marking your guidelines.

Facial Features

Now that you are acquainted with the basic forms and proportions of the head, let's examine the individual features that make up the face.

CHAPTER 2

BASIC SKETCHING

Drawing from Life

1 First, place the basic shape of the head with an HB pencil. The subject's head is tilted at a three-quarter angle, so shift the vertical centerline to the right a bit. Foreshorten the left eye, and draw only one nostril. Make the mouth smaller on the left side.

2 Begin to develop the eyes, nose, mouth, and eyebrows.

3 Start shading the face in the areas where the shadows lie. Use a 2B pencil to develop the hair, varying the length of your strokes and leaving some areas white for highlights. Then shade the neck using light, horizontal strokes.

4 Use a 3B pencil to add darker values to the hair, leaving the lightest areas at the top to show the light source. Use a kneaded eraser to lift out some highlights on the face and soften any strokes that are too dark.

Drawing a Baby

1 Using an HB pencil, block in the cranial mass and the facial guidelines. The head is tilted downward and turned slightly to the left. Place the eyebrows at the horizontal centerline and the eyes in the lower half of the face.

2 Add hair using soft, short strokes and a B pencil. Draw the open mouth; then add large irises and suggest the small nose. Draw a curved line under the chin to suggest chubbiness; then indicate the shoulders.

3 Add pupils and highlights to the eyes with a B pencil. Lightly sketch more of the hair and eyebrows; then shade under the chin. Shade inside the ears, refine the lips, and shade the upturned mouth.

4 With a 2B pencil, shade the irises, and then go back in and lighten the highlights with a kneaded eraser. Draw more soft strokes in the hair and eyebrows and shade the lips and face.

5 Continue shading the face; then add another light layer of shading to the lips. Use the end of a kneaded eraser to pull out a highlight on the bottom lip. Draw some light eyelashes. Create darker values in the hair and eyebrows and round out the outline of the face. Use a tortillon to softly blend transitions in the shading to make the complexion smooth.

Drawing a Child

1 Outline the face, adding the guidelines and blocking in the features.

2 Continue to build on the details and erase an unnecessary guidelines.

3 Use a 2B pencil to add details to the eyes and eyebrows; shade the lips and cheeks.

4 Darken the hair by shading with a 2B. Continue evenly shading the face and the neck; then add a few light freckles with the tip of your pencil. Darken the inside of the mouth to give the teeth form and add detail to the shirt.

Rendering Dark Skin Tones

1 With a 2B pencil, block in the basic head shape and place the features; then block in the teeth and indicate the hairline, eyebrows, and ears. Sketch the curved neck and define the chin. Then develop the eyes, ears, and teeth. Block in the hairline and neck.

2 Shade the nose, neck, and top lip. Using quick, circular strokes, start to render the short, curly hair. Then detail the eyebrows, eyes, and neckband of the shirt.

3 Continue shading the lips; then shade the gums, working around the teeth. Build up the hair with more circular strokes. Then move to the neck, using horizontal lines that curve with its shape. Notice how these lines overlap and blend into the shading.

4 Apply a light layer of shading over the entire face, always varying the direction of your strokes as necessary to follow the shapes of the different planes.

5 Continue shading the face, making the sides of the forehead a bit darker and leaving the middle area lighter to show where the light hits. Then darken the nose, leaving a highlight on the tip. Refine the shirt, curving the strokes as they go around the back of the collar. Next further shade the lips; then pull out a highlight on the top lip with a kneaded eraser. Finally go back and soften the transitions between values by very lightly blending them with a kneaded eraser.

CHAPTER 3

GRAPHITE PENCIL

Young Man

The projects on pages 48-69 are broken down into seven stages of drawing: the lay-in, plumb lines, volume, edges and outlines, tonal pattern, finishing, and polishing. This first project provides the most detail on these seven stages.

STAGE 1 THE LAY-IN and plumb lines steps ensure the success of the drawing. You can always adjust your shading, but the first measurements must be exact to achieve a likeness.

Draw an oval; then add a vertical arc (A) that follows the curvature of the model's face. Place horizontal marks at the top, bottom, and midpoint (B) of the oval. Next determine the midpoint of the model's face by extending your arm — elbow locked — and placing the tip of the pencil where you imagine the center to be and placing your thumbnail in line with the model's chin (see diagram below).

Note the form that you found at the midpoint of the face (for example, the tear ducts). Then use this to guesstimate the distances of other features from top to bottom, including hairline to brow ridge, eyes to bottom of nose, lips to chin, top to brow ridge, nose to chin, and so on.

Now raise your arm so that your thumbnail is where the tip of the pencil was. If the tip is now at the top of the model's head, you've found the center. If not, simply keep adjusting the pencil and your thumb, repeating steps 1 and 2 until your nail and the tip consistently fall halfway up the model's face (the midpoint).

STAGE 2 PLUMB LINES Now you can work on the widths. Always work out the vertical measurements first because it's easy to narrow a form but big trouble to lengthen one (in this case, everything has to move).

Use your eyes to guesstimate a rough shape that would fit between the marks you measured. This will not be a precise outline. We just want a shape that has the basic width and size of the model's features. To do this, first mark a width for each feature that corresponds to the marks you made for the lay-in (A). Then compare general sizes: How much space does the nose occupy on the face? Which takes up more space — the lips or one eye? Compare back and forth between the features. Then begin to suggest the basic shape of each feature (B).

Now use plumb lines to make sure the forms are aligned properly above and below one another. Wouldn't it be helpful to know if the tear ducts are directly above the nostrils? Does the side of the neck line up directly below the corner of the mouth? Put your pencil in front of the model's face vertically and check (A). Then place the pencil horizontally to gauge the alignments, including earlobe to nose, mouth to corner of jaw, and so on (B). Adjust the drawing accordingly.

Pay attention to negative space (the space between the forms). If you ignore it, you won't achieve a likeness and may never figure out why. The space between the forms is as important as the forms themselves. Continue checking these distances as you draw.

Always compare the two key measurements above. Hold your pencil out and have your thumbnail touch the bridge of the nose while the tip touches the ear (A). Now turn the pencil and see how this length compares with the same point on the nose to the chin (B).

STAGE 3 VOLUMES With an accurate lay-in on the paper, there's no chance of making a huge mistake, so you can relax and develop the structure on top of the plan. Faintly draw a simple volume that might protrude beneath the surface of each form. If the model were hollow, the volumes could fit inside the skin; but they are obscured by the surface of the skin. Therefore, you will shade over the volumes, erase them, and leave them, depending on what makes the drawing look more real. Having them there initially gives you a guide — a framework upon which to add details and lighting. You can't be distracted by the surface because the volumes remind you of the mass underneath.

STAGE 4 EDGES AND OUTLINES Using the volumes as guides, draw the outlines and the core shadows. The core shadows are on the edges of the shadows (A). Core shadows give the forms corners and, hence, a three-dimensional quality. When drawing the outline, try to draw one side of the form (B) and then the other (C). You can do this with the jaw, cheekbones, nostrils, and so on. Sometimes, as on this nose, you must outline one side, then turn your pencil to the side and shade the core shadow. Keep the outline faint. By the end of the drawing you should shade up to it so that it no longer appears as a line. You must also draw the edges of the cast shadow (D). The edges aren't razor sharp, but they must be very clear — especially com pared with the softness of the core. The shadow's edge will soften and lighten as it travels away from the form casting it (E). The shadow edge on the form is core (F); the edge thrown by the form is cast. Note your model's softest and sharpest shadow edges.

STAGE 5 TONAL PATTERN This should be the simplest stage. Just squint your eyes, and the model's face will become blurry and simplify into a pattern of dark and light. The brain wants to exaggerate every tone (to show how clever it is), but if you draw only what the eye sees, your drawing will be more accurate. To judge tone correctly, you must squint often. This fresher eye will tell you when an area has fooled you into inaccuracy. If the model has a lot of shadow on his face, you can experiment with drawing this tonal pattern at earlier stages (though never before the lay-in and plumb line stages). A little toning is valuable to judge proportions and decide where to outline. Try to shade in one direction for the whole head (along or across the cores). Fill in gaps and shade evenly.

STAGE 6 FINISHING Always draw with a kneaded eraser in your opposite hand so you can continually clean up mistakes as you go along. Now focus on adding correct tone (value). This consists of adding darks and halftones. The darks must be gradually blended into the halftones by repeatedly caressing the side of the 9B into the "bed" of tone (A). Darks must be shaded up to any lines either on the outline or on the edges of the cast shadows (B). Caress halftones from the outlines or the core shadows all the way up to the highlights (C). Don't shade over the highlights, hoping to erase them out. This will result in flatness. By stopping at the highlight, a clear plane change emerges. Later you can, and should, rub over and erase them out, but first you must establish a clear division between the highlight plane and the halftone plane to avoid vagueness.

STAGE 7 POLISHING As you stump, rub, and highlight, note that the head gradually darkens as it turns away from the highlight. Your blends should transition smoothly. Begin by using your stumps to rub the core shadows. Use the "cone" of the stump, not the tip. This smearing may change the tones, forcing you to reevaluate them. At stages like this, you may have to flatten your kneaded eraser and press it onto areas to lighten. Pull out highlights with your mechanical and battery erasers. Finally, drag a 9B over the chin and leave it rough to create stubble.

(Continues…)

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Excerpted from "Art Studio Faces & Features"
by .
Copyright © 2018 Quarto Publishing Group USA Inc..
Excerpted by permission of The Quarto Group.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.

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Table of Contents

TOOLS & MATERIALS, 4,
TECHNIQUES, 12,
Chapter 1: PORTRAIT TECHNIQUES, 22,
Chapter 2: BASIC SKETCHING, 40,
Chapter 3: GRAPHITE PENCIL, 48,
Chapter 4: OIL & ACRYLIC, 70,
Chapter 5: WATERCOLOR, 90,
Chapter 6: PASTEL, 118,