Guidelines for Pencil Portrait Sketching - Sketching a Chin Supporting Hand Including Shoulders

Including a hand in your portraits adds a significant measure of excitement but can quickly ruin an otherwise fine portrait if done incorrectly.

The goal is to integrate the hand so that it is not only proportionally and gestural accurate, but is in agreement in personality with the expression of the face.

For instance, a pleasant facial expression juxtaposed with a clenched fist may not yield the effect you want unless you intend to add an ironic twist to your portrait. On the other hand, a hand supporting the head fits very well with a stern scowling expression.

First, absolute novices should not be attempting to render both the hand and portrait together. Things will quickly get muddled. The lesson for the absolute novice here is to get an appreciation of the significance of acquiring a solid foundation of your craft.

In a view where a hand supports the head there is a subtle forward tilt because the subject is slightly hunched and leaning forward. For the draftsperson, this situation translates into the presence of a delicately foreshortened and reclined portrait. In the hand/head case this means that the chin is somewhat receding relative to the forehead.

As always, you should begin with the construct, which in this situation, includes the hand and the shoulder. If you first render the head and then attach the hand to it you are really asking for problems. The hand and the head will lack harmony and will give the awkward impression that they are two different objects that are coincidentally juxtaposed.

When striking the construct be aware of the negative as well as the positive spaces. In addition, do not pre-measure any aspects of the construct. It should be drawn with as much fluidity as possible without losing your sense of size. Draw first then verify.

Further build upon the construct by situating the face, hand, and shoulder signpost
s and sizes. The internal architecture of the construct is initiated by hatching-in the maindarks and painting out the lights with a kneaded eraser.

What you are doing is to set the stage for articulating the facial features, the hand, and the shoulder. The hand must be positioned and proportioned in accordance with the head and the facial features. The compression of the jaw into the palm must also be reckoned with.

Using a sharp pencil you can now further develop the tone and shape with hatiching, stumping down, and erasing. In this, you will be going back and forth hoping that you know when to quit. Sketching is about making decisions, i.e., knowing what to build up and, just as relevant, knowing what to leave out.

In the hand/head situation you have to be particularly careful how far you develop the hand. The hand should be seen as an extra element, that is, a supporting element that should not be part of the focus. Do not feel compelled to refine every element in your sketch. Everything in rendering is about equilibrium and communicating your intent directly to the viewer's eye.

In conclusion, it is critical to see the hand and the shoulder as parts of one whole. Starting your sketch with striking the construct will help you greatly with maintaining this harmony. Treat the hand and shoulder as props that surround the face. This means that you should render them in a subordinate role.

Article Source: http://www.freetextarticles.com

Download my brand new Complementary Pencil Portrait Drawing Course here: www.remipencilportraits.com/PPDT/pencil-portrait-tutorial.html target="_blank">Pencil Portrait Drawing Course. Remi Engels is a practicing pencil portrait draftsman and oil painter and expert drawing instructor. See his work at Pencil Portraits by Remi: www.remipencilportraits.com Visit Procedures for Pencil Portrait Rendering - Rendering a Chin Supporting Hand Including S

Please Rate this Article

5 out of 54 out of 53 out of 52 out of 51 out of 5 

Not yet Rated

Click the XML Icon Above to Receive Humanities Articles Via RSS!