Figure Drawing: The Portrait

Learn about the bone structure and proportion of the human head, then add expression to create accurate portraits.

Introduction

• Figure drawing: The portrait
• Courses to support your portrait practice
• Using the exercise files

1. The Skull

• Visualizing subcutaneous skeletal landmarks
• Learn the frontal proportions of a skull
• Learn the 3/4 view proportions of a skull
• Learn the profile proportions of a skull
• Challenge: Draw a skull from three views
• Solution: Draw a skull from three views

2. The Features

• Draw eyes
• Draw a nose
• Draw a mouth
• Draw ears
• Challenge: Draw three views of each feature
• Solution: Draw three views of each feature

3. Expressions

• Understand muscles acting on the forehead and eyes
• Understand muscles acting on the mouth and nose
• Challenge: Draw expression and emotion
• Solution: Draw expression and emotion

4. X-Ray Vision: Overlaying Features

• Overlay features on a frontal skull, attach neck/shoulders
• Overlay features on a 3/4 skull
• Overlay features on a profile skull
• Challenge: Draw features on top of a skull
• Solution: Draw features on top of a skull

Conclusion

• Demo: Putting it all together
• Next steps