Work In Progress: Raine, Update 3
Using the guidelines as I developed them in the last Update, I was able to rough in the facial features. At first I didn’t try for detail, just to get in the general shapes within the guides that I drew in. I was careful, though, to stay within those guides.
Doing the eyes first allowed me to use the inside and outside corners as additional reference points to draw in the wings of the nose. The center of the brow ridge also can serve as a good reference point, along with the top of the head and the center of the chin. The eye corners can also be used to check the mouth corners against the chin and head top reference points.
As I refined the facial features I slowly lightened or erased the guidelines.
The final stage of this rough in involved outlining the shaded areas. The shade forms also define the features of the face and can be used to check the placement of the eyes, nose and mouth. I found that with each stage in the refinement process, I made further adjustments in shape and placement of the features. To help draw in the shade outlines, I converted the original photo to black and white and strengthened the contrasts to simplify the shadow forms.
After the rough in, I went to work on details by looking closely at the reference photo and drawing them in. The more accurate I am in the pencil drawing, the better start I will have on the color stage. It’s a time consuming process for me, making little adjustments here and there, checking measurements and angles as I go, making additional adjustments. With each little change the likeness improves.
For me, and this particular portrait, the process of producing a pencil likeness was more difficult than others I have done. And I think the reason it was more difficult is that I’m not used to developing my pencil drawings on a vertical easel. I think I have a little less control of the pencil. I’m more used to working on an inclined drawing board, where I have more control and support. I had to redraw lines and check angles and distances more than I liked. Near the end of the refinement, I finally removed the drawing from the easel and finished it on my drawing board. Maybe with more practice I’ll get better at working vertically. I had no problems with the portrait of Peaches, and completed the whole portrait, from start to finish, on a vertical. Maybe I just wasn’t at my best this past week. Anyway, I had to work harder on Raine’s portrait.
Through continued checking of angles and distances I continued the adjustments and developed a good pencil likeness. The drawing is now ready for transfer to the final paper and I can begin the color stage.
