Guidelines For Pencil Portrait Sketching - The Tilted Skull View Article

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Guidelines for Pencil Portrait Sketching - The Tilted Skull View

In this commentary we will study the tilted skull pose. We will consider all the differences between the tilted skull pose and the front pose.

Author: Robert Thomson

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To generate interesting fluid portraits that breathe life you must appreciate the effect of the spine on the head and shoulders.

To generate a relaxed feeling in your portraits quite often you will need to draw the head tilted. Most people when they are at ease will pose with their head slightly tilted. In this article we will point out what to look for and how to tackle the tilted head.

In the tilted head pose the subject will show a clear change of direction from the action of the torso to the tilt of the head. Also take note of where the shoulders are. The subject's shoulders will almost be aligned with the base of the nose.

With this information in mind, the first step is to measure the angle of the head's tilt (from the base of the chin to the top of the head) before sketching the arabesque. To do this hold up your pencil (or a knitting needle) at arm's length, closing one eye, and adjust the angle of the held pencil so that it relates to the angle of the tilt. Keeping your arm straight and locked you can now transpose this angle onto the sketch.

Now that the angle of the tilt is found you can strike the arabesque and validate the height/width proportion.

The axis of the features is vertical to the slanted facial angle. A common tendency while sketching is to straighten out the features so that they are horizontal to the paper. Be aware of this and ever on-guard because this tendency is delicate and is constantly trying to sneak into the sketch.

It is not a suggested practice to locate all of the features at this point. It is actually more proper to first fix the brow line and the base of the nose and work from there.

When the head is slanted you should also be aware of the effect that gravity has on the face. The skin, especially on the underside of the jaw, will be a bit pulled down. This effect is quite faint but for those of you who are expert portraitists you should capture this in your initial arabesque. If you are a novice just file this information away for future reference.

Take note, also, of the neck. The significant visible neck muscle is stretched out. Its companion is compressed. This opposite muscle action is referred to as abduction/adduction. This action of the neck always renders a beautiful effect.

Once the arabesque is positioned and you are satisfied with its accuracy relative to size and form you can sketch in the features and hatch-in the primary big darks and lights. Keep the value simple. The more complicated the lighting arrangement, the more this applies.

The tonal arrangements are worked further, but are still a bit crude and unresolved. The primary concern is the overall light effect.

There are a few items to keep in mind as you prepare to finish the sketch:

1. Ask yourself how far you should carry the sketch. You can get a good effect if you give the shoulders and upper torso an unfinished quality. Remember, drawings are not meant to resemble photographs.

2. As you gain a better understanding of the facial structure the tendency exists to draw what you know rather than what is actually there. So make sure you always pause to observe the life model or the subject in the photograph.

In conclusion, the slanted head pose is special in that the features will be centered on a slanted axis and that the stress in the shoulders will be different from one side to the other. Also the changeover from the torso and shoulders to the head should be carefully inspected.

About Author

Download my brand new Complementary Pencil Portrait Rendering Course here: Pencil Portrait Rendering Course. Remi Engels is a practicing pencil portrait artist and oil painter and practiced drawing teacher. See his work at Pencil Portraits by Remi: http://www.remipencilportraits.com Visit Tips on Pencil Portrait Rendering - The Slanted Head Pose.

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Guidelines for Pencil Portrait Sketching - The Tilted Skull View