Civardi - Drawing Portraits Faces And Figures

66 Pages·2021·90.03 MB·English

Drawing Portraits

FACES AND FIGURES

GIOVANNI CIVARDI
UK #899 US $17.95

ANNI). tN

tical art book from Search Press
THE ART OF DRAWING

Drawing Portraits

FACES AND FIGURES
Giovanni Civardi

SEARCH PRESS
Fit piel Cs tain 202 by Sch Press Limited
Wilteael North Faons Roo Taig Was, Kent TN? 3DR

iglesia aly 1994 by Castle Calan Teche

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INTRODUCTION

A portraits commonly perceived as the representation ofa human
being’ features, whether the face, heed and shou ders or the whole
body. thas always been an important theme in figurative arts and a
favourite with artists, who have found ini, not just a professionel
genre well reward and socially appreciated fr itssymbolic or
celebratory valuo, bu: a0 an interesting opportunity to investigate
the human condition in is physical and, most ofall, psychological
aspect. Is this later aspect which tends to predominate

nowadays, es photography has greally undermined the function of
the drawr aad painted portraitas the only way to reproduce and
hand down ‘or posteiy an individual's physiognomic features.

But this “documentary” aspect sas, of course, only one oF the
features oF the anistic aontrait

Using my experience as a portrait painter, lustrator and teacher,
Ihave vied o simplify ané sum up the main problems ore usua ly
comes across wher Fst tackling a ‘generic’ head drawing and,
sulbsequently, an actual portato likeness, Same subjects of
Particular importance, e.g. drawing hands, portraits of childre and
elderly people, the ull "gure portrait, and heads with unusual
features have o be dealt with in more etal and are covered in
more advances! books.

' have divided the short chapters and the accomparying
sketches according toa sequence which I have found of practical
help n teaching the rud ments of portrait technique’. have found
tis approach quickly leads to satisfying results. Ihe book covers
tools, techniques, practical considerations, anatomy, details of the
face, compesitio, lighting and aetual method, stressing te
‘overall’ view of the head.

‘These hasic technical principles can enly direct you in you" first
experierces and shauld be seen 2s suggestions on which to bull
your own study. Your subsequent artistic development will depend
on how committed you are to observation and how regulaily you
practise drawing, To this purpose, you can, when you approach
Your frst drawings resort to observing drawings done by other
antsts and taking photographs of your suoject. However, as soon as
You feel confidert in sketching the basic outlines ofthe head,
Ladvise you totry and draw fram ife, getting a patient friend to sit
for you. In the ast section ofthis book | have out together some
portrait studies which I have drawn at difierert mes and which
give an indication of how to go about tackl ng different subjects
TOOLS AND TECHNIQUES

You can daw a porta sing ay af the popular mea: pene, chareal. pastel pen
eof hem, hevaver wll produce diferent

Smooth or rouph-textured aaper card, while of coloured paper, et. The drawings showy

fn these ko pages demonstrate how ferent media eFectively render the cemples
{onc sales of the human lace an! bod

en and black Indian ink on smooth paper

appiied
oct

Pencil (8 and 26) on rough-textured paper

‘elorence sketches

bee stab, sie

thn ae 3
the and aries with ase
Compressed charcoal on paper

Stal seule. however, e sed brow

ih expos sprees at 8 16

toh verti and evocare oo ca wae eer
eee

Giarecal sre can be Blended ond srsdgcd by
rubbing can be

ioneanable

Monochromatic watercolour on mediun-extured
paper

potest

ee ale

wl end

Pen and ink, watercolour, white pastel on
Cofeared paver

nice? med
Safe i et” mania tet ere
Carpi splines sd ona
‘Seto avoid raha results of lite astheo

nite? ema
eis us to outine very biel sone
advice on pert pace’. te
Subsequent chapters some of fese
Subjects willbe developed with the help
Of elagiams znd graphic exampis.

TYPES OF PORTRAIT

Given the pret eriety oF poses 2
Fura bein ca ake on aad the
psychical wel which

Charateies every pony th
rts a woes wha me
Sthapst oe sel sth ese
‘lees ee played inthe wos
table way Wo axbreve Hen
i ae all iaivials have
thir ow hate peste and
typical novernente wich at pat of
ir tai On te lle han these
fate elements uf physical behaviou
nd sccial craton wich allow os
ioplace the sujet a te preston
fn sutuy dey beng tor an or
Ghe can therein
beret 0 type of pal
font where re subs pose
falas vada pelle, and where
a lott attention i paid
Cmpesion, the enuacrmert and the,
tt hes subedi, dcor and
Jrmal weve vel pose is
sponte a eo she i captured in
Tua pone ole caying out
CSrizonent K hat electve and
tril legacy of sant
Dloscyaply a elon at fail
{ind yuo er the ats Ts
Cegury behing so "epee
pray dat thane wre the
Stbject sane caught ning

FRAMING

Whatever type of soma, oat ne
choose howto represen the ajo
ou ean fact crs jst de hea far
prof the face or the whole ie

{ro make the portrait more exes
can be ust da jst ar the
bel inching fer intone nat ost
the eae but al the oer, the
tore andthe hans Dw bf

"etches to fi the bs! pe (one page

24) ane a composition whic ie
‘sect, well balance, sed ant

PRACTICAL ADVICE

monotonous. Avoid dispersing the
‘sual interes af the viewer ard ear in
tind that tie focal point will have»
be the face and, above all the eves.
‘ete thatthe hands can he 3s
fespressive as Be face, because oftheir
‘avert, 3s well a thet stape and
their olen the compositor. Taeetore,
i you think your models hands have
haracer do nat hese to include
them in be lawn.

supjicrs

To poray 2 husvan being you reed
rot just to oe abet eapure ar caw
thet festones, but also te hint a the
character andthe movd a Ue sd
this encapsulates the arti ety ut
2 portal I ghoushticusell >
Include some advice saeiic to the
fiterentypes 0 subjzcts you x I
fen cra Aways abt fn ya
Subject permission to ports theo
it need he, to exbit Ie Uns you
have dene

Children ‘See page 47). A Gils
Fea! is orprtonally igs tha dit
ff an adul expesally inthe skull
‘which i far bulkier than the Fee
Eyes an aslo big but the noe fs
srallard upturn the sone site
Is-inute ane te jaw ade
Drawing ehden feifiew Bet sune
they ae restless an Uo Tike bei
‘watched. Fy many instars you wal
find a phowogaph ken by supine to
avo lrimaves, sell, Chien
delicate features ne! weak seal
lisse! Lghng: svn atl Hy
fr direct surah create stony,
Shadows whic my ales he
physgromny aed cacse ther to
Falcone their ey,

Women In potas of wenn, as well
as searcing for be subjects pest
there at awry to edie the
aesttic auc Chane nil peas,
Spans the ule sug
‘ore austere id serene aes we
mate, Avi set, fle elo
fecessively hati” poses he sany
‘eases you wil ind sel dae the
‘bol gare st lates a
baclayounnd cat Fp 1 cnet
subjects parsons

‘Mea the male pontait was
tractionally more fora, representing
iy offeial image linked not just 10
the subjects pnysieal features, but
also to ther social starding
Sometmes side ighting ith ts
Interesting contrasts, hes
characters te features ane shapes 0
the male face. Young subjecs ult

Inv out befier i drain in spontaneous
oss an expressions, wile mare
Composed and ‘igritied poses, Mase
ute thatthe model does not cross his
Sims in font ot hm or apace
authortarian and of-puting

self portrait (See page 44), Alms all
iss Rave erawn, painted or sculpted
their oem porta f you do the sare,
yu sl fd tha it il help to
fonsiderabl improve your porrature
Skis Position gbarsl infer of a
mir and study your reflected face
fxpenmenting with cflerant pes of
Tighng are poses and then choose the
pose you find most comfortable and
Which snows the eal your Follow the
procedure ualine on page 32.

the eldeety Eerly people, both men
nd women, are very intersting >
‘raw because thet faces, marked by
the paeage of Hime and characterised
by ‘her everyday expressions, tll a

ony of ie and experiences. For this
sensor is easier to captore sit
jhysiegnomic eats, than ie with
‘young people, ard achiewe 4 wwe
likeness, Chore poses suited
‘wisdom and telerance which shoul
foe wit old age

‘Avoid strong and det light on be

rovlel, Even Fetective, it can easly
lead you to draw ar uniting
pra anet cn unpleasant
frphasize any iregularties of the
Skin, Note she ‘anatomic’ changes in
flderly people’ heads: wrinkles en the
fovehead. near the eyes and the
rout, and on tre neck; whining
and thieming ef the hal, hollowing of
the eyeballs
and so,

ening of ths ea,
‘THE SIZE OF THE DRAWING

tr poratdrawing the dhmensionso
the face sheald ote more than two
hide oF the eal face to ave altering
the proportions. You should wea
maxim size of 4 x 50cm

(1x 20in forthe ceawing surace,
when porteying us: the head, and
Ux 7m 20x 27 im for te whole
igure. Make sae the facets nota the
very cone ofthe daseing surace, but
sligally higher and to une side (se
page 24).

CHOOSING THE POSE

Gc page 25). Usually a poral
reproduce head and shoulders te
theta bu cul saint te
tems he hands the wl bac

the model sina valurl and
centrale poston, and tbat ee
face sre rs level wi yours
The pee soul be lad bul
leah covey the subjects character
Intense you to capire the
prychologial, as wel the physical
Tene sbi to Ghose & poe
tic highlghs he soma
Characertes of the sobjec, 0
place yourself ata distance of bent
slots. As rule he bree tuater
So neiagn el ne
Close but prtle oF ace can

ucHtING

Se page 30. Lighting shoul be
erly dfused. and from jus one
Source isindow clamp positioned
slightly higher than che subject ae
irom the sce, This wil high ight fac
features, aut will do so gently.
reversing the formation of ugly
Shadows under the noe, the lips and
around the yes. Avid imerse
Aartcial ligt Gor instance, from 3
Sperlight aswell as direc sunlight
hich eweate such effects: ey
femphasive the tiniest creases inthe
skin and afc the suber of the
modeling. In adeition, they force the
model to contac: their fatal muscles
ving a tozen, unnatcral expression.

CLOTHING

Clothes ave considerable
Importance, paicularly ir a
Fulleigure porat bth for their
‘compositional and aesthetic ‘urction,
and because they nor oni supply
intonmaticn aout he personaly
social stats, and smofional sate ot
the subject, but also about te era and
background, Thercor, leave your
model ree to choose what to waa
2nd limit yourselt to suguesting some
items of elahing which, because of
ther shape and arargemert, cen
rake the compastion uf fre drawing
more efective. Arane the foles and
notice howe diferent they look
depending on whether the rade is
Tight rel sot ots of ile tole) ot
heawy an! sti a few tie told
although in bot cases they racine
‘rom the topo the centres of tens on
shoulders, elaovs, knees, te, raw
the fales which, due to thei direction
and siz, ae the most significant ane
ignore the m nor ones which soul
Get contusion. In sve
‘crcumstances, partial uct
‘shoulders, breast or back, tor
ftance car eshanee the pena ot
female subjects wth a paicalarly
‘vie and strong personality ee
paige 56

HAR

Hair ios aol an in elation to
colour, quantity. and quality ofthe
fut is essential to characterne 9 Face
The aris can aes ack to improve
the composition af a porrit, by
weskering or enhancing, by contrast,
the mead’ physica tats,
AF yo draw femal byes vbw
thick go for sire,
tidy, well-cu e Hi soald be
treat as whole, Capture ts colour
rnd vera frm ad ty to pick out
the most significant lacks, OF thes,
assess areas of shade ad light ad
Tines of sesoration se dared
sol sig ic hits ane
Single Fairs» you wil need jst Few
fine and shop strokes tr surges ther
Use fairly at pene te dra Bek

directions, to aehveve nasil “weave
like” efecs

cae the hairline very
corel, making & regulon and soe
‘and pay parte attri to the
forehead end the temples,

THE BACKGROUND

A potait equires a background wrich
is plain and unostrsive, in shades
swhien don’ clash with one anther oF
‘weaken the subjecrs appearance,
Betors you star, decide whether a
lige background tse white ofthe
ger, tor stance ora dak one i
tab. In some cases the subject
Suroundings worksiace, house,
{gaten, et.) car act 3¢ background
‘reat tas it were a landscape a” an
interne making sure, however, ‘hat it
‘dosent rvershacow the tac cr the
igs.

HOW TO GET A LIKENESS

As we know, porwayirg a harman
Subject means porce'sing and)
represen oth te phisical and the
psychological aspect of the model
To achieve a phsical likeness ce
page 321 pay particular attention ta
the over she of the hes chaw ng
from the general tothe aarecular)
and exactv evaluace your subjeces
proportions, both in the face as a
tohle and benwsen fs elements (eye,
rose, mouth, ete) To achieve a
payehologcal likeness, comene
your med), ty to uncersand their
Sharacter pre‘erences, habs, and
Sibverve the envrorment where trey
live and work Of course this is not
always possible, but it can be ve
tefl 10 give you en iden ofthe most
sultabe pose and which aspects of

ir characte ave worth highlighting
oF arg to the for.

vith
TECHNICAL AIDS
Photography

Phor~gany use 0 record
spontaneous snd fleeting rages ofthe
Subject, to ave a point of erence
vahen lent posi eto organise
sitiags, and 9 partay eleren.

Take photographs youre modern
auiomaie caments make this easy
fever Ifyou are not an exper as hey
Should be a temo reference rater
than images t9 copy passively. Allow
for perspective cistomion and, to avoie
frredce fda 9 get ton lose
the subject. Use. Hf possible, ears
Iigning and avoid fash whic is
Unstable for poarature|

sketches

Get .sed to doing plenty of ite
Skeet scythe a lines ofthe
face and figure f he sunject you are
Sowing especialy Ifyou are working
from Ie. clauge the best

‘compos tion, he ros" suitable
igning the mos carvenient
limeasions, ec. by walking around
your subject. These shetches, ever
lone qcicky, requ e caret
fbkervation, alos 3 commisment
‘plore the aesheric possibilities
fered by the model. I ay be rom
"hem that a successul porvait
depends, After you have hecome more
fexperenced at drawing the face, you
‘may want 0 8 pasting ther you
wll ne useful ta do = preliminary
Study. more comple than he
Skeees, to help you sr cut any
Seshetc problers and r9 rote din
fil the Inormation which you wil
heed forthe define work

larging

whether you are plarning an accurate
lowing, or you ate anterpting "9
ppanca colour poet, you wil need
Tortace on the definitive suppor
{paper canuas, ead ete.) the outline
{whlea will serve as a hase or

‘Work. To chs fe, you can, atleast
‘a sar wh, take advannage of a
umber of devices t eforessty
enlarge a sketch oF even a pharograph
tare deren dimensions. You can use
an ordinary slide projector to meurify
the image on tothe suppor and race
the face or figures main contours,

Altermatively, you caa use a>
episcape an qatcal tol which a lens
you ta enlarge ard projec images
For enanue supporsipactograpic
iwirts setcher @ rete!
clocopies oF deawings and painting,
cc, These are practical devies,
lost “rick wich may even harm
‘one attic growth if ane becomes
‘dependent on “hem. More appropriate,
bbeteoee, isthe “rid of squares
Frethod, ivhich is well kranan even at
school level Draw a gid of squares
on the image tobe eplaged whether
2 chawing or photograph) and then
transier tha same gre, with te same
umber of squares, enlarged to the
Tneger sufaceYou can then asily
\ranster svoses within ine ial
sqquntes keeping them in propoion.

The working envionment

Ifyou have your own sutio, or at
lene a room in fe place where you
live and you are determined to dovete
yourself hoy and soul to porteiture,
ou will ind some furnishing
Eecostores rater useful, Far example
char an armchair or a small cxuch
forthe subject be camforiable ane
relaxes en while sing: a lamp
sihieh wl allow yeu t adjust the
intensiy ofthe ighing so thatthe
‘model i propel lit adic ora
Eimall TV to make posing less of
burden for your ster ‘and fer you,
Remember" allow for eruerthreaks
ane 16 fake ackantage of these
intewvals to study your subject
clifrent expressions and poses

Now can place year support on an
‘easel 0% che siting surface of 2 special
table br, more cen, twill be
Sufieient to place itn a sif board
imede of wood, cardhoard er MDP,
50 x fem 120 234% in, ard which
you can res on you" knees. This
imple equipment, together with your
lavoutite ering media, will comme in
seul when working cuter, in
Public places or tan ope this
happen soon} shen going ta the Fuse:
1f somecne who has enrmsioned
you te do a pont