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OBSERVING FACIAL FEATURES – Gareth Reid
Portrait Artist of The Year and Portrait Artist of The Decade winner, Gareth Reid demonstrates how to achieve a likeness when drawing a portrait. He does this through observing the facial features of a subject and breaking them down into interlocking shapes on the canvas.
Reference Image
Materials
Paper – Medium Tooth
Charcoal -Fine, semi-soft
Putty Rubber
Blade (For sharpening)
Long handled brush or other long instrument (For proportion measuring)
Find these items at cassart.co.uk
Setting up
Set up your reference image next to your paper. This can be printed or on an iPad. Working on an easel can be helpful. It will allow you to have a full-scope view of both your reference image and paper; making comparisons between the two easier.
TOP TIP – Work from a greyscale reference image. This will make it easier to see the values of your image to convey in your charcoal drawing.
Anchor points
Study your reference image and find the boldest line. This serves as an anchor point for your drawing (e.g. the line between the hair and head).
Lightly draw the surrounding outline from the anchor point to find the overall shape. Focus on the larger shapes first, it will make it easier to get the smaller ones later.
TOP TIP – When outlining from the anchor point, break it down into shapes and don’t focus on likeness. This will stop any features from feeling as if they are floating and not connected to the rest of the portrait.
Mapping shapes
Once you have a surrounding outline from your anchor point, you can make small measurements to map out where features, such as the eye, can connect. Make small measurements by referring to your reference image. Remember you are only mapping out the socket of the eye.
Don’t take large measurements, stay close and small when mapping any features on the paper. This will help you to achieve a likeness later.
Continue to lightly draw and map out features. Do this by referring to your anchor point, taking small measurements and breaking down features into shapes (e.g. the nose is triangular, and the eye lid is curved).
TOP TIP – Keep stepping back to compare both your reference image and paper. This helps you to get a general feel of the mapping and placements you make for yourself.
Checking proportions
It’s important to check the proportions as you work. You can do this by checking height to width. Measure your reference image using a paintbrush and refer to it on your paper. Here, the length of the paintbrush is equal to the length from the eyebrow to the chin. These measurements should be the same on your paper, as you compare. Do the same for the width of the face.
TOP TIP – You can use any utensil to take proportion measurements
Abstract shapes
Once you are happy with the proportions of the larger shapes, you can continue to build up the mapped features with the smaller abstract shapes.
Upside-down adjustments
It’s a good idea to turn both your paper and reference image upside-down. This direction means you will no longer see the image as a face, but a variety of shapes instead.
This will help you to find new shapes to add but also correct any shapes that are incorrect.
Use an eraser to adjust any existing shapes which you are not happy with.
TOP TIP – Keep flipping your reference image and paper upside-down and upright. This will help you to analyse and finalise the shapes in the face that eventually achieve a likeness.
Defining lines
Once you are happy with the outlines of your portrait and believe there is a likeness, you can start to build up the outer lines using harder and thicker strokes.
On the nose
When revisiting the structural features, like the nose, it’s important to continue to think about how it can be broken up into smaller abstract shapes. Here, the nose is broken into small round and angular shapes. This helps to give it further likeness and aedd an element of three dimensionality.
TOP TIP – The more time and trust you put into your small abstract shapes, the more they will slowly build to create features, like the nose, mouth and eyes. Don’t think of them as features, only shapes.
Shadow shapes
While adding shadows to your drawing, think of them as abstract shapes. Notice the curved shadow shapes and include them in your drawing to create a 3D effect.
TOP TIP – Like before, move from the bigger shapes to the smaller ones you draw. You need to be happy with the large, before you start the smaller ones. Continue to think clinically with your shapes.
Negative shapes
The negative shapes are the areas around the parts you’re drawing. In this case, it‘s the black of the hair. You want to think of the inside and the outside of the shape. As you draw, you will start to bring out these features.
Shadow shade
When drawing your shadows, keep your shading directional and keep thinking about them as abstract shapes. You should still refer to your reference image to tell you where the shadow and light meet.
More shadow shapes
Continue to find the shadow shapes as you fill in the rest of the face. Use the previous steps and keep adjusting until you are happy with the likeness. It will eventually feel like a solid mass.