Sin - Drawing the head for artists: techniques for mastering expressive portraiture

Techniques for Mastering Expressive Portraiture

OLIVER SIN

There is a difference between head drawing and portrait drawing. Head drawing focuses on shapes, plane changes, anatomy, form, and perspective. Portrait drawing is an artistic representation of a persons spirittheir expression, likeness, personality, and mood.

The form of the head refers only to the external appearance of the face, expression, and position. Spirit refers to the character, personality, and energy. Working from live models is important, not only to develop drawing skills but also to gain a better understanding of the subjects character and personality. When there is interaction, the artist and subject develop some level of connection and share a humanistic moment, and the quality of the portrait benefits from this.

Its easy to become absorbed in the technical aspects of drawing and miss the purpose. Technique without spirit is meaningless, but feeling cannot be conveyed without techniquethe two must be united.

To draw spirited portraits, you must consider what message, or perception, a portrait will communicate. The artists personal perspective is the common denominator of every work of art he or she creates. Each artwork reflects the unique perspective of the artist, no matter the style or subject. This is the element of a good drawing that only comes from within the artist.

What catches your attention at the first impression of a model who is a stranger? If your model is a young woman smiling sweetly, keep the line qualities light, fluid, and minimal. Focus on the twinkle in her eyes or the simple curves in her full lips. Aim for a lighthearted rendition, nothing overworked.

These portraits are of my mother and father, drawn from life in 2016 and 2018, respectively. Since moving to the United States almost three decades ago from my native city, Hong Kong, I havent spent much time with my parents. Drawing them was an unforgettable and priceless experience and a time of reconnection. Both drawings express an impromptu mood, compelling the viewer to observe two real personalities. These are two of the most representative works in my art career, so I touch on them a couple of times in this book.

The model in these portraits is Vivian Chow Wai-Man, one of the most renowned singers and actresses in Asia. I grew up listening to her music in the 1980s and have always been a faithful fan. I have rendered more than ten portraits of Vivian Chow throughout the years. She happened to see them on Instagram, through which we connected and have been friends ever since. I returned to Hong Kong in 2017 to attend her concert, during which she was gracious enough to display my portraits of her on the concert screen and acknowledge our friendship through interaction in art. I was so blown away by her graceful gesture in including our acquaintance along her rich, glamorous journey as a great celebrity.

I use vine and willow charcoal sticks for my portrait drawings to achieve the chiaroscuro technique. Chiaroscuro, an Italian term meaning light (chiaro) and dark (oscuro), is used to enhance the dimensionality of drawings by creating smooth, subtle transitions among values.

Artists use vine and willow charcoal, which are made by burning vines or branches in a kiln, for their versatile properties. Sticks of vine and willow charcoal, which are fragile and break easily, are available in a variety of lengths, thicknesses, and densities or degrees of hardness. These mediums produce marks in a wide range of values, from very light to intensely dark, which suits them perfectly to the chiaroscuro technique.

Willow charcoal is black, while vine charcoal is dark gray. Vine charcoals lighter tone and ease of removal make it a favorite of artists for creating initial sketches or preliminary compositions, but it is less suitable for creating detailed artworks because it has a tendency to fade. Darker values can be achieved by applying willow charcoal over vine charcoal, or applying the two together. Vine charcoal can also be combined with other charcoal mediums, such as compressed charcoal.

Willow charcoal, a kneaded eraser, vine charcoal, and a spray can of final fixative

WORKING WITH VINE AND WILLOW CHARCOAL

1 | Break a charcoal stick into smaller pieces about 1 inch (2.5 cm) long. To hold the charcoal correctly, position it between the thumb and the first two fingers, and draw with the broad side rather than the tip to create an extremely soft-value stroke. If you hold a piece of charcoal as if to write with it, that angle will produce a hard line, which is undesirable. Value is the most basic element in my portrait drawings, and I use line minimally, usually only in conjunction with massing to clarify edges and details.