mentisman1
Member since Dec-29-02
37 posts, 2 feedbacks, |
Jan-21-03, 04:43 PM () |
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4. "RE:"
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Hey Jay, First of all, I'd like to applaud you in wanting to tackle a drawing such as the one you decribed. In order for me to get the Einstein to look that way, I did the following things.
I finished drawing the image first, but kept the kept the overall contrast to a minimum. I then began to add along the outside or edge of the image (including his hands) with dark wash and Ebony. I purposely kept the contrast around his hair light because I needed to save that for the end. I then began the tedious task of layering the rich "Black" in the background, (about 3-4 layers) note: There is no charcoal in this particular drawing. After "Filling in" the dark values around his face and hands, I went back to add even more contrast to his face itself, mostly around the eyes since this is the focal point. Unfortunately, I have not found a substitute for getting this part of the portrait done quicker. Careful when you work with that much graphite, as the dust tends to get everywhere. I sometimes put tiny pieces of masking tape on and around the eyes beforehand, this allows me to go back and keep the "reflection" in the eyes (and other areas) as "white" as possible. Especially if the overall picture is predominently dark. Careful when working with this kind of composition, as "SHADOWS" play an important role. Also, be careful with the transition of your dark to light tones, it can easily look "artificial" without a large range of value. It's understandable why some artists are somewhat apprehensive about adding too much contrast to their portraits. It's always easier to "add" more to a drawing if you want to, but it's almost impossible to erase a dark area (without it being noticible) once you've drawn it. In my opinion, If the original looks good with a dark background, then so will the drawing. I've been lucky, having to throw away only 1 drawing that turned out wrong after adding too much "Black/ contrast".
My old art teacher used to say.."If you are drawing from a reference picture, try to draw EXACTLY what you see, but more important, EXACTLY as you see it."
My number one piece of advice for tackling something like "Einstein" is to really SLOOWWW down. And keep an eye on it in the mirror. It's easy to allow the pic to become unbalanced or out of proportion without reference points. Hope this helps Jay. Good luck! I'd like to see it when it's done.
Cheers! R.C. Dominguez |
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