Guidelines for Pencil Portrait Drawing - Blocking-in Big Masses of Value
In this commentary we will discuss the blocking-in of large masses of tone or value.
Tone is generally thought of as shadow. Beginners generally first sketch an outline of the shadow and then fill in the shadows little by little. They usually start with an eye and then grow out the shadows. Inevitably, the outcome is a chaos of non-cohesive darks and lights.
There are two different ways of viewing tone: in Western culture we see tone as shadow; in Eastern culture tone is seen as color.
A European viewer seeing a Chinese drawing will be struck by its flatness. Conversely, Chinese connoisseurs in the 18th century seeing for the first time European portraits were perplexed by the "dirty scuff-marks" under the nose.
Applying, or more accurately, constructing tone should be approached with a sculptural sensibility. That is, think of your drawing as a block of clay that is to be carved. Once roughly carved, you then mold the surface forms with varying degrees of tone while manipulating their borders thus defining the shapes present in the skull.
A portrait sketching from life or (photo) starts with the striking of the arabesque. Two things must be accurately drawn: 1. the form of the complete head; and 2. the proportions (i.e., length and angle relationships). This is a learned skill that no one is born with.
Once the arabesque has been struck, the complete head is then broken down into two pieces: a large light and a large dark. No more than that. At this point, do not worry about whether or not one area is darker than another. Only the large light/dark pattern counts.
Note that squinting is a good idea to more clearly see the value patterns because you are not distracted by details.
A good rule of thumb is to divide an area in 2. For example, if an observed dark patch is not entirely even in value divide it in 2 and block-in the 2 somewhat differing values. Before long a multifaceted yet cohesive array of values will appear.
From the blocking-in of the primary darks you can then easily sketch the features. Over time you should try to memorize the total anatomy and "sense" the form 3-dimensionally. This, too, is an acquired skill.
You must know your anatomy to succeed in sketching portraits even at the most basic level. Study the anatomy in bite-size portions as you sketch along.
A good way to sketch is to toggle back and forth between line sketching and tonal sketching or hatching. Another way is to first do a total line sketching of the subject. That is, to sketch a "map" of the head that includes all planes and marks the boundaries of the various tonal areas. As a second phase you can then hatch-in the right values.
While you hatch be constantly aware of the planes of the head and the bearing of the light source.
Another expertise to be acquired is the expertise to cross-hatch patches in a flat and even manner. There is nothing more distracting than rough looking cross-hatching.
Finally, take note of a strange optical phenomenon called "simultaneous contrast". It takes place when light and dark values lie next to each other. In general, white is expansive while black is contractive. The effect is that the white patch looks bigger than it is while the black patch will look smaller.
In closing, keep the blocking-in procedure uncomplicated. Look for large masses first and then for the smaller ones. It is always better to sketch from the general to the specific. And, at this stage, ignore the details.
Do you want to learn the secrets of pencil portrait drawing? Download my brand new free pencil portrait tutorial here: Pencil Portrait Course Tutorial. Remi Engels is a pencil portrait artist and oil painter and expert drawing teacher. See his work at Pencil Portraits by Remi: http://www.remipencilportraits.com Visit Guidelines for Pencil Portrait Sketching - Blocking-in Large Masses of Value.
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