Guidelines for Pencil Portrait Sketching - the Arabesque
In this article we suppose that you sketch directly from life or from a appropriate photo. In other words, we suppose that you do not use the so-called grid method. This method relies on a grid drawn both on the photo of your model as well as your sketching paper.
If this is the case, the first thing you will do is to produce a line-drawing. And the very first part of your line-drawing will consist of sketching the so-called arabesque.
In pencil portrait sketching, the arabesque is defined as the entire positive shape of your model's head. In other words the arabesque is the outer contour of the head.
The arabesque includes the proportions, the shape, and the symmetry of the head. This means that the arabesque communicates pretty much an overall likeness of your model and often a great deal of emotional content.
In trying to realize the arabesque we meet our first test as a draftsperson. That is, the test of "seeing the reality". Indeed, when we note an object a complex mental process is initiated which in part falls short of the level of accuracy necessary to produce an acceptable portrait.
The mind, for good reasons (one is to preserve our sanity), instantly replace the very complex object with the a symbol it has stored since childhood. For instance, we all know how a child sketches a house. It really is more like a symbol of a house. But this is what the mind tends to bring up and often even grown-ups sketch a house like they did as a child.
Evidently, it is these symbolic preconceptions (a left brain phenomenon) that are the enemy of the artist. You must train yourself to ignore those symbols and really see what the reality of, for example, a house is.
In general, learning to sketch is about the reprogramming of the mind's eye. To this end, there is a skill-set that has been developed over the centuries since the Renaissance.
Applying this new found skill to the arabesque is particularly important. "Drawing" the arabesque is maybe the most important element in the production of a good likeness. Once you have this skill down path all the rest will follow quite easily.
The first step in drawing a proper arabesque is to force your eyes slightly out-of-focus. This situation is called seeing with a "soft eye". With a soft eye proportions and shape are more easily seen. It also helps you to avoid the invocation of the symbolic preconceptions we mentioned.
To train your eye to better your powers of seeing you must always sketch first and check second. There is not much to gain from pre-measuring. The habit of pre-measuring of the height and width of your model's head will hold you back later.
When drawing the original arabesque at all times use short straight, i.e., architectonic lines. This will impart a sense of the head's structure and the shape of the underlying bones and tissues. Note that round or curving lines are symbolic preconceptions.
Also keep in mind the symmetry of the head. The term "symmetry" in the context of sketching
and painting does not so much refer to the similarity of two parts but more to the attractiveness that comes from proper proportioning and rhythm.
After drawing the arabesque (without doing any measurements) you can check the proportions. Take a measure of the largest
width (i.e., the width of the arabesque along the brow line) and set it off vertically beginning at the bottom of the chin. The end point of the width as a rule ends up somewhere close to the middle of the hair.
The idea is to decide exactly where that end point is situated. Best is to judge the shorter of the following two lengths: (1) the vertical distance from the brow line up to the end of the measure; (2) the vertical distance from the end of the measure up to the arabesque. The shortest distance is likely to be the most right. Do not forget, the arabesque includes the entirety of the skull including the hair.
With practice your eyes will develop this critical skill. Then, once the proportion and shape of the arabesque have been found you are set to proceed with locating the so-called landmarks.
Do you want to study the secrets of pencil portrait sketch? Download my brand new no cost pencil portrait sketch tutorial here: Remi's Pencil Portrait Drawing Course. Remi Engels is a pencil portrait artist and oil painter and expert sketch instructor. See his work at Pencil Portraits by Remi: http://www.remipencilportraits.com Visit Guidelines for Pencil Portrait Sketching - The Arabesque.
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