So I keep coming across illustrators (some very high profile) who draw their caricatures/portraits directly from photos. If the photo is from the Associated Press or any other group that illustrator can be sued (Shepard Fairey's Obama poster for example).
Apart from getting sued, I find this practice extremely limiting. When illustrating, sometimes the situation calls for an angle that has no photo reference. Lots of illustrators work very well with this restriction. I am not this way.
I chose to take a different route. I wanted to learn to draw so well that I can rotate basic shapes in my mind and then draw them. I learned to draw basic shapes in realistic space very efficiently at school. Because of this, I am more capable of constructing complicated forms from any angle I wish.
I have a lot of strategies that allow me to draw objects from any angle without photo reference. This has given me the ability to look at various pieces of photo reference and get an understanding for the basic shapes of somebody's face.
I will be walking you through my process of a portrait of Ruth Bader Ginsberg.
1. Collect Photo Reference.
Here are the photos I used:
I chose to take a different route. I wanted to learn to draw so well that I can rotate basic shapes in my mind and then draw them. I learned to draw basic shapes in realistic space very efficiently at school. Because of this, I am more capable of constructing complicated forms from any angle I wish.
I have a lot of strategies that allow me to draw objects from any angle without photo reference. This has given me the ability to look at various pieces of photo reference and get an understanding for the basic shapes of somebody's face.
I will be walking you through my process of a portrait of Ruth Bader Ginsberg.
1. Collect Photo Reference.
Here are the photos I used:
I made sure these references are from multiple angles. It's important to have one that is high resolution so I can zoom in and really get to understand her wrinkles.
2. Basic Shapes
Starting out, it's good to use three angles, a profile, a front, and a 3/4 view. After doing this a few times, I only need to use a 3/4 view. Here it is:
2. Basic Shapes
Starting out, it's good to use three angles, a profile, a front, and a 3/4 view. After doing this a few times, I only need to use a 3/4 view. Here it is:
This is a small drawing, It does not need to be detailed, or even all that accurate at this point. Just keep symmetry in mind.
3. Checking the Basic Shapes
It's a lot easier to refine basic shapes than it is to redraw them over and over again. The problem that it's impossible to tell if the basic shapes reflect the likeness of the person without building many of the details onto it. So I grab denril or tracing paper, and start to add details. I especially really try to capture is how the eyelids rest over the eyeballs. This was my result:
It's a lot easier to refine basic shapes than it is to redraw them over and over again. The problem that it's impossible to tell if the basic shapes reflect the likeness of the person without building many of the details onto it. So I grab denril or tracing paper, and start to add details. I especially really try to capture is how the eyelids rest over the eyeballs. This was my result:
I was dissatisfied with this. I did not think this looked like RBG.
Her Jawline is off, Her jowls are too bulbus. The shape underneath her cheekbones is not accurate. Her chin looks WAY off.
Her Jawline is off, Her jowls are too bulbus. The shape underneath her cheekbones is not accurate. Her chin looks WAY off.
4. Adjusting Basic Shapes
At this point, I remove the denril after keeping a mental note of all the adjustments I need to make. I then erase certain shapes and make small adjustments. Here are my adjusted basic shapes.
At this point, I remove the denril after keeping a mental note of all the adjustments I need to make. I then erase certain shapes and make small adjustments. Here are my adjusted basic shapes.
5. Repeat Step 3
Let's check those shapes with a denril overlay again..
Let's check those shapes with a denril overlay again..
This still doesn't look exactly like her. I repeat steps 3 and 4 until I feel comfortable that the basic shapes create a face that has RGB's likeness. It used to take me about 15 repititions of boing between steps 3 and 4... now it takes me about 3. This part of overlaying, drawing, and then adjusting the basic shapes is the meat of this technique.
6. Build Basic Shapes on Final Drawing
Can you tell this is Ruth Bader Ginsburg? I can't. She wears glasses. When people wear glasses, it's difficult to know if we have their likeness without the glasses. At this point though, I am so confident that my basic shapes are accurate, that when I add glasses,it will look just like her. I am very confident in this technique because it's worked for me consistently.
7. Tiny Details
Remember in step 1 when I mentioned the high resolution photo? Lets zoom in really close so we can see some of the smaller shapes created by her wrinkles
8. Add Wrinkes and Tiny Forms To The Larger Basic Forms
Put glasses and Jewelry on last.
9. Value Studies
This step requires the artist to understand how to light basic shapes and faces out of their mind. I pick a light source, and render it. I am not going to cover this because there are many books out there that explain how lighting works much better than I can. "Color and Light" by James Gurney is a good one.
I decided to go with the first one because the lighting in the second makes her look evil.
I decided to go with the first one because the lighting in the second makes her look evil.
10. Ink
I love inking. I love mark making. Using this technique, I have drawn and fully rendered Ruth Bader Ginsburg from an angle that of my choice (not the photographer's), with a light source that I created. There is no photo that this looks like, it is mine. I derive a lot of satisfaction from this.
Now, my inking technique is a strange one that people don't use that often. I get a lot of inquiries about my the specifics of this technique, and it’s a major contributor to the final appearance of my work.
In my next post, I will rigorously detail my inking process.. what brushes I use, when I use them etc...
Stay tuned for next week!
Now, my inking technique is a strange one that people don't use that often. I get a lot of inquiries about my the specifics of this technique, and it’s a major contributor to the final appearance of my work.
In my next post, I will rigorously detail my inking process.. what brushes I use, when I use them etc...
Stay tuned for next week!
RSS Feed