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Drawing Freemium Angelo
Drawing Freemium Angelo
Draw People
From a
Photograph
STEP-BY-STEP
DRAW PEOPLE FROM A PHOTOGRAPH
rawing from photographs has its ing what I call a “personality portrait.” Artists’ erasers are also a must
T H E CO M PL E T E D D RAW I N G :
Rachael
2002, graphite, 11 x 81⁄2. Collection the artist.
Working from hard to soft graphite pencils, I drew the
lines of the hair in varying lengths. Following the
three-dimensional form of the head, I worked up to a
rich, dark tone near the forehead and around the bun.
Where Do I Begin?
I encourage beginners to learn by copy-
ing Old Master drawings, then progress
to working from large photographic ref-
erences. The two advantages of copying
Old Masters are that it’s easier to ren-
der from drawings, because you can Fashion magazines often have large To save time when drawing a grid
see how materials were used, and faces that are excellent references. Stay over the black-and-white enlargement of
because you will always learn more away from family snapshots where a drawing or photo, my students use the
from copying a great drawing than faces are smaller than a thumbtack; the Discover Art grid kit; the grid lines are
from duplicating an average drawing. face in your reference needs to be at on an acetate sheet that is placed over
It’s important to work from a large least 5" x 7" for you to gather enough the reference. A sheet with grids (dark
reference, be it an Old Master drawing, information for a drawing. With com- lines that show through drawing paper)
a family photograph, or a magazine puters and laser copies readily avail- is placed under the drawing surface.
illustration. Source material has to be able, it’s quite easy to enlarge photos. The sheets come with 1⁄2", 3⁄4", and
large enough for you to see subtleties Just make sure your enlargement 1" grids. The more detail in your draw-
in tones—particularly in depicting hair. retains adequate resolution. ing, the smaller your grid should be.
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ARTIST DAILY STEP-BY-STEP: DRAW PEOPLE FROM PHOTOGRAPHS www.artistdaily.com 5
STEP-BY-STEP
DRAW PEOPLE FROM A PHOTOGRAPH
LEF T
Dianne
2000, graphite, 9 x 9.
Collection the artist.
BELO W
If you are struggling with accuracy, It may seem that using a grid is a
consider turning your reference and cheater’s way of drawing, but it’s actual-
drawing paper upside down. Or place a ly a process artists have relied on for
piece of paper (with a 1⁄2" window in centuries. It’s a simple way of transfer-
it) over your reference, blocking every- ring the major lines of a drawing and,
thing except the information contained at the same time, either reducing or
within a 1⁄2" square. That will force enlarging the image. Furthermore, a
you to see abstract line and shape rela- grid helps us understand that drawing
tionships instead of working from pre- and painting depend on seeing the blouse, you’ll be able to draw anything
conceived notions about how the sub- abstract relationship of shapes, lines, accurately—including hair.
ject should look. Once your line draw- and values. Once you accept that prem-
ing is accurate, you are ready to start ise and stop being intimidated by the How Can I Make It Look Real?
filling in the contours with lines char- magnificence of Raphael’s Madonna or I recommend that beginners build up
acteristic of human hair. the intricacies of Aunt Gertrude’s lace layers of graphite from the lightest to
AB OV E
Shades of Gray
by Carrie Ballantyne, 2002, colored pencil, 15 x 12.
Private collection.
RI G HT
Hannah
by Carrie Ballantyne, 2003, charcoal, 15 x 11.
Private collection.
This charcoal portrait was done after the colored-
pencil piece because Ballantyne wanted to tackle the
challenge of charcoal, and because she wanted to
execute a more accurate depiction of her daughter—
she wasn’t satisifed with certain parts of her colored-
pencil portrait. The process for both drawings began
with many photographs, which she developed in
black and white to allow her to gauge each one
without being unduly influenced by color.
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separate piece of paper so you won’t than just the likeness of the STEP-BY-STEP
subject in a DRAW
drawing,”
PEOPLEsheFROM A PHOTOGRAPH
worry about ruining all the good work explains. “There is an emotion, an
you’ve done. ■ attitude, or a moment in time to
portray as well.”
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About the Artist
Sandra Angelo is a the author of a Sjtl.Gsff
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Home Study Correspondence
Coaching Program titled Turn Family
Photos into Art: Faces 101, avail-
able at www.DrawFACES101.com.
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A Fellowship Award Recipient from ;iXn`e^`jk_\
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Rhode Island School of Design,
Angelo has assembled a compre-
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that includes 18 step-by-step DVDS k_\`ijb`ccjn`k_1
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as numerous coaching programs
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for beginning and intermediate stu- Y\Xlk`]lc \oXdgc\j f]
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dents. View 18 of Angelo's free nfic[Ëj Ôe\jk [iXn`e^j
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online video lessons at: www.FREE
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OnlineARTLessons.com. Email the
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artist at Sandra@DiscoverARTwith
SANDRA.com or call Discover Art at N\Ëccj_fnpfl_fnkflj\X
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(888) 327-9278. mXi`\kpf]dXk\i`XcjXe[pfl
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c. Use the same lighting for all shots folks, even if you discriminate, you’ll likely you can see detail.
so that background pictures match the come up with more good photos than ■ A wide range of values that offer criti-
portrait photos and shadows remain you can draw in your lifetime. Be selec- cal drawing information.
consistent. tive and choose only photos that lend ■ A memory that is worth the time and