Week 11: Facial Anatomy (Portraiture)

Conte crayons on coloured paper, 25 minutes

The main concern of this drawing was to achieve correct facial anatomy. Some of the proportions of this portrait are quite accurate and reflect the general rules usually applied to facial anatomy such as the ear lining up with the bottom nose though there is evidence of planning lines which demonstrates measurements have taken place to gather the correct proportions for this individual. On the other hand some areas, such as the top of the head which looks very flat and the nose appears to be very small and rounded - possibly unnaturally so - shows that some areas have not been observed as well as others. 

The lips are another element which is possibly incorrect as they should be more drawn to curve more around the face.

The use of shadows has been used to create depth such as on the right cheek which then makes it clear to the viewer that this is further away as a shadow is created by the nose. By using the edge of the conte crayons rather than the end, it allows you to create softer shadows and texture such as that on the neck and forehead.

The dramatic change between dark and light lines made with the conte crayons adds depth to them, especially around the eyes and mouth where laughter lines are prominent.