the atelier method
composition in our fi rst workshop on proportion. The top of the egg should then indicate the top of the sitter’s skull – usually you won’t be able to see this because of the
sitter’s hair. Why chose a top line you can’t see,
you might ask? It helps me establish a starting point for the distances between the features – for example on an average head, the bottom of the eyes will be half way between the top of the skull and the chin. Likewise, the bottom of the nose is usually at the midpoint between the bottom of the eyes and the chin. These are useful starting points and I can indicate these fairly accurately without even looking at the model. Unfortunately the next line to mark
in, the eyebrow line, doesn’t follow any such rules because it varies so much from person to person. The line representing the bottom of the eyes runs parallel with the eyebrow line, forming a band that I call “the raccoon strip” because if you were to paint it black, it would look like the animal’s marking. Again, the width of that raccoon strip varies so much from one person to another – even sometimes on the same person with different expressions. For example, if you were to paint a man with bushy, raised eyebrows, he would appear to have a much wider raccoon strip than if you painted a similar face with pencil thin eyebrows and a frown. The hairline is another that obeys no hard and fast rules. It can vary, particular in older men, while hair can be worn down over the eyebrows or slicked back over the skull. Aside from these visible lines, I also
such great masters, the demonstration is key to the students’ learning. This is the wonderful bonus of the atelier system, too, whereby students work among their peers and teachers, learning from one another.
WORKSHOP 5
For this month’s workshop, we are combining the four areas we have covered over the previous four issues: proportion, line and volume, chiaroscuro, and colour. By concentrating on the lessons learned so far, you should be able to progress successfully through all stages of this
portrait demonstration. As each stage follows on from one another, getting each one right before you progress is pivotal in order to achieve a satisfactory outcome. With this in mind, getting the proportions right can be the most important part of the demonstration over the page. Once I have loosely sketched out
the approximate size of the head, I draw an inverted egg shape, which represents the top and bottom of the skull. The bottom of the ‘egg’ is the subject’s chin and once in place that line will never, ever change. Think of it like the bottom line of the still life
ABOVE Sketching out the proportions is the key to a successful portrait
draw a vertical guideline through the centre of the face, which runs from the top of the skull, between the eyebrows and down through the middle of the mouth and chin. (This will be a straight line if you’re looking at your sitter face on; slightly curved if not). This directional guide is useful and I will constantly refer back to it, using it to make marks equidistant on either side to determine the width of the mouth, nose and eyes. For more information on Lavender Hill Studios and the courses they offer, visit
www.lavenderhillstudios.com. Turn over for the fi nal portrait demonstration...
Artists & Illustrators 67
workshop? Call (01858) 438789 and order a back issue
Missed a
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84