Every person is unique. When creating a portrait it is important to remember that every aspect of a person’s face is different from the next. Take the face as a whole, for example. There are oval faces, and round faces, heart-shaped faces. Some faces are longer, others are square. The varieties are limitless.
Creating the Eyes
When depicting the eyes, it is important to be aware of the planes and muscle structure around them. Each element in the face needs to be distinct, but they also have to work together as a cooperative whole.
Observe the shape of the eyes carefully. Are they round? Slanted? Perhaps one is a little smaller than the other. Are the eyelids the same? Or is one thinner?
If coloring the eye, note the variations in the tone. The white of the eye is actually not pure white, but a subtle blending of different shades. It is a good idea to use pure white only for highlights and reflections.
Even if a person’s eye color looks green at first glance, scrutinize a little deeper. Add in darker and lighter tones – perhaps a bit of lighter green, or a tinge of reddish brown.
The Nose
The nose can usually be simplified into a basic prism shape, and refined from there. The nose is often the most difficult facial feature to draw, because it is so simple and yet complex at the same time. At first glance it may seem less daunting than the eyes or the lips, however its very simplicity can make it a challenge. Because there are less elements to work with, depth can be very difficult to depict in a nose, as it depends solely on gradients of shading.
Once again, be aware of the individual planes.
The Mouth
Thin lips, full lips, irregular lips…it is not easy sometimes to depict the lips in such a way that they don’t look as if they’ve been pasted on to a face, but in fact belong there. Once again, being aware of facial structure around them, as well as how they move into the face both in terms of structure, and in terms of color tones, will help to bypass this problem.
Observe that the top lip is different from the bottom lip. Scrutinize how they curve, where they dip and crease, and where they curve outwardly. See where the tones darken, and where there is reflection.
Hair
Hair can be a daunting task if approached the wrong way. Don’t try to recreate the entire mass by drawing each hair in individually. It will take forever, and it will not be possible to capture the different tonal gradations.
On the other hand, don’t create the whole as an entire mass, as it will not look realistic. Instead, block out the basic structures of the hair, and map out major sections. Be aware of where the highlights are, and build up your tones slowly, being careful not to make your highlights too dark.
Color Tip
As previously mentioned, an eye that appears green is not solely green, but is made up of different colors. This blend of colors is an important thing to remember when painting a portrait. A person’s skin, for example, is not the solid color it may seem at first glance. Take pale skin – it is often a subtle blend of peaches, browns, beige, pinks, whites, and even tones of green and blue. Likewise, shadows are not always gray, or brown, but often have variants of blue, or purple, or green in them.
Being aware of a subject’s uniqueness is the key to creating a believable likeness.
Monica C. Webster - Monica C. Webster is a graduate of the University of Toronto, with a BA in Art and Art History and a minor in English. She also has a ...
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