Drawing and Painting Expressive Little Faces I know why you picked up this book. Drawing faces is something so many of us long to do. It’s a creative rite of passage, an artist’s challenge to check off, and a handy skill to master all in one. Faces are something we look at from morning to night and often after bedtime. They’re readable and relatable. This book is not a book on portraiture. It is a book on faces. What’s the difference? While portraits tell us what we see, faces can describe who the person is. We’re not transferring colors and lines from reality to paper; we’re translating the mood, features, and even dreams of the people we’re drawing—both real and imagined. I named this book Drawing and Painting Expressive Little Faces because however wonky, strange, or disproportionate, these little faces hold their unique brand of charisma. You may feel like you know them! ESSENTIAL SUPPLIES Walking through the aisles of an art supply store is both invigorating and intimidating. Rows of colors fill my mind with possibilities while decision paralysis sets in as I see the variety for each item. I volley between what I need, what I think I need, and what I don’t know I need. This chapter serves as an overview of all the fun art supplies you’ll see sprinkled throughout this book. Don’t get overwhelmed; you don’t need to make this your shopping list. I just want to provide you with information for when you’re ready to get to work. I also offer my best practices as I select and use each medium. SIMPLIFYING THE FACE You’ve heard it before: SIMPLIFY! Easier said than done, right? It’s true—simplicity can be quite tricky, particularly when we’re instantly taken by a person’s overall appearance. But perhaps you’ll feel better framing the challenge this way: We will become experts in focusing on what’s essential. The greatest of artists did this as part of their creative journey of discovery (deconstructing parts and reducing them to shapes) or as a consuming illustrative style. In this chapter, we’ll home in on the important features of a face as well as the unforgettable ones. Faces are not as complex as they appear; we need only to shed what’s inessential and simultaneously shed intimidation. BUILDING A FACE We know what is important and we know where to put it—it’s time to put these faces together! In this chapter, we discover the face feature by feature and explore the options for and questions about each as we construct them into a single face. Beginning again with what’s most essential, we look at a handful of face shape options, then confront the most fun and expressive feature: the eyes! From there, we work downward, taking a quick stop at the nose and then playing with mouths. Finally, as we transition deeper into personality, we tackle hair. Each feature plays an important role in developing the appearance of our person and propels us closer to meeting them face to face. PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER Whether you jumped into this step-by-step process or just watched it come together as the chapters progressed, what comes next calls for some hands-on work! We get into the motion of putting our techniques into practice over and over, beginning with one color. The hope is that you will become so accustomed to the steps that all you’ll need to consider is variety. PUMPING UP THE PERSONALITY Creating a robust collection of faces starts with exploration and play. Relishing in a diversity of ethnicities, ages, appearances, subcultures, styles, and apparel will enhance our newfound skills and challenge our limited palettes. It’s easy to get in a rut. You know what you know, and you start to create out of habit. A collection of tiny habits informs much of our creative intuition. This means that we’re often left making the same choice over and over when creating art. This is not a bad thing—this is the essence of our personal style. And yet, we can begin to see that the same faces are churning through our wheelhouse, a minute fraction of the wealth of faces out there. NOT JUST DOODLES Identify some applicable steps for your newly-heightened face game—sketchbook practice, party invitations, editorial illustrations, repeat patterns, comic books . . . there are so many ways to grow your work! Painting faces is fun, but giving them a purpose is even better. Your newfound expertise will make you eager to put your skills to work— be it as a fulfilling practice or a professional venture. I want to give you a few ideas to get you rolling while we’re still together on this journey. My hope is that you not only discover that painting faces is attainable, but that it’s also a viable skill that can take on many different forms. You may even discover a new way of working that you never considered before. YOUR LINES, YOUR COMB 1 I always find it easiest to begin with the front hairs, as they set the tone of the hairstyle. Ears can be covered or avoided to make the hair appear as tied or tucked behind. I chose to give this redhead a layered look since I had the liberty to do so with each wisp of the brush. 2 Potentially three hairstyle layers, each line of hair accrues tens of brushstrokes until the hair appears full. 3 Use two tones or more of the same color to show more depth in your many hairs.
✔ Author(s): Amarilys Henderson
✔ Title: Drawing and Painting Expressive Little Faces: Step-by-Step Techniques for Creating People and Portraits with Personality--Explore Watercolors, Inks, Markers, and More
✔ Rating : 4.7 out of 5 base on (532 reviews)
✔ ISBN-10: 1631598651
✔ ISBN-13: 9781631598654
✔ Language: English
✔ Format ebook: PDF, EPUB, Kindle, Audio, HTML and MOBI
✔ Device compatibles: Android, iOS, PC and Amazon Kindle
Readers' opinions about Drawing and Painting Expressive Little Faces by Amarilys Henderson
Elaine Leonard
I'm still in awe of the intricate plot and the way everything seamlessly came together. The twists kept me guessing until the very end. It's one of those rare books that leave a lasting impact.
Virginia Savage
The depth of character development was astounding. I felt like I knew each person intimately, understanding their hopes, fears, and dreams. It made the story so much more meaningful.
Sydney Richardson
The themes of resilience and hope resonated deeply with me. This book taught me valuable life lessons that I'll carry with me for years to come.
