Proportions of the Portrait

1. Proportions of the Portrait • Where are the facial features compared to one another. • How to draw the hair • How to shade the portrait. • Where to use solid lines • Where not to use solid lines

2. Drawing the Portrait • Portraits are on a vertical format mostly. • Start with the shape of the head in the space • Use most of the space of your paper.

3. Portrait proportions. • Next draw a horizontal line across the face • Draw the line half way between the top and the bottom of the head shape. • This should be a light line, NOT HEAVY.

4. Proportions of the Portrait • The next horizontal line, belongs half way between the eye line and the chin. • This too, should be a light line, NOT HEAVY. • Equal distances in both spaces.

5. Proportions of the portrait • Another horizontal line between the nose line and the chin. • Half way between the chin and the nose. • With a light line. • Equal distance in both spaces.

6. Proportions of the portrait • A single vertical line is needed in the middle of the whole shape of the face. • This should be a light line as well. • This is our map for correct proportions of the face.

7. The Eyes • The eyes should be wide enough to count five across the head. • I start with the pupil. • Guess the location using your fingers.

8. The Eyes of the portrait • Draw the circle around the pupil. • This is the colored portion of your eye.

9. The Eyes of the portrait. • Draw a curved line, that cuts off the top of the Iris. • This upper eye lid is a heavy line.

10. The Eyes of the Portrait. • The lower eye lids are light lines (less weight). • They cut off the bottom.

11. The Nose on the Portrait • First draw the nostrils. • The nostrils are not circles • Then draw a curved line beside each • Notice that they don’t touch the nostrils and they go just below the nose line.

12. The mouth on the Portrait • The mouth opening is not a straight horizontal line. • It is horizontal, but not straight. • It is similar to the line on the upper lip. • The corners of the mouth are under the pupils

13. The mouth on the Portrait • The upper lip has a dip. • It fallows the contour of the opening of the mouth, but is more severe.

14. The mouth on the portrait • The bottom lip is a curved line. • Represents a shadow • It does not reach either corner of the mouth

15. The Ears of the Portrait. • The Ears reach from just above the eye line, to just below the nose line. • They are curved (organic lines).

16. The eye brows • These lines are similar to lines used for grass. • They are organic • They represent each hair. • They should be curved.

17. Eye lids on the portrait. • This is an organic, curved line. • It represents the fold of your skin when your eyes are open. • This should be a light line.

18. The neck • The wider the neck the more masculine. • This is an organic and curved line.

19. The Hair. • Long hair equals long lines. • These are organic in nature.

20. Chuck Close Notice where the eyes are located. Notice the details. Example of In proportion portrait

21. Proportions are still accurate, but the colors and shapes are abstract in this painting. Another Chuck Close

22. Using neutral colors. Correct proportions Contrasting values A self-portrait of Chuck Close