Guidelines for Pencil Portrait Sketching - Value and Shape in Relation to Flexibility

* Value and Shape - are two of the four essentials of drawing. The other two are line and texture.

In this commentary we will discuss the idea of elasticity and how it relates to the ideas of value and form.

* Plasticity - is the visual push and pull of lights and darks which, when presented in a united fullness, defines the 3-dimensional forms of a portrait.

The human eye can differentiate between many more tone than the 12 we commonly make use of in a drawing. That means that the draftsperson must "trick" the eye into thinking that it is seeing more than is actually on the drawing paper. To this end we must understandhow light behaves and tones are perceived.

The trick is to manipulate the eye's natural predispostion towards finality, i.e., towards finishing a drawing even if parts are not actually there. But the eye only does that without protest if the elasticity is harmonious. Only then will the viewer emotionally engage.

The subject of creating harmonious elasticity is broad. In this commentary we limit ourselves to realistic portraiture.

* Tones|Values - are just degrees of darkness and lightness. We commonly limit ourselves to 12 distinct tones.

To understand how a form is drawn we need to understand how light operates and how tones enter into this. There are 2 properties of light relevant to drawing:

(1) Light runs in a straight line and reflects off surfaces.

(2) The intensity of light diminishes fat with distance.

From these properties it follows that:

* As a form turns away from the light source it dims.

* When two planes face the light they will acquire different tones if their distances from the light source are different. For example, the cheek closest to the light source will have a lighter value than the one which is farther away.

* The lightest light on a form is the "highlight". The highlight is always on a face that is directly facing the light source.

* The bulk of a portrait’s value is so-called halftone. That is, anything in-between pure white and pure black. Halftone drawing is simultaneously the most fun and the most difficult part of drawing.

* As a form turns completely away from the light source it gradually descends into shadow, towards totally black (i.e., the absence of light). However, there is more to it.

* There is also reflected light from one plane onto another. Do not forget, light reflects off surfaces but with diminished intensity. So be careful not to overdo your reflected light.

* There is also the crest of the shadow which is the darkest value on the form. This width of darkness lies between the darkest half-tones and the reflected light. This width of darkness is called the Line of Appelle. It is major to capture its shape appropriately because it determines the form’s volume.

* As a form turns away from the light, the half-tone plane changes have a soft edge. The quality of this edge is determined by numerous factors the most major of which are the degree of plane change, the intensity of light, and the texture of the surface.

* In portrait drawing there are also cast shadows which are hard-edged and very dark and are cast by one form upon another. An example is the shadow that is cast by the nose onto the cheek.

A very good exercise for recognizing the idea of elasticity is to draw a white egg. For a more controlled situation you can build yourself a black box with one side open that fully controls the light of one source and blocks out the light of other sources that could contaminate the condition.

In conclusion, the use of the 12-value scale together with the above guidelines allows you to produce the necessary elasticity for your objects.

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Download my brand new Complementary Pencil Portrait Sketching Tutorial here: www.remipencilportraits.com/PPDT/pencil-portrait-tutorial.html target="_blank">Pencil Portrait Sketching Tutorial. Remi Engels is a practicing pencil portrait artist and oil painter and practiced drawing instructor. See his work at Pencil Portraits by Remi: www.remipencilportraits.com Visit Guidelines for Pencil Portrait Sketching - Value and Form in Relative to Plasticity.

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