Opposite of my last post, an equally difficult task is portraying realistic age in portrait the delicate balance of highlight and shadows is crucial when creating believable wrinkles and contours. Author Jack Hamm recommends keeping in mind a number of things including the ear length, drooping eyelids, and lines in the forehead. (Hamm 38) I decided to draw this one based off of a photo due to my lack of experience in the technique. In honor of the new season, I based mine off of a photo of Peter Capaldi, the 12th doctor on BBC's Doctor Who. This is my drawing.
The Example Photo
Step 1- The Outline and Winkle Lines
The outline of a person changes a deceptively large amount with age. Hamm said "The flesh drops at the jowls and the chin bone protrudes."(Hamm, 38) I started by outlining the face keeping these facts in mind. Afterwards I drew up the shape of the hair and drew the contours for all the wrinkles. It is important to keep the anatomy correct wile doing this. Hamm recommends focusing on sinking the eyes, thinning the lips and adding lifework to the forehead.(Hamm 38) It is okay to make the lines darken then usual guide lines because you will need to add highlights surrounding them.Step 2- The Shading and Highlights
for me is preserving the desired skin tone.
I happened to choose a pale British man for my model, so it is important to add light between the shadows. I blended out the wrinkles with my finger and then erased the pencil marking on both sides of them. Afterwards, I lightly added in the darker parts of the face with a duller pencil. Notice along with the face, the neck has different shading then other pictures. Hamm reminds an artist, "The neck becomes gaunt making the skin hang in drapes." (Hamm, 39) I tried to incorporate this into the picture. Step 3- The Hair and Finishing Touches
I happened to choose one of only pictures of this actor where he didn't have messy hair. I tried to incorporate the contours of his light grey hair in the drawing. Wile the author reminds that the hair usually thins with age, Peter Capaldi doesn't seem to have this problem. (Hamm, 38) After I got the hair to a good place, I added depth to the eyes, shadows to the hair and color to the outfit. Then the piece was complete.
Final Thoughts
Overall, I like the way this came out. I liked the books advise, but wish it had more unique help for problems that spring along the way. I disappointed at some of the obvious and self-explanatory tips. So what do you think? Do you use any of these methods or do you have your own? Leave it in the comments below. 🔹
Citations
Hamm, Jack. Drawing the Head and Figure. Time Warner International, 1963.
“The 12th Doctor .” The Mary Sue , The Mary Sue , www.themarysue.com/peter-capaldi-plays-doctor-one-last-time/.
Hi Lauren, love the drawing! I took draw paint and design in my freshman year and i also found it difficult to shade in without making the skin tone look too dark from the original photo. I've used other methods but these also look helpful:)
ReplyDeleteHi Mia, I'm glad you like some of the tips. I agree it can be really tricky to shade people. It always takes longer then you expect. I hope this was helpful.
ReplyDeleteShading is defiantly one of the hardest parts for me but I've only just started to attempt it. I actually enjoy drawing older people because of all the detail I can add. Using a duller pencil is a great method and kind of obvious when I think about it. Thanks for all the tips!
ReplyDeleteHey Lauren! Good stuff you got there. I'm not much of an artist but I have been drawing for a large part of my life. Mostly just doodles here and there. What I found the most challenging (especially drawing people's faces) is doing the shading and adding the wrinkles.
ReplyDelete