Portrait drawing in pencil

(C) 2015 Dale DiMauro

Recently, I purchased this book, Draw Faces: in Fifteen Minutes by Jake Spicer, an author from the United Kingdom. I am not necessarily plugging this book or author but find its layout and principles to be sound and readily communicated. Anyone beginning to draw or seeking to improve their skills will find this book as a good starting point. 

I have studied many of the great draftsmen throughout human history such as Durer, Da Vinci, Sargent, and Wyeth, to name a few. When I am drawing a face either from a picture or from life, I find the nose to be the most challenging. The nose really has no lines but projects a range of shadows. I noticed that Andrew Wyeth, for example, used reference marks to rapidly proportion the face as he began a portrait drawing.

Since drawing is a solid basis for painting and developing a composition, I find routine drawing to be important in developing one's abilities. Thus, I am always searching for subjects to draw and books that will help me improve my understanding of painting or the human form.

I had always relied on drawing with an HB pencil, the pencils you are provided in public school to write with or fill in the ovals of your S.A.T. exams. Recently, I have been exploring a greater range of pencils, particularly the B range, which provide a softer mark for greater expression. The above drawing was done with an HB and a B pencil.