Chapter 6 | DRAWING YOURSELF

In the previous chapters you practiced the shape of the head and the schematic structure of a face. In the next exercise you’r going to work without prior schematics. What you need is a mirror and possibly a base for your paper (for example hard cardboard), so that you do not necessarily have to sit at a table to draw.

Self-portrait in a continuous line, without looking at the paper

Exercise 1: Draw your mirror image (head, face, neck and a part of the shoulders) without looking at your paper in between. Hold your pencil far from the pencil point and try to  keep in contact with the paper while drawing. Let your pencil wander over your reflection, sometimes a bit harder, sometimes a bit softer. The result is always a surprise and certainly not a glamour portrait. The funny thing is that you are really hidden in those drawings even though photographically they don’t look like you at all. Repeat this exercise as often as you like, possibly also with other subjects and materials. Of course, you can edit your drawings afterwards if you like.

 Exercise 2: take a selfie or a photo of someone else in close-up (head, face, neck and possibly a part of the shoulders). Try to provide strong light from the side, so you get nice shadows. Change the photo on your camera or computer to black and white. First draw the face from the photo in line (left). Then rotate your drawing and the photo 180 degrees*. On your upside down drawing first fill in the darkest shadows. Finish with the ‘midtones’ (everything between the lightest and darkest spots).

*Rotating the drawing and photo 180 degrees allows you to focus much better on light and dark instead of fixating on eyes-nose-mouth.