Still Drawing Faces

I'm still drawing faces - but most often in my sketchbook rather than on 3x5 index cards.

 some come from imagination and some from the people around me

 above and below are from imagination

these three are people I know

 and miracle of miracles...

I can look at them and recognize who they are

Faces on Friday

I'm excited again about drawing faces.

from a photo - freehand

from a photo- freehand

Remember way back when with my "how to draw a face" video tutorial at the beginning of the year? I think I've come a long way with the pics. This is from a photo.

from imagination

These two are from my imagination and scribbled quickly.

I'm just at the beginning of my due diligence. The time you have to put in to "get there."

from imagination

And I'm having fun.

Are you?

Faces on Friday - back on the bandwagon

I'll bet it's happened to you before.

faces sketched during a graduation ceremony

You make a goal, do really well for a while, then things get crazy and you can't keep up?

faces drawn from one of James Christensen's books

It happens to the best of us. And it's OK.

from imagination - but modeled after James Christensen's work

It does NOT mean you are a failure.

both from a James Christensen book

It means it might take a little longer than planned.

doodles by Lyric Montgomery Kinard

In the larger scheme of things what does that matter? 

doodled during a meeting by Lyric Montgomery Kinard

Doesn't.

(matter, that is.)

more from James Christensen's books

Just get back to it when you can.

Pick up your determination and continue to progress.

playing with profiles, J.C. style

It's all about progress.

from Jame's Christensen's books

Any step towards your goal puts you closer to attaining it.

doodles by Lyric Mongtomery Kinard

How do you motivate yourself to pick back up where you left off?

Faces on Friday

What an interesting journey this is - drawing a face each day. I can see some real improvement. 

at a concert
I think this is my best one of the week.
It actually looks like him AND captures his expression.

at a concert

on a plane - very, very fast

at a concert

I can see areas that need improvement. I pulled out all my 3x5 faces and realized most of them have chins that are too short. 

on a plane

from imagination

in the mirror

It feels good just to be able to see what's wrong now. It gives me the opportunity to know how to fix it.

on a plane, very fast

left - airplane seat pocket, right - looking into the black screen in front of me

Want to hear something crazy and fun? On the flight back I was doodling and my seat-mate said "you're an artist?" I said yes. He eventually asked if I could draw from a photo and if I could sketch his friend as a birthday gift. From a little iphone picture I did a fair (but not absolutely fantastic) drawing and handed it to him. He seemed pleased.

from the flight magazine
a Cirque performer

Saturday morning faces

So last night my daughter was sitting there being her beautiful self and she agreed to let me draw her. We were both tired. 

I got frustrated. I know I shouldn't - it's just learning process and I know I have a long way to go. I should go and reread the first chapter of my own book eh? "Don't compare yourself... permission to be imperfect ... time to learn... " yada yada yada.

Left: last night, from life.      Right: this morning, from a photo.

So I know I'm going to get there eventually but I wanted to make on good drawing NOW. Well - bedtime and then draw in the morning. She let me take a picture. I photoshopped it to up the contrast and turned it black and white. Then I traced the back of the picture a bit, placed it on the paper and traced the outlines again to transfer the pencil to the paper. If I wasn't doing it in my sketchbook I would have just used a light table. Yes I consider all these things crutches. Cheating - sort of. I want to be able to draw what I'm seeing without them. But for this morning - who cares? I got the outlines in the right place and filled in the shadows from there. I gotta say. It's satisfying to see the results.

Faces on Friday

 Very quick sketches while she's reading

 At a guild meeting

 The middle one is getting closer

So - the last one up there - how do you draw THIS!?!?

And a little eye candy for you and me just for staying with me this long.

 I ignored other deadlines and played with polymer clay - these might become new buttons for my coat. 

Every once in a while I need to reward myself with something completely non-pressure-dealine.

What things do you do that are "completely different"just for a break?

Faces on Friday

 Staring myself in the face late at night. My kids recognized the one on the left. PROGRESS!

I need to figure out how to do noses and lips in profile.

 At the airport - surreptitiously sneaking glances at people waiting in the terminals.

Isn't it funny how we draw what we THINK we see rather than what is there.

It's taken all this time to realize how far back to draw an eye in profile.

It's usually way back behind the nose and I've been drawing it too far forward.

Late at night and I don't want to get out of bed to look in the mirror so I made up a couple faces.

The one in the middle is from a photo. Still such a long way to go - but I'm having fun!

Tutorial: How to Draw a Face

Drawing the human figure is difficult. 

But it CAN be done.

A good beginning is to learn about proportions.

I was surprised to learn that drawing a face can be like learning math.

It takes work but it CAN be done.

(shall I repeat myself again?)

I said, it CAN be done!