History

Portraits take many guises: a figure in shadow, a pair of gloves or shoes. Form and content can capture a likeness of the subject. A drawing that captures the gesture of the figure is a gesture drawing. The gesture then, is the movement of the form or pose of the figure. Everything has a gesture that tells something about itself and the person connected with it. Most animate objects and some that are inanimate, with imagination, have an implied movement that can be called gesture. This is an additional level of 'likeness' that may be captured in a portrait.

Conversely the rote repetition of observable details may produce an interesting likeness without capturing that indefinable quality of 'life'. It is one of the advantages of a 'captured' or discovered portrait that it has life as a part of that recognition process. It is a failing of the posed model that sometimes it does not. It should be noted that a good model can overcome the artificial stiffness of the pose, but the result never seems to equal the immediacy of a 'captured' or natural pose.

It is one of the advantages of the beginning portraitist, that they often use models who are otherwise occupied. As a result the pose usually seems natural if not always interesting.

Learn to draw with unconventional drawing tools. An eraser should become as much a drawing tool as a erasing tool. Likewise the chamois should be used to lay down tones and values. If you must keep a chamois clean, use two - a clean one for removal and one that is never washed, for blending and to add value.

Process

2. Create value, establish light and dark relationships and a full range of grays. Use an eraser to correct and balance until the drawing begins to look like a photograph - out of focus.

Value is an end in itself. A close approximation of the range of grays, without detail, is said to produce an image that looks like an out-of-focus photograph, but doesn't accurately describe the image. Erasing creates sharp edges not visible in an out of focus photograph. We have difficulty creating a soft mass of grays using a line making tool. There is a natural tendency to add detail and digress. One way to avoid this problem is to draw with a chamois or piece of paper. An intermediate or transfer tool can prevent line detail.

In-Class work: Two value drawings of the subject. Try to establish a full range of values and use only an eraser as a drawing tool for detail and line. In class demonstration: using a paper mask to assist in a value drawing.

For the long in-class drawing, try an unusual viewpoint, complete the value drawing, and only at last add detail with line.

Homework Assignment in addition to weekly sketchbook drawings:
Due October 15, 2003, - object portrait, shoes, purse, wallet, personal item