WIPS
This article will be developed as the WIP progresses. Come back often to see updates or subscribe to my BLOG to get RSS updates. You can use the index to the right to navigate to the different sections of the article or to view All Pages. When you see small thumbnail images you can click on them to see the larger version.
For this WIP I searched the Internet for references of the subject. References include photos, film and other art work that may have been done on the subject. I then read as much as I could about the subject.
Do you know who he is?
It is Keb' Mo'! He is one of the foremost contemporary blues artists. With an endearing sense of faith in humanity evident on most of his tracks and a very interestingly textured voice, the artist has successfully merged traditional Delta blues and modern acoustic singer-songwritership.
You can listen to some of his songs on the Keb' Mo' website.
Studying the Subject
When drawing a portrait I want to understand who the subject is and what that subject is about. What role do they play in our society. In knowing the subject I will be able to create the persona in the drawing. The best portraits are those of the subjects that we know the best.
This is the photo that I will base the drawing on. To get all the nuances of the subject I will be using no less than 5 reference photos. The hat is a good example for doing this. The lighting of the photo does not allow me to see what that hat really looks like. The other photos will allow me more liberty in drawing these kinds of details. I want the detail because I find it important in defining the persona.
Multiple references will also help in defining textures. The hardness of the guitar, the fabric of the coat and the texture of the skin. As I better understand the subject, I will be able to choose the paper and style of drawing that will work best to represent the subject.
Choosing the Paper
I have decided to use a textured vellum Bristol paper from Bee Paper. The dimensions of the paper are 28 cm by 35.5 cm (11 in by 14 in). The weight of the paper is 260 gsm (100 lbs).
I decided on this paper because it will :
1. give the drawing a rough unpolished look,
2. lend itself well to the very dark tones needed for this drawing,
3. help to better define the rough textures in the hat and jacket.
This was a test drawing I did not long ago when I was trying a highly textured paper. In this case I used watercolor paper from Canson called Montval to get that unpolished look. Not an ideal paper for pencil but it does give a certain effect.
An example of polished would be the drawing I did of Angelina Jolie where I used a very smooth Bristol paper to make it easier to get that movie star perfect skin and hair look.
The Composition
You should think of the elements as the basic visual material that will be used to produce the art and the principles as ways to work with and arrange the elements. Composition consists of one or more of the following elements :
- Color or absence of color in our case
- Line
- Shape
- Values or Tone
- Texture
- Volume or Form
When I chose this particular reference photo, I was focusing on the basic principles of emphasis, harmony, unity and opposition. It had most of the elements that I was looking for and gave me a good head start on how I would use these principles to develop the composition . My goal now is to add and refine the principles to tell a story. To do that some changes need to be made to the composition.
These changes will be made in the values, texture and background. I already mentioned the values and texture in choosing my paper. Now I want to define a background that will contrast with the serenity of the subject. I want to give the impression of escape from a cold harsh world through the music. To do this I have decided to draw a dimly light ally. The ally needs to have a New Orleans kind of feel to it but not so much that someone will say; "Hey, I know that ally!". That could distract some viewers from the message of the drawing. I just want it to look kind of dreamy. A close your eyes and listen to the music kind of escape.
Now that I know how I want to tell the story I'll do some preliminary sketches to complete the composition. I will actually be doing the composition on the computer and not with pencil and paper. I will talk about this more in the next section "The Sketch".
The Sketch
It is difficult to create an accurate sketch if you have not gone through the planning stage of composition. You need to know how everything is going to fit into your drawing area. In the case of this drawing there is the added difficulty of adjusting the proportions and perspective of the background.
As I had mentioned in “The Composition” I would be using the computer for this. You can read about how I use a computer program as a virtual grid in my “Grid Method”. Without going into too much technical mumbo jumbo, what I did was overlay the subject onto the background by isolating the image and using layers. You can do the same thing with paper. Just print the two images, cut the subject out with scissors and then stick the subject onto the background. The trick will be getting everything in proportion and perspective. There’s no need to be very accurate with the background. As far as I’m concerned as long as the perspective and proportions look correct to the eye then that’s good enough.
I sketch with an F or 2B graphite. I use the F for fine lines and the 2B because the graphite sits on top of the tooth of the paper and is very easy to pull up with a architect’s eraser without damaging the paper.
Now that my sketch is to my satisfaction I can start planning how I am going to render it.
The Tactics
If we consider the composition the strategy then there has to be some tactics on how to execute. There has to be some thought about the way to address some of the challenges in this composition. It is always best to identify potential problem areas before starting to render a drawing. I need to know in advance how I will achieve certain effects.
Here is my list of areas that will require some thought:
- The hat
- The facial hair
- Stripes in clothes
- Guitar strings and wording
- Earring
- Atmospheric perspective at the end of the ally
With the exception of the atmospheric perspective, all the areas can be resolved with a technique called graphite indenting. Because I almost always draw from top left to right, I’ll discuss the hat as an example.
The hat has two textures, silk and braids. To be able to render these textures I will use the technique of graphite indenting. When using graphite it is interesting to know that for every 4 or 6 levels of hardness the harder graphite will resist the softer graphite. 4H will resist 2B or 6H will resist B. Try it on a piece of practice paper. Draw two layers of 4H graphite on the paper and then go over it with 2B.
6H is the under layer that will give the effects needed for the hat:
1Identify the areas to lay down two layers of 6H graphite.
2Lay down the 6H to the lightest areas of the silk band and the top and bottom edges toward the center.
3Lay down the 6H following the curved lines of the braids in dotted dashed fashion.
I did some testing for the hat and decided to exaggerate this with 6H and 6B because I knew that I was going to blend it with F graphite which will darken the 6H a bit. Although it is not yet completed, here is the result for the hat.
Notice my drawing limits, I left a 2 cm margin around the drawing for the eventual framing.
Rendering the Drawing
Here's a definition of rendering from Wikipedia : Rendering in visual art and technical drawing means the process of creating, shading and texturing of an image, especially a photorealistic one. It can also be used to describe the quality of execution of that process. This is synonymous with illustrating. The emphasis of the term is on the correct reproduction of light-and-shadow and the surface properties of the depicted objects, not on the emotional impact, composition, or other more generic qualities.
I render using several techniques; hatching, cross hatching, line, circulation, blending and burnishing. I'll try to describe how I execute these techniques as I progress with the drawing.
To start the face I cross hatched 3 layers of 2B and then I went over it using circulation adding and releasing pressure as I went. I added 4 additional layers of 2B on the darkest areas using circulation. I then went over the whole area with an F graphite to blend it all together.
It is very important to use layers and blend with a harder graphite. One of the main advantages of this is erasing. When you layer you can use an architect eraser to pull up one or many layers of the graphite if you need to lighten areas or pull up highlights. Using a stump to smudge the graphite would make this very difficult if not impossible to do. A good example on this image will be the eye. It does not have proper toning I will need to erase a few layers and straighten it out. You will see the difference in the next image.
Values
Value drawing is like painting in graphite, and although the process is different to using a brush, I need to think in terms of areas as opposed to lines. In this phase of the WIP I have identified the dark and light areas of the drawing. I have shaded the darks, observing the shape and value, shading carefully up to the edge of adjoining light areas. The realism that I get in this drawing is due to taking this approach to a very high degree of detail, where the tonal values are closely observed and finely drawn.
You may have noticed by now that I have changed the tonal values from the original drawing. The right side of the face is not catching as much light as it was in the original. The reason for this is that the setting and atmosphere of the composition is different. As I progress you will see how this lighting will be better adapted to the overall portrait.
Can you tell where I used graphite indenting? On the right side just above the ear you see some closely cut hair. Yup that's stubbly peppered hair. Keb' Mo' shaves his head, but from what I can tell that stubble on the side exists. If it doesn't, well he'll just have to grow some. I used indenting here with a 6H graphite and then 2B. I did the same for the beard and the earring. The darkest tones are multiple layers of 6B blended with 2B, the midtones are 2B blended with F and the lightest tones are F blended with 6H.
Using the Pencil
Keep your pencils sharp, and apply the tone with small rapid circular or sideways movement of the hand. Randomly varying the stopping/starting point of the shading will help avoid unwanted bands running through an area of shading. As I mentioned above, use a slightly harder pencil to work back over an area done with a soft pencil, to even out the tone and fill the tooth of the paper. This also reduced the contrast in texture between the various grades of pencil. An eraser can be used to lift off highlights. Lastly, make sure you use a full range of tone - many beginners are afraid of dark tones, or jump from light to dark but miss the in-between steps.
Lighting Decisions
The light source in this composition is not exactly the same as in the reference photo. The source is coming from behind and to the right of the subject as you look at the drawing. There is also a considerable amount of light coming off the surrounding windows, walls and even cobble stones. I have interpreted this by highlighting the face and hand as if the light were coming from the right side and slightly from below.
This is why there is only a small shadow on the face coming from the brim of the hat. The face of the guitar will be a bit darker as well. It seems to me that in the reference photo the light is coming in from the right and from the front rather than from behind. To allow for this there will be much less reflection or glare on the guitar.
In this update you are able to see all the tonal values from dark to light that will be used in the drawing. A full range of values is the basic ingredient for shading. The ability to see lots of different values, allows me to add the detailed shading, and therefore produce more depth to the drawing. It will be important to make this lighting believable as I render the rest of the background of the drawing.
Perspective
I have completed the background alley. I used both one point and atmospheric perspective. From the first stages of planning I intended to use this imagery. I can’t stress enough the importance of planning for a successful drawing. I would not have been able to do this if I did not protect the white of the paper from the beginning. I drew many series of perspective lines to follow the side of the buildings and the cobble stones to a vanishing point. I intentionally stayed away from too much detail in this part of the drawing. I want to draw the viewer to the subject and I do not want the background to distract from this.
In my next and last post for this WIP I be posting the completed drawing and will give an overview of the drawing and its’ artistic intentions.
Narrative Art?
This is the final drawing. Now I don’t want to tell you how to interpret this drawing but what I will tell you is what influenced it. The motivation behind the choices and techniques used comes form listening to the music of Keb’ Mo’.
It is very difficult to analyze any work of art. So please listen to the music and read a little about the subject. Then make up your own mind on what story the drawing is telling.
I have made several changes to the original portrait to emphasis the message I wanted to convey. The message of how the music transcends the individual into another realm. This realm being expressed with the bright light at the end of the ally. I hope you all found this WIP interesting and thanks for leaving your comments.
This drawing took 43 hours to draw including the research done on the subject.
