THE BACKGROUND IN PORTRAIT DRAWING
In portrait drawing, the most common background is the same tone as the paper.
In certain cases, as an exception to the previous rule, the artist creates a graduated pattern of marks on the background, sometimes in order to produce a “deliberate contrast” and thus emphasize a brightly lit part of the model. However, this is rather uncommon, as I have already pointed out.
So, the first session or first pose has taken place. The artist will have made five or six sketches and devoted less than ten minutes to each one, so that in approximately an hour and a half, he or she will have obtained a sketch that can be used as a framework for the execution of the final portrait.
Before dismissing the model, the artist marks on the floor the position of the two chairs—the model’s and his own—and indicates, with chalk, pencil, or any available means, the position of their feet.
THE FORMAT OF THE PAINTING
The format generally adopted for drawing a portrait of a head or a bust is equal to half of a standard sheet of drawing paper, known as “raisin” size.
A full sheet measures 50 × 65 cm, therefore half of it will be:
50 × 32.5 cm
If it is a full-length portrait, the size of the paper may be doubled.
Common Picture Sizes for a Drawn Portrait
| Subject | Paper Size |
|---|---|
| Head only or bust | 50 × 32.5 cm |
| Full-length figure | 65 × 50 cm |
However, although these dimensions are the most common, there are exceptions—cases in which the artist prefers to compose the work on a support with different proportions.
In painting, there are also standard dimensions, even more precise than in drawing; these are the so-called “international stretcher sizes.”
Nevertheless, many painters have chosen formats whose proportions differ from those generally adopted.
Look at the examples illustrated on page 73:
- A portrait painted by the American artist Kaufmann, whose proportions are elongated.
- A self-portrait by Gauguin, which is square.
- A portrait drawn by Degas, on a support whose dimensions are unconventional.
THE FORMAT OF THE DRAWING
These are the dimensions that the head and body will occupy within the space whose overall measurements we have just studied.
On this point, all artists agree.
For example, no one draws a portrait life-size, whether it is a bust portrait or a full-length portrait.
They all work with reduced proportions, which can be specified—within about one centimeter—as follows:
Size of the Head in a Drawn Portrait
| Type of Portrait | Head Height |
|---|---|
| Head-only portrait | 12 to 15 cm high |
| Portrait up to the waist | 10 to 12 cm high |
| Full-length portrait | 7 to 9 cm high |
Adhere to these measurements and proportions whenever you are drawing a portrait from life.
ORGANIZING SHAPES AND TONES
And now comes the time to organize, select, and group the shapes and tones, while trying to give prominence and depth to the main subject of the picture.
In portraiture, this main subject, or center of interest, toward which all attention must converge, is the head, the model’s face. Remember that all the other elements must be subordinate to it: the body, the hands, and the background.
The head must attract attention from the very first moment, fascinate the viewer, and hold the spectator’s gaze.
Here is what you can do to achieve this maximum visual appeal:
- Give the head the strongest visual importance in the composition.
- Keep the body, hands, and background secondary.
- Use tones carefully so that the viewer’s gaze naturally returns to the face.
- Avoid unnecessary background details that compete with the portrait.
