Tips On Pencil Portrait Sketching - Blocking-in Big Masses Of Value

By Author: Remi Engels
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In this commentary we will discuss the blocking-in of big masses of tone or value.

Tone is generally thought of as shadow. Beginners generally first draw an outline of the shadow and then fill in the shadows bit-by-bit. They usually start with an eye and then grow out the shadows. Inevitably, the result is a chaos of non-cohesive darks and lights.

There are two distinct ways of viewing tone: in Western culture we see tone as shadow; in Eastern culture tone is seen as color.

A European viewer seeing a Chinese drawing will be struck by its flatness. Conversely, Chinese connoisseurs in the 17-hundreds seeing for the first time European portraits were perplexed by the "dirty scuff-marks" under the nose.

Applying, or more correctly, constructing tone should be approached with a sculptural sensibility. That is, think of your sketch as a block of clay that is to be carved. Once roughly carved, you then mold the surface forms with varying intensities of tone while manipulating their borders thus defining the forms present in the skull.

A portrait drawing from life or (photograph) starts with the drawing ...
... of the arabesque. Two things must be correctly drawn: 1. the form of the entire skull; and 2. the proportions (i.e., length and angle relationships). This is a learned skill that no one is born with.

Once the arabesque has been struck, the entire skull is then broken down into two pieces: a big light and a big dark. No more than that. At this point, do not worry about whether or not one area is darker than the other. Only the large light/dark pattern counts.

Note that squinting is a good way to more clearly see the value patterns because you are not distracted by details.

A good rule of thumb is to carve an area in 2. For instance, if an observed dark area is not completely even in value divide it in 2 and block-in the 2 slightly differing values. Before long a complex but cohesive array of values will emerge.

From the blocking-in of the large darks you can then effortlessly draw the features. Over time you should try to remember the complete anatomy and "feel" the form 3-dimensionally. This, too, is an acquired skill.

You must know your anatomy to succeed in drawing portraits even at the most basic level. Study the anatomy in small portions as you draw along.

A good way to draw is to toggle back and forth between line drawing and tonal drawing or hatching. Another way is to first do a complete line drawing of the subject. That is, to draw a "map" of the skull that encompasses all planes and scores the boundaries of the various tonal areas. As a second phase you can then hatch-in the correct values.

While you shade be constantly aware of the planes of the skull and the bearing of the light source.

Another ablity to be acquired is the ablity to cross-hatch patches in a flat and even manner. There is nothing more off-putting than scratchy looking cross-hatching.

Finally, take note of a strange optical phenomenon called "simultaneous contrast". It takes place when light and dark values lie next to each other. Generally, white is extroverted while black is contractive. The result is that the white area looks bigger than it is while the black area will look smaller.

In conclusion, keep the blocking-in process uncomplicated. Look for big masses first and then for the smaller ones. It is always better to work from the general to the specific. And, at this point, ignore the details.
About Author:
Do you want to learn the secrets of pencil portrait drawing? Download my brand new free pencil portrait tutorial here: Pencil Portrait Course Tutorial. Remi Engels is a pencil portrait artist and oil painter and expert drawing teacher. See his work at Pencil Portraits by Remi: http://www.remipencilportraits.com Visit Guidelines for Pencil Portrait Sketching - Blocking-in Large Masses of Value.