Light & Shadow

This past week in my master’s class we focused on light and shadows during our portrait practice! It is challenging to be sure, but I love these practice sessions, both in class and out!

I wasn’t really happy about the way my in-class portrait turned out, specifically concerning the proportions, but that’s okay!! We all have our rough days and it’s good to have the experience and keep learning. That being said, when I got home from school, I immediately found a portrait online to try again!

As I worked on getting the sketch down I tried to really focus on my shadow mapping, which we talked about in class. The shadow mapping technique is where you plan out and identify specific areas in your piece that there will be shadows based on your light source. When blocking in these areas, the distinct shapes you create add structure and dimension to the drawing, helping you achieve more realistic proportions. After getting these mapped out to where I was satisfied I broke out the charcoal and filled in the values I saw in the picture.

I really liked making this one because of the lighting used in the reference. It was backlit making a rim light around my model which is soooo fun to add in your details! It was also a good study for me because it was clear to recognize the cast shadow under her nose, the form shadows on her cheeks and chin, and the strong direct lighting giving an interesting contrast!

Fun fact! In class it was highlighted that when working with these different types of shadows to remember that your contour shadows will have sharp edges and your form shadows will have soft edges. Great things to keep in mind while you are studying your value transitions!

Just for fun! I love Valentine’s Day, so of course I had to go find a reference and make a little portrait sketch to fit the theme with big heart glasses and earrings!

And on the note of Valentine’s Day, it was great to have my friends over to celebrate, and afterwards one of my beautiful and super sweet friends graciously modeled for me for a portrait! During the set up I focused a lot more on having really good lighting with more of an intense direct light that would cast good contrasting contours on my model. I placed our light right above her and set my workstation on her shadow side.

From there I continued in my practice of using my plumb lines to measure out proportions while sketching out the basic structure and shadow maps on her face. After that I drew in some details to the facial features till it gave a good foundation for moving forward.

Having a picture of my model as well as her in front of me was a wonderful addition, especially because she wanted to have her finished picture to be of her smiling, so it twas very nice to not have her strain her face by holding the same smile the entire time lol. Also, in lovely Valentine’s fashion, having a bow in her hair was such a delight to include!

Moving forward with our charcoal values, I added them in then smoothed them our with a paper cloth, followed by value refinements and details with charcoal pencils and a kneaded eraser.

I absolutely love how this piece came together! A charcoal portrait really feels complete when you finish up those last highlights and add in a black background behind your figure.

Another note from my class, as my professor sat like a sage between sessions bestowing all his artistic wisdom on us, your focal point is what needs the most detail, the most contrast, and the most attention! Other areas in your piece can be more subdued.

Hard to believe another week of classes has passed! Onto the next! More portraits here we come!

Jesus Bless You Abundantly,

Christina