ART HUMAN STUDY(2017)
Goal:
After not having time to do art for years, it was time to go back to it and learn how to draw faces, bodies and hair realistically. This, while still capturing the essence of the subject.
Research:
For this project I had to study elements and principles of art. Also, photography skills, human anatomy (believe it or not), face and body proportions, art materials, expression portraying, as well as watching infinite human drawing tutorials.
Prototypes:
#1. The first prototype focused on just face drawing. For this, I chose someone who I found had an interesting face, but most importantly one with lots of expression. After 14 hours of picture taking and drawing I ended up with the picture and drawing above. At the time this picture made me very proud because it was the first time I drew a face besides small sketches when I was bored in class. However, as you can clearly notice, it needed much improvement. The eyes were too big, the mouth had no texture, there was expression, but it wasn't the same as the one in the picture. The value wasn't the same as the picture's either and for this I edited the pictures to black and white. Too, I noticed I was doing something that was damaging my project: since I saw this person everyday and I captured a specific expression when taking the picture, I mixed it with what she looked like everyday, when I should've only been focusing on the picture. Therefore in the next prototype I chose to draw someone that I would only be able to see as she looked in the picture.
#2. The second prototype consisted on face and body drawing. As I said before, for this, I chose someone who I would only be able to see as she looked in the picture. This was Elisabetta Canalis, a model who was part of the PETA "I'd rather go naked than wear fur" campaign in 2011. I chose her because I want to capture specific expression and in this picture she is transmitting this message through expression. After 27 hours of drawing I ended up with the drawing above. I was and still am extremely proud of this drawing. The body was smooth and showed beautiful shading with very accurate anatomy; however, the face was not as well drawn. Like in the previous prototype, the eyes were too big and besides, the head was at a completely different angle, which was the only factors that made the expression not be as relaxed as the picture. Also, the value contrast in the legs was too subtle compared to the rest of the body, as well as the foot being too big and my composition being considered awkward by some. My main problem was the face, which I had problems with because it was so small and it requires so much detail. One of my experts also asked me if I had a concept or message I wanted to transmit; she said, at the end of the day, that what makes the difference between beautiful sketches and pieces of art.
#3. The third and final prototype implemented all the techniques I planned to learn: face, body and hair. For this prototype I had to find a way of making the face bigger, while drawing the body directly proportional and it still be feasible, since all of this is done outside of school. For this, I chose to take a picture from right below the clavicle and up so the face was of appropriate size and there was still the principle of anatomy while drawing the body, which was the important part. I've had problems with expression all along. In the first prototype it wasn't like the person's and in the last prototype I couldn't really get it, I believe, because I had not taken the picture. So what I did was take a picture of someone I saw rarely and crafted it exactly to represent this person, through expression.