In this follow-up book to his first volume, Portrait Sculpting: Anatomy & Expression in Clay, Philippe Faraut expands on modeling the human face in water-based clay featuring more than 100 new sculptures. Designed for the advanced artist, this text utilizes nearly 600 photographs including 64 full-page images to analyze the requirements for capturing a likeness. Emphasis is place on an in-depth study of facial anatomy critical in developing compelling expressions and bringing life to three-dimensional representations of the face. Additional studies are included to show successful treatments of hair and drapery, as well as the effect of the aging process.
Photographic portraits should not be the formal, corporate-style poses of yesteryear, which reveal nothing of the subject's emotion, personality or mood - so believe Sarah Plater and Paul Wilkindon. Theirs is a modern, fresh and vibrant approach that aims to capture a moment in the lifestyle of the person or persons in the picture. This authoritative guide contains clear, concise and jargon-busting text that discusses the essential technical aspects of photography from choosing a camera and equipment to an appreciation of exposure, aperture, metering, shutter speed, depth of field and white balance settings, in addition to how natural light, colour and movement affect a photograph. A guide to posing helps to ensure dynamic and arresting images
Drawing the Head for Artists is the definitive modern guide to drawing the human head and portrait, featuring the classic mediums and methods of the Old Masters. Written by celebrated portrait artist and veteran studio instructor Oliver Sin, this richly informative and beautifully illustrated volume leads readers step-by-step through his method, from establishing a point of view to applying the timeless principles for creating an accurate and expressive likeness. Among the topics covered: Essential Materials & Techniques:Learn about necessary supplies and basic drawing techniques, including hatching, various stroke styles, and blending. Applying the Essentials: Explore how the concepts of sight-sizing, value, negative space/shapes, and plane changes factor into a portrait’s underlying structure. Techniques for Creating Depth & Dimension:Investigate how contrasting shapes, overlapping forms, and linear and atmospheric perspective are used to enhance depth. Creating the Illusion of Three Dimensions: Examine how edges—contours as well as changes in value—are used to convey three-dimensional form. Brimming with striking images that document all the phases and details of the author’s process, Drawing the Head for Artists inspires and informs all artists, from aspiring to accomplished, on how to successfully portray the physical subtleties and emotional eloquence of the human face. The For Artists series expertly guides and instructs artists at all skill levels who want to develop their classical drawing and painting skills and create realistic and representational art.
The art of portraiture approached its apex during the sixteenth century in Europe with the discovery of oil painting when the old masters developed and refined techniques that remain unsurpassed to this day. The ascendance of nonrepresentational art in the middle of the twentieth century displaced these venerable skills, especially in academic art circles. Fortunately for aspiring artists today who wish to learn the methods that allowed the Old Masters to achieve the luminous color and subtle tonalities so characteristic of their work, this knowledge has been preserved in hundreds of small traditional painting ateliers that persevered in the old ways in this country and throughout the world. Coming out of this dedicated movement, Portrait Painting Atelier is an essential resource for an art community still recovering from a time when solid instruction in art technique was unavailable in our schools. Of particular value here is a demonstration of the Old Masters’ technique of layering paint over a toned-ground surface, a process that builds from the transparent dark areas to the more densely painted lights. This method unifies the entire painting, creating a beautiful glow that illuminates skin tones and softly blends all the color tones. Readers will also find valuable instruction in paint mediums from classic oil-based to alkyd-based, the interactive principles of composition and photograph-based composition, and the anatomy of the human face and the key relationships among its features. Richly illustrated with the work of preeminent masters such as Millet, Géricault, and van Gogh, as well as some of today’s leading portrait artists—and featuring seven detailed step-by-step portrait demonstrations—Portrait Painting Atelier is the first book in many years to so comprehensively cover the concepts and techniques of traditional portraiture.
"Silhouettes are an increasingly popular form of capturing portraits with a history that goes back hundreds of years. In this unique how-to book, silhouette artist Charles Burns teaches the basic techniques needed for making silhouettes: learning the proportions of a profile, tracing a shadow, reducing an image, drawing and cutting freely, and his own 'natural waves' technique. You'll learn to create scissor-cut portraits, painted silhouettes, hollow-cut silhouettes, silhouettes painted on glass, caricatures, and more, as well as how to use color, appliqué, and three-dimensional effects in creative and innovative ways and how to mount and display your creations."--Page 4 of cover.
This debut book in the Pocket Art series is packed with expert technical guidance on drawing realistic portraits in pencil and stunning, inspirational examples. London-based artist Joanna Henly (a.k.a. Miss Led) guides you through every aspect of pencil portraiture with a lively, graphic approach to instruction—demystifying the complexities of the human face with step-by-step illustrations and expert tips. Get started with a quick overview of how to set up your work space, how to hold a pencil, and tips on mark making. A section on understanding the face begins with a look at its underlying structure (the skull and muscles) and includes guidance on capturing facial relationships from different angles. Then learn to accurately draw each individual feature—eyes, ears, nose, mouth, skin tones, and hair—with illustrations of their anatomy and examples of their differing shapes. You’ll also find tips on rendering the facial expressions of your subjects. The exercises demonstrate and reinforce the skills as you go, while the incredible artwork inspires and motivates. With its compact size and sturdy flexi binding, you can carry this invaluable resource everywhere you go—in your backpack, bag, or pocket.
Portrait lighting is part art, part science. There are so many tools at the photographers’ disposal—and myriad settings and setups that can be used. So, how do you master the light for consistent, predictable results, indoors and out? In this guide, award-winning photographer Curley Marshall teaches you the nuts and bolts of portrait lighting. You’ll learn to work with natural light and studio lighting sources, both as they exist and in modified forms. You’ll discover posing and lighting combinations that will help you to ensure that your subject’s face—the focal point of every portrait—appears dimensional and, where need be, slimmer. You’ll learn how to give the eyes sparkle through proper catchlight placement and how to bring out the color of the eyes. You’ll also learn the basic lighting setups heralded by portrait artists throughout time—including loop lighting, Rembrandt lighting, butterfly lighting, and more.
Without light, there is no photograph. As almost every photographer knows, the word “photograph” has its roots in two Greek words that, together, mean “drawing with light.” But what is less commonly acknowledged and understood is the role that shadow plays in creating striking, expressive imagery, especially in portraiture. It is through deft, nuanced use of both light and shadow that you can move beyond shooting simply ordinary, competent headshots into the realm of creating dramatic portraiture that can so powerfully convey a subject’s inner essence, communicate a personal narrative, and express your photographic vision.
In The Dramatic Portrait: The Art of Crafting Light and Shadow, Chris Knight addresses portraiture with a unique approach to both light and shadow that allows you to improve and elevate your own portraiture. He begins with the history of portraiture, from the early work of Egyptians and Greeks to the sublime treatment of light and subject by artists such as Caravaggio, Rembrandt, and Vermeer. Chris then dives into a deep, hands-on exploration of light, shadow, and portraiture, offering numerous lessons and takeaways. He covers:
• The qualities of light: hard, soft, and the spectrum in between
• The relationships between light, subject, and background, and how to control them
• Lighting patterns such as Paramount, Rembrandt, loop, and split
• Lighting ratios and how they affect contrast in your image
• Equipment: from big and small modifiers to grids, snoots, barn doors, flags, and gels
• Multiple setups for portrait shoots, including those that utilize one, two, and three lights
• How color contributes to drama and mood, eliciting an emotional response from the viewer
• How to approach styling your portrait, from wardrobe to background
• The post-processing workflow, including developing the RAW file, maximizing contrast, color grading, retouching, and dodging and burning for heightened drama and effect
