Femme 2
Hey Fellas,
Here is another portrait, this time from a pic. I found it hard to capture the likeness of the pic, any pointers? Other than that I also couldn’t get her to look at the camera/viewer, any tips would be appreciated. I was going to use this as an underlay as I started with a verithin on trace paper, but I ended up just working it up with prisma. I may try to simplify it again on bond paper. Let me know your thoughts and critics guys, as always please be honest! its the only way we will all get better!
alessandrocayetano
Kingsley Leong
dancrlo
domperalta
fariselmasu
harberfront
joeyperalta
joncorpuz![3628692459_fb755191a7[1]](https://live.staticflickr.com/2581/3682050553_72c5080af1_s.jpg "3628692459_fb755191a7[1]")
![3628695853_a1e6a40195[1]](https://live.staticflickr.com/3568/3682863860_b7c69e3aea_s.jpg "3628695853_a1e6a40195[1]")
![3629536468_4c1c67e0c2[1]](https://live.staticflickr.com/2470/3682050349_88c7a10598_s.jpg "3629536468_4c1c67e0c2[1]")
Lineweights 
Hey Bro…good to see you sketchin faces and gettin that mileage…so here we go with the crit,
1. overall the sketch is too heavy handed…this is probably because you are trying to match the picture too much, but are missing out on the overall gesture/expression of her face
2. The elements (eyes, nose, lips, hair, face, and neck) look separate and not one whole…each element is over-worked, i.e. her eye lashes for example, they should be gestural free strokes but look hard and tight…
3. The overall shading doesn’t help…its not building any shape to her face, rather she still looks flat.
4. Loosen up! Forget trying to match the picture so much, focus on getting the overall essence of her, capture the spirit, do not get so hunkered down in the details…
5. Practice getting the proportions of the head first…check out hogarth’s books on life drawing and how to sketch faces, you first have to get the proportion and overall shape (the ball for the back of the head and general blank face)
6. Practice by drawing from real life…draw people in the park, at work, on the train…this is good training because if forces to you to grasp their essence and expression in less than 5 minutes…
7. Practice drawing the elements…do quick studies on lips, eyes, noses, etc…this will help you greatly
Sorry for the long critique…i am working on scheduling another Lineweights field trip to a Life Drawing session…the key take away is to practice a lot and do a lot of quick studies to capture the gesture and expression, sustained sketches are draining and in the end become overworked and end up looking more and more awkward…get the fundamentals first, buy burne hogarth’s books, i posted a list of key books for people to buy on our inspirations/aspirations page (i’m still working on that page and dom is trying to set up a separate page for books)
I will do a face demo for one of my next posts…keep on getting that mileage buddy, that’s the key!!! and by the way…depending on where you put the white hightlights (ball) in the eye, can dictate the direction she is looking…
Thanks so much Jon,
Thats some sweet advice, I’m excited to work on smaller elements and quicker explorations. I like that part about sustained sketches, I think your right. I’m gonna totally get the hogarth books.
Thanks for spending the time to write this, I really like the critique!…can’t wait for the life drawing field trip!
No problemo Bro! we are all here to help each other get better!!! keep at it and never stop sketching…the zoo and life drawing will be fun, we can all get smashed after, or during 🙂
Jons’ obs are good. His #4 incl’s “releasing the beast”.
I like the upper half of the face which is better porportioned. The emphasis on the hair roots of the scalp is good..
Overall…most of us would mount her……..which is important!