The New Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain - Betty Edwards [98]
9.Observe where the corner of your mouth lies in relation to the eye (Figure 10-29). Then observe the centerline of the mouth and the exact curve. This curve is important in catching the expression of the model. Don’t talk to yourself about this. The visual perceptions are there to be seen. By seeing clearly and drawing exactly what you see—exact angles, edges, spaces, proportions, lights, and shadows. In R-mode, you do respond—but not in words.
10.Observe the upper and lower edges of your lips, remembering that the line is usually light because these are not true edges or strong contours.
11.On the turned side of your head, observe the shapes of the spaces around the mouth. Again, note the exact curve of the centerline on this side.
Fig. 10-30. A three-quarter self-portrait by instructor Brian Bomeisler.
Fig. 10-31.
12.The ear. The mnemonic for placing the ear in profile view must be slightly changed to account for the added quarter in three-quarter view.
Profile:
Eye level-to-chin = back-of-the-eye to the back-of-the-ear
becomes
Three-quarter:
Eye level-to-chin = front-of-the-eye to the back-of-the-ear
You can perceive this relationship by measuring it on your reflection in the mirror. Then note where the top of the ear is, and then the bottom. See Figure 10-30.
Ready to draw!
Now that we’ve reviewed crosshatching and the general proportions for the frontal and three-quarter views, you are ready for the last drawing exercise, your Self-Portrait in fully articulated lights and shadows.
What you’ll need:
• Your drawing paper—three or four sheets (for padding), taped to your drawing board.
• Your pencils, sharpened, and your eraser
• A mirror and tape for attaching the mirror to a wall, or you may want to sit in front of a bathroom mirror or dressing table mirror
• Your felt-tip marker
• Your graphite stick
• A paper tissue or towel for rubbing in a ground
• A dampened tissue for correcting marker-pen marks on plastic
• A floor lamp or a table lamp to illuminate one side of your head (Figure 10-31 shows an inexpensive spot lamp)
• A hat, scarf, or headdress, if that idea appeals to you
What you’ll do:
1. First, prepare your drawing paper with a ground. You may choose any level of tone. You may want to do a “high-key” (meaning light) drawing by starting with a pale ground, or you may decide to use the drama of a dark ground for a “low-key” (meaning dark) drawing. Or, perhaps you prefer a middle value. Be sure to lightly draw in the crosshairs.
Note that in this drawing, you will not need your plastic Picture Plane. The mirror itself becomes the picture-plane. Try to think that through—I’m sure you will see the logic of it.
2. Once your ground is prepared, set yourself up to draw. Check the setup in Figure 10-32. You will need one chair to sit in and one chair or small table to hold your drawing tools. As you see in the diagram, you will lean your drawing board against the wall. Once you are seated, adjust the mirror on the wall so that you can comfortably see your image. Also, the mirror should be just at arm’s length from where you are sitting. You want to be able to take sightings directly on the mirror as well as directly on your face and skull as you observe the measurements in the mirror.
3. Adjust the lamp and test out various poses by turning your head, raising or lowering your chin, and adjusting your hat or headdress, until you see in the mirror a composition in lights and shadows that you like. Decide whether to draw a full-face view or a three-quarter view, and decide which way you will turn, left or right, if you choose the three-quarter view.
4. Once you have carefully chosen your composition in the mirror and the pose is “set,” try to keep all of your gear in the same places until the drawing is finished. If you stand