Riveradavid's Blog

Hello students,

For those of you who have signed up for my online portrait drawing master class, here is a brief outline of what you can expect to learn in each 1 hour segment, as well as a list of materials. For those of you who are interested in signing up for this class, you will find a link on my website, http://www.riverafinearts.com under my “art classes” page. I look forward to working with you soon!

1st Class

First I will explain and demonstrate how to use the various pencils, then I will discuss the basic planar structure of the head. By examining the head as a “box-like” form, we can easily observe the front, side, top and bottom planes. This is what I refer to as the geometric conceptualization which will enable you to draw a head from any angle whether it is imagined or directly observed. This is also a way of introducing the basic proportions which make up the human skull.

2nd Class

Here is where we will take a closer look at the skull using a replica paired with a live model. In observing the dominant planes which make up the skull, we will be able to recognize the boney landmarks present on any person’s face. We will discuss the proportional differences of facial features which can largely be determined by age, gender and ethnic backgrounds. While discussing proportional differences, we will also begin to apply observational measuring techniques using a live model.

3rd Class

We will continue to develop the construction of the model’s features, while paying close attention to the unique proportions of the skeletal and muscular forms. In my demo, I will begin to emphasize specific muscles which are most prevalent on the model, discussing their origin and insertion, as well as their function. Understanding the shapes and various movements of specific muscle groups, adds more clarity when rendering different facial expressions.

4th Class

This is where we will begin to apply value tone to the drawing to add more depth and further define the three dimensional volumes of the face. In my demo I will discuss ways to layer and blend your drawing material to create a full range of value tones.

5th Class

This is the final week where we will refine the subtleties of form and texture, giving the drawing a life-like quality.

I’m super excited about this class, are you!?

Below is my recommended materials list:

1.)  Drawing pencils (I recommend the Faber-Castell brand) in the following hardnesses;

(4H, 2H, B, 2B)

2.)  Nitram charcoal sticks (HB, H, B, soft round)

3)  General’s charcoal pencils (2B, 4B)

4.)  Kneaded eraser

5.)  Double sided shaders as pictured above – in assorted sizes

6.)  A small chisel blender paint brush and a soft round paint brush

7.)  Razor blades or x-acto knife

8.)  A sandpaper block as pictured above

9.)  Strathmore Bristol medium texture drawing paper (11 x 14 or larger)

If you have any questions about the materials or anything else, don’t hesitate to email me at riverafinearts@gmail.com.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, November 28th, 2018 at 8:19 pm and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.