With this series of articles, I am delighted to have the opportunity to focus on that most mesmerising of subjects, the human face.
For me, there is no more fascinating a view of that face than the side profile. All the features take on a new appearance from the side and the real challenge is creating a feeling of form and three-dimensionality. This is especially tricky when a face seen from this angle can often read as flat as a cut-out silhouette.
However, attempting a painting from the side view can also make us more keenly observant. Above all, you must believe your eyes and paint what you see; the lips from this viewpoint are almost triangular, for example, as are the eyes.
The main consideration when it comes to positioning the features is to find where they sit, both in relationship to each other and in relationship to the whole face.
Once the positions of the features are found and the front edges negotiated, you are away and can enjoy weaving the flesh of the face into place in joyful transparent layers.
AINE’S PALETTE
For this demonstration, I used Cadmium Red, Cadmium Orange, Lemon Yellow, Yellow Ochre, Viridian, Sap Green, Ultramarine Blue, Burnt Sienna and Vandyke Brown.
DEMONSTRATION SIDE VIEW
1 PLACE THE HEAD
Denne historien er fra November 2020-utgaven av Artists & Illustrators.
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Denne historien er fra November 2020-utgaven av Artists & Illustrators.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
Still life IN 3 HOURS
Former BP Portrait Award runner-up FELICIA FORTE guides you through a simple, structured approach to painting alla prima that tackles dark, average and light colours in turn
Movement in composition
Through an analysis of three masterworks, landscape painter and noted author MITCHELL ALBALA shows how you can animate landscape composition with movement
Shane Berkery
The Irish-Japanese artist talks to REBECCA BRADBURY about the innovative concepts and original colour combinations he brings to his figurative oil paintings from his Dublin garden studio
The Working Artist
Something old, something new... Our columnist LAURA BOSWELL has expert advice for balancing fresh ideas with completing half-finished work
Washes AND GLAZES
Art Academy’s ROB PEPPER introduces an in-depth guide to incorporating various techniques into your next masterpiece. Artwork by STAN MILLER, CHRIS ROBINSON and MICHELE ILLING
Hands
LAURA SMITH continues her new four-part series, which encourages you to draw elements of old master paintings, and this month’s focus is on capturing hands
Vincent van Gogh
To celebrate The Courtauld’s forthcoming landmark display of the troubled Dutch master’s self-portraits, STEVE PILL looks at the stories behind 10 of the most dramatic works on display
BRING THE drama
Join international watercolour maestro ALVARO CASTAGNET in London’s West End to paint a dramatic street scene
Serena Rowe
The Scottish painter tells STEVE PILL why time is precious, why emotional responses to colour are useful, and how she finds focus every day with the help of her studio wall
Bill Jacklin
Chatting over Zoom as he recovers from appendicitis, the Royal Academician tells STEVE PILL about classic scrapes in New York and his recent experiments with illustration
