Russian Academic Drawing Approach- Portrait Assignment

[Liza]

I am sooooo happy with this and how it turned out. Feedback definitely welcome. Sanguine conte and soft pastel (lighter as I did not have sanguine) done on 18×24 in Canson Drawing paper 110lbs I think.

I am loving this course, never in a million years would I of thought I could draw something like this last July when I decided to learn how to draw. Finding the NMA site is the best thing I could of done to improve.

[Josseline Jeria]

Hi Liza

This is a great drawing – congrats. I started the Russian course a month or two ago, but left it aside. I NEED to get back into it. Have you taken any other courses on here? I agree NMA is a brilliant resource. I started learning to draw last year as well. It’s so cool to see how much you progress over a short period of time! I think the main thing would be to make the light and shadow sides more clear and separate them a bit more would help with making the image look more 3d. It seems like the reference you used was a more ambient lighting setup? I’ve found they can be tricky to work with. I think that if you push the value contrasts a bit more than the reference shows, it helps the drawing read a bit better. Keep up the drawing!!

[craigmullins]

 

Hi Liza,  what you wrote reminded me of when i was a kid and I finally painted some thing recognizable.  I ran around the room jumping and hollering!

I don’t have your reference, so this is a good as I could do, but I think the principles are there.

Think of your shapes, whether they be light or dark, as blobs of mercury.  They want to puddle together.  Break them apart only when you are sure, as its hard to do and makes your drawing weaker if not done well.

Look really hard at the eyelids.  Try and find any excuse you can to NOT make them lines.  Even if they are lines as you see them, are they soft on one side?  Is the upper and lower different?

Keep having fun!

 

 

 

 

[Liza]

Thank you both for your valuable feedback. It will all be taken on board. 🙂

[Author]

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