AS WE LOOK AT PEOPLE, we are often beguiled by particular
characteristics their eyes, their
smiles, even their hair. Through the more careful investigation of drawing,
however, we find that these features gain much of their significance from their
relation to one another and from the general ambiance of the individual.
Effective portraiture develops from an understanding of specific features, but,
more important, from a recognition of how these came together to make a whole in
the course of this demonstration, we will present the various aspects of
portrait drawing, beginning with a discussion of the head, its form and
position, and a generalized introduction to the features. The last section will
focus on some specific approaches to a portrait including characterization,
caricature, children's portraits, composition and self portrait, concluding with
a description of a "typical" portrait sitting. Following the principle
of working from general to specific, we should begin our study of portraiture by
discussing the basic form and position of the head.