Jason

Enzie Shahmiri · 06-29-2005, 07:08 PM

I was asked to do this little portrait and little did I know how challenging it would be. After looking through several photo references, the best out of a poor quality batch was picked, leaving me guessing most of the time. The child is older now and this is a companion portrait meant to hang next to another sibling's, which was done by another artist. I would have loved to post that one for you, because I just think that one is awesome.

I have sent an image of the drawing to the client and they are very happy with it. I am still in the nick picking process and like to hear your comments and suggestions before I sign my name to it and ship it out.

Lon Haverly · 06-29-2005, 09:47 PM

Tell me how you position your drawing pad and your reference photo. Do you use an easel, table, photo stand, or what? How big is this drawing?

The reason I ask, it appears that you have some distortion, as if your pad were laying on a flat table, and you were drawing as if you were writing. You see, the mouth and nose appear to be out of alignment, as well as the eyes and nose. They appear to be obliquely elongated to the right as you proceed upward. The viewer's right cheek looks too far right, the nose to the right of the mouth, and the eyes to the right of the nose. Follow?

This can happen when you place the reference photo to the side, or if you draw on a flat table with the pad rotated left as if you were writing.

Also, the ear seems a bit small.

I recommend a drawing table which is about at a 45 degree angle, and the surface of the pad at its center perpendicular to the line of vision. The reference photo directly in front to avoid distortion.
Clearing up these environmental issues can save an artist some grief.

Enzie Shahmiri · 06-30-2005, 12:49 AM

Hi Lon,

I think the distortion you see is due to my bad picture taking. When I shot the picture I noticed this warp at the edges, which I took out by cropping the image. I am so used to seeing this image, that I did not notice the distortion until you have pointed it out.

It has been a long time since I have done a drawing such as this, but both the reference and the drawing were taped to a board and placed upright on an easel. Since I would get tired standing for hours, I often would sit in front of the easel, which in turn gave me a lot of stiffness in the neck.

I have checked and rechecked all the measurements with a proportional divider, but I will check again the areas you have pointed out to make sure I didn't stray.

Thank you for your observations.

Cindy Procious · 06-30-2005, 11:35 AM

Enzie, I'm troubled a bit by the thick black line that encircles the left side of his head, down around under his chin.

Perhaps if you soften, and vary that line, it will look more natural.

Enzie Shahmiri · 06-30-2005, 12:51 PM

Cindy, I agree with you something need to be done with the line under the chin to soften it. I will give your suggestion a try.

The companion picture has a shadow line under the chin that is about 1/4" thick. Since mine will hang next to the other one, I was trying to come up with ways to make them look more closer in style to each other. On the companion picture that very thick shadow seems to work, whereas on mine it looks out of place. I guess that was a bad idea!

Enzie Shahmiri · 06-30-2005, 06:08 PM

I have worked some more on it. Lon, I did wonder a bit with the right eye and fixed it, but the ear is correct. Thanks for pointing it out.

Cindy, I lessened the intensity of the jaw line and made added more gradual shadow.

I also worked some more on the hair, fixed the collar of the shirt and brightened up his left cheek.