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01-26-2002, 12:10 AM
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#1
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FT Pro, Mem SOG,'08 Cert Excellence PSA, '02 Schroeder Portrait Award Copley Soc, '99 1st Place PSA, '98 Sp Recognition Washington Soc Portrait Artists, '97 1st Prize ASOPA, '97 Best Prtfolio ASOPA
Joined: Jun 2001
Location: Peterborough, NH
Posts: 1,114
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Head size and intellect?
Although I paint from photographic reference material, I don't feel any need to be confined by that "reality" - most especially when it comes to an anatomical proportion like head size.
When the subject has a large head, even though it looks "perfectly normal" in reality, this feature tends to make someone look a "wee bit stupid" in a portrait painting.
Below is an example of a portrait by John Singleton Copley in which the sitter's head size is probably accurate, but it doesn't really come across well...
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01-26-2002, 12:18 AM
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#2
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FT Pro, Mem SOG,'08 Cert Excellence PSA, '02 Schroeder Portrait Award Copley Soc, '99 1st Place PSA, '98 Sp Recognition Washington Soc Portrait Artists, '97 1st Prize ASOPA, '97 Best Prtfolio ASOPA
Joined: Jun 2001
Location: Peterborough, NH
Posts: 1,114
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And here is a portrait of King Philip IV by Velazquez. You can see that this subject has a verrrry small head in proportion to his body.
Philip, because of his head size (certainly not his physical beauty), comes across as an intelligent and worthy leader...
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01-26-2002, 01:01 AM
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#3
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SOG Member
FT Pro 35 yrs
Joined: Jul 2001
Location: Lancaster, PA
Posts: 305
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If anything I will err on the side of understatment of the head size also. It provides the statuesque Giacometti/ Charles DeGaulle look of prominence and authority. I think Phil #4 however, looks like a pinhead.
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01-26-2002, 01:18 AM
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#4
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FT Pro, Mem SOG,'08 Cert Excellence PSA, '02 Schroeder Portrait Award Copley Soc, '99 1st Place PSA, '98 Sp Recognition Washington Soc Portrait Artists, '97 1st Prize ASOPA, '97 Best Prtfolio ASOPA
Joined: Jun 2001
Location: Peterborough, NH
Posts: 1,114
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I chose the most extreme example of a small head that I could find in order to make the point. 
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