Every portrait painting is the result of a series of steps. Some artists have fewer steps than others, and most artists are eager to grab their paints and dive right into the color process. But those who simply pose their model and start painting are taking a lot of chances, such as improperly placing the model on the canvas or discovering a more interesting pose once you’ve already begun. After many hours of your hard work and your model’s patient posing, you don’t want to wipe it all off and start over again.
That’s why preliminary drawings are such an effective portrait tool because they help solve problems before they happen. Drawings let you map out your subject and get acquainted with all the hidden things you’ll need to know about him or her. Take bone structure, for instance — every skull is similar, but there are always subtle variations that can make a big difference in the portrait. You must be as aware of the unseen side of your subject as you are of the visible side. If you’re guessing, the viewer will know it.
Use drawings to get to know your subject before you begin the actual portrait. For some artists this may take no more than a few sketches and suggested values.
This kind of familiarity also pays off because with a live model, no matter how good a model he or she is, your subject is frequently changing. There are many muscles in the human head, more than in any other part of the body, and nearly all of them move when the expression changes on the subject’s face. If you can learn some thing about what muscles made the expression you want, then you can compensate for subtle changes (A smile, for instance, consists of much more than just upturned corners of the mouth.)
Put a little preparation into each portrait you do by starting off with preliminary drawings. You’ll soon find that a little investment up front can save you a lot of trouble later on, and it brings an important step closer to making your portraits the best they can be.
I have a good friend, Frank, who has wonderful bone structure. Every bone is right up front where I can see it. I snapped two photos of him, not pretty, smiley photos, but character studies. I wanted to show his bones and wrinkles off to their greatest advantage.
Portrait Pointer: when you can’t find a model who is willing to sit for several hours, go for photography. Be ready with your camera when a great face comes your way. Just remember, don’t just copy the photo, study the bone structure and value patterns the same as you would when using a live model. Measuring is very necessary. Remember, every skull is different. Don’t generalize. Drawing is not only necessary to portraiture but a beautiful and fun form of art.
Should I sketch before painting? When to sketch when creating art
Have you ever wondered when to sketch before starting a painting? Or what the purpose of sketching before painting on canvas is?
You are not alone, I get this question all the time. As we know, it can be intimidating when we first start creating. We wonder about all the ‘rules’ of art, the right way to do things, and which process we should follow. So let’s shed some light on this topic.
Sketching is a useful skill
Sketching is a VERY important skill to have. Also important is knowing when to sketch. Is it required to be a great painter? No. Should you sketch? Well, it depends, below are a few things to consider when deciding if you should pre-sketch your canvas. Try to think if sketching will help you complete your artwork or if it will distract you.
When to sketch
If deciding when to sketch consider the following things:
First, What are you trying to paint?
Second, Is your subject very detailed with complicated proportions?
Third, does it have a complex composition or layout?
These would be two scenarios that you would want to pre-sketch your canvas, here’s why…
Pre-sketching in charcoal, pencil, or even thinned paint gives us the chance to flesh out our design, work on proportions, seek balance in our composition and identify any trouble spots before we start building our painting. Sketching in this way can help you build confidence in your work of art before you add any paint!
Things to consider before sketching
I also want to share some negative things that can happen while you are sketching to be aware of.
Sometimes we can get over-involved in our sketch, remember this is just our guideline not its own work of art, but that line can get blurred if we get to deep into our sketch.
Sometimes it can get messy, charcoal and pencil can smudge if we work too long in our sketch phase.
If you don’t like sketching it can keep you from ever painting! This is something I struggle with personally, as I nearly hate sketching before painting. If I feel myself putting off my creativity to avoid sketching, I will just start painting or paint sketching.
The bottom line
The most important thing is to make sure you don’t let it become a roadblock. If something is holding you back, even in some subtle way, it is not serving your creativity. When to sketch is up to you and your comfort level.
In summary, it’s the artist’s choice, it’s YOUR choice! Sketching beforehand does not make you a better or worse artist. It is not required for all paintings or art. If you feel like you want or need to sketch before painting, trust your gut. If you feel like you want to wildly start flinging paint, follow your heart.
More Reading:
Sketching can become a part of our regular creative process, if you want to learn how to focus on your own individual process and how it can help you become a more creative person read this post
This is also a great article on some of the basics on sketching down to your pencil choice!
Make Preliminary Drawings The First Step In Your Portrait Process and Get the Painting Right the First Time
Every portrait painting is the result of a series of steps. Some artists have fewer steps than others, and most artists are eager to grab their paints and dive right into the color process. But those who simply pose their model and start painting are taking a lot of chances, such as improperly placing the model on the canvas or discovering a more interesting pose once you’ve already begun. After many hours of your hard work and your model’s patient posing, you don’t want to wipe it all off and start over again.
That’s why preliminary drawings are such an effective portrait tool because they help solve problems before they happen. Drawings let you map out your subject and get acquainted with all the hidden things you’ll need to know about him or her. Take bone structure, for instance — every skull is similar, but there are always subtle variations that can make a big difference in the portrait. You must be as aware of the unseen side of your subject as you are of the visible side. If you’re guessing, the viewer will know it.
Use drawings to get to know your subject before you begin the actual portrait. For some artists this may take no more than a few sketches and suggested values. 
This kind of familiarity also pays off because with a live model, no matter how good a model he or she is, your subject is frequently changing. There are many muscles in the human head, more than in any other part of the body, and nearly all of them move when the expression changes on the subject’s face. If you can learn some thing about what muscles made the expression you want, then you can compensate for subtle changes (A smile, for instance, consists of much more than just upturned corners of the mouth.)
Put a little preparation into each portrait you do by starting off with preliminary drawings. You’ll soon find that a little investment up front can save you a lot of trouble later on, and it brings an important step closer to making your portraits the best they can be.
I have a good friend, Frank, who has wonderful bone structure. Every bone is right up front where I can see it. I snapped two photos of him, not pretty, smiley photos, but character studies. I wanted to show his bones and wrinkles off to their greatest advantage. 
Portrait Pointer: when you can’t find a model who is willing to sit for several hours, go for photography. Be ready with your camera when a great face comes your way. Just remember, don’t just copy the photo, study the bone structure and value patterns the same as you would when using a live model. Measuring is very necessary. Remember, every skull is different. Don’t generalize. Drawing is not only necessary to portraiture but a beautiful and fun form of art.
- OPA says July 23, 2012 at 12:12 pm
Thanks for the excellent suggestions and tips to help artists progress in their careers and skills!
Hope you don’t mind a comment from a pastel painter, but the blogs on OPA are all excellent! This was such a good article and reminder. I lived out of the country at the beginning of my study, so learned to draw portraits from a Daniel Greene video. I still use his technique of drawing from the inside out, making a complete drawing before starting with color.
Mind? Not at all! Thanks Carolyn for your thoughts!
