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Head of 12-year-old Christ by Albrecht Dürer,
drawing, 1506.
Adapted from an article by Dan Gheno. |
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As you know from my previous blog about needing a
GPS to draw heads--because I get more lost in the eyes, ears, mouth, and nose than you'd think would ever be possible--I am on the lookout for any kind of aid or tricks or artistic voodoo that can set me on the right path. That's where Dan Gheno--a gem among men--comes in.
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Stereometric Man (detail)
by Albrecht Dürer, 11½ x 8,
drawing from artist's notebook.
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Head of Apostle Looking Downward
by Albrecht Dürer, drawing, 1508. |
He gave me yet another trick that I love to use when trying to draw a noggin. This time it is all about perspective. Dan advises trying to better gauge the tilt and angle of the head by visualizing it in a box, just like Albrect Durer drew in his sketchbooks. Doing this can make it easier to "see" the tilt of the form with opposite sides slanting parallel to each other.
All you have to do is remember that if the front of the face is angling down, the back of the head is on the same slant. And when it comes to aligning the features on a face as they recede into space, I just remember to draw imaginary perspective lines (in my mind) that converge downward when I'm drawing the face from below, and upward if I am drawing a person's face at eye level. Sounds easy...now it's time to put it into practice. So head, get in that box!
And if you want more instruction on how to draw people, check out our free eBook.
