Heads as Geometric Figures
©2012 Kevin Grass
Objectives: Portraits are particularly difficult for beginning students for several reasons: 1)
students tend to draw what they expect rather than what they actually see, 2) students do not
understand the characteristics of the forms that they are drawing and their relationships to one
another, and 3) students tend to address too many variables at one time, which ultimately
leads to frustration. The best way to overcome these problems is to conceive of the head and
its features as a series of simpler, blocky geometric forms when the portrait is initially blocked
in. A blockier interpretation of the head will help clarify how values should function when they
are addressed in the middle and later stages of the drawing.
The following are the objectives for the assignment:
Begin the drawing with a light, quick, gestural block-in of the subject using either 2-point
or isometric perspective.
Address form and proportion by initially simplifying the subject into a combination of no
more than 4 simple geometric forms.
Clearly rendering large and small elements clearly in terms of simple geometric figures.
Develop accurate proportional relationships within the head and face.
Make sure that all parts are logically articulated.
Use a consistent system of perspective throughout the drawing.
Render the subject using a full range of values that are dictated by changes in plane
rather than light and shadow.
Develop background values to enhance the illusion of form and space.
Create a well-unified, solid sense of form.
Maintain a consistent drawing style throughout the piece.
Estimated time for the assignment: 4-6 hours
Medium: Graphite on white paper or charcoal on white or toned paper.
Size: Full sheet, 18” x 24”.
Technique: Use a Wolff’s Carbon B pencil or an HB graphite pencil to begin the drawing,
completing a quick, relatively blocky rendering that addresses placement and proportions. As
with the other drawings, the subject should be rendered using either isometric or two-point
perspective (A). The largest forms should then be addressed as simple geometric figures. It is
important to use blocky forms as much as possible to clarify changes in plane (B). The smallest
planes and forms are addressed and a full range of values are developed for changes in plane
(C). Values and gradations need to be developed within all of the shapes, including the
background.
A
C
B
Subject: The subjects chosen for this drawing must be either yourself, another person, or a
plaster cast of a head.
Design: This drawing must utilize a closed horizontal or vertical composition. In other words,
the subjects must fit on the page without being cut off at the edges of the paper, approaching
the edges too closely, or touching the edges. You should keep at least 1 ½” to 2” between the
subjects and the edges of the picture plane.
B
Additional instructions: Drawings may be either horizontal or vertical in their orientation.
Though drawings need a significant amount of contrast, they need not be as extreme as the
examples illustrated above.
Remember that you are not completing a highly detailed photographic rendering, you are
instead completing a relatively blocky simplification of the subject. This means that the drawing
must retain a sense of the geometric forms that were used to build the subject. Forms must be
clearly resolved, with highly refined values/gradations.
Also remember that values are determined by changes in plane rather than lighting. Notice how
the values in the drawings above correspond to the values used for the drawings of the cubes.
It is a good idea to complete a drawing of a cube before beginning the values in you finished
drawing so that you can use it to help you keep the values consistent throughout the drawing.
It would also be a good idea to print out a copy of the Proportions of the Head and Face PDF,
located in the Portrait folder in Lessons, so that it is easy to reference while you are completing
the drawing.