CRAYON PORTRAITS.
Crayon is especially adapted to portraiture, on account of the
brilliant effects which it is capable of producing, as well as the
great softness and delicacy of finish which may be obtained by its use.
Portraits should, of course, always be taken from life if possible,
though if the person be an invalid or is for any other reason unable
to give many sittings, a photograph may be used for the beginning. The
portrait is carried on from this until well advanced; if one or two
sittings from life can then be had in finishing, it will be a great
advantage, especially in regard to the expression.
In portraits of children a photograph is frequently a great assistance,
particularly if the artist has not had much experience.
In all such cases, however, it is best to decide upon the pose, and
sketch it from life, and then have the photograph taken in the pose you
have selected.
In this way, the light and shade are arranged to suit the artist,
and the pose being decided upon by him, the portrait will have the
effect of being drawn from life instead of being merely a copy from a
conventional photograph.
In general the effect of light used by photographers is exactly the
reverse of that chosen by artists. It will be noticed that ordinary
photographs have the greater part of the face either in shadow or
covered by strong half-tints.
An artist, on the contrary, in posing a head for a portrait, prefers
exactly the opposite arrangement, selecting broad and simple effects of
light with only enough shadow to give the necessary variety and relief
to the features.
When arranging the preliminaries for a portrait, there are several
things to be considered.
In the first place, study the head carefully and see which view is most
agreeable. Sometimes features in the same face look differently when
seen from opposite directions. Some noses or mouths look well on one
side and distorted on the other.
A very broad face should not be given a full front pose, but would look
better seen in three-quarter.
A very retreating chin must not be seen in a profile view.
This same pose, however, for a person with a cast in the eyes is
preferable, and so on. After all such matters have been considered, see
that the head is not thrown up too high, as it will make the nose look
short, while lowering the chin too much will make the nose look long. A
good rule is that the eyes of the sitter should be on a line with those
of the artist as he sits or stands at his work.
The method most generally in use for crayon portraits is that
described in the preceding pages, in which the stump is used. All the
old-fashioned ways of stippling and hatching are seldom resorted to,
and not considered artistic.
In drawing a life-sized head the artist must not be too far from his
subject, the easel being placed about four or five feet distant. It is
well to get up and walk back occasionally, looking at the work from a
distance so as to see the general effect.
There are several different kinds of paper used for crayon portraits,
some artists preferring one make, some another. The ordinary “Lalanne”
and “Michelet” papers used for charcoal and crayon studies are a little
too rough in texture to please every body, and do not produce quite so
fine a finish as is desirable. They come in too small-sized sheets for
a large portrait head, for which one wants plenty of room.
This, however, is merely a matter of taste, that can be indulged when
one has become sufficiently proficient in the work to judge for
himself. We will suggest that Whatman’s crayon paper is one of the
most satisfactory; this comes in large sheets, and should be stretched
before using in the manner already described. A good sized stretcher
for an ordinary portrait is 20×24.
If more of the figure than the shoulders is to be seen, a larger size
would be better.
The portrait is first lightly sketched in with charcoal, and if the
student is not very proficient in drawing from life it is better to
make the first sketch upon an ordinary sheet of charcoal paper.
When all corrections are made, and the general proportions of the face
appear to be right, the outline is transferred to the stretcher in the
following manner:—
Take the sheet of charcoal paper on which the sketch is made, and with
a stick of charcoal “scribble,” so to speak, all over the back, so that
the paper is entirely covered behind your sketch.
Now lay this sheet with the face upward on the clean stretcher,
placing it so that the head will come in exactly the right place,
neither too high nor too low.
Fasten it with pins at the top and bottom, so that the paper will not
slip, and then with a sharp, hard lead-pencil carefully go over the
outline, and every important part of the face and head. If the paper
should move in the least the whole thing is spoiled, therefore it is
best in transferring to lay the drawing upon a table till finished.
Remember not to rest the hand heavily upon any portion of the paper
except the line to be traced, as every touch leaves a black spot
beneath.
On removing the sketch a perfect outline will be found upon the
stretcher, which will be a sufficient guide to the proportions and
general likeness. Now, with a sharply pointed charcoal stick begin to
draw in the head, following the outline, block in the features, massing
the shadows in the face and hair.
Do not begin to use the crayon until the general likeness is assured,
for the paper must not be roughened by too much erasing.
Use the soft cotton rag for dusting off charcoal whenever you can,
instead of bread, as too much rubbing with bread will grease the paper;
for very large spaces, where erasing is necessary, use Faber’s India
rubber.
When the crayon is put on, advance slowly, remembering that in a
portrait there is much more careful work than in an ordinary life
study, and that there are many more things to be considered than merely
the drawing. The likeness is to be secured, which is sometimes a
difficult thing even for those with experience.
This is accomplished gradually; the student must not always expect
to see the likeness in the first sketch; it comes by degrees, as the
drawing progresses, and it is a good rule to draw the head in exactly
as you see it, emphasizing the salient points, no matter how ugly it
may appear. Do not attempt to improve and modify until the drawing and
general likeness are secured.
The expression comes last of all, and with it the beauty. If you
attempt to make the face pretty at first, you will weaken the drawing
and lose the character. For this reason, many artists make it a rule
never to show their portraits until finished. The sitter does not
understand the methods of working and is tempted to criticise, which
renders the worker timid.
After the head is put in with the crayon and modeled with the stump, in
the manner described in a previous chapter, the finishing is carried on
with the crayon point, the small stump, and the pointed rubber stump,
which is found more useful than bread at the last.
The animated expression is put in the eyes by dark touches in the pupil
and under the lids, while sharp lights are accented in the iris and on
the eyeball.
The form of the under lid must be carefully studied.
The nose, also, has much to do with the expression; especially the
shape of the nostrils, and the direction of the lines at the side of
the nose running down to the mouth. Observe whether the nostrils droop
downward at the outward edge; this gives a serious expression; if,
on the contrary, the line is elevated, it tends to give a bright and
animated appearance to the face.
The mouth, of course, is of great importance, and influences the
expression more than any other feature; when smiling, the corners
are turned upward, and the lines or dimples are curved in an outward
direction. In a sad face the corners of the mouth drop downward and the
lines grow straight.
If the student learns to look for such indications in many faces, he
will find more suggestions of importance to aid him in developing the
expression. Without such knowledge, he may accidentally reverse these
conditions, and work on blindly, puzzling himself vainly to find out
where he is wrong and why the expression is just the opposite of what
it should be.
THE HAIR.
In drawing the hair, no matter how elaborate its arrangement, it must
be blocked in at first in simple flat masses of light and shade without
any attempt at detail. Try, however, to give the general character of
the hair in putting in the form of the shadows where they meet the
light. In smooth, black hair, the effect will be large masses of black
with sharp, clearly-defined high lights.
Light curly hair will have much lighter tone in the shadow and much
less brilliant lights.
After the hair is thus laid in with charcoal and the stump, the crayon
is taken up.
The half tints are studied and the deep accents of dark put in the
shadows, always following the outline of the form of each shadow very
carefully.
Avoid putting in a number of lines to represent hair, as this destroys
the effect and means nothing. All details are expressed by carefully
rendered light and shade.
In finishing, the high lights are taken out with bread rolled to a
point, or if more convenient, the india-rubber stump is used.
Soften the hair where it touches the face, never leaving a hard, dark
line. When a tone is too dark, it is not always necessary to use either
bread or rubber, but first try rubbing with the stump, which may be
found sufficient.
BACKGROUNDS.
A background gives relief and importance to the head, and should be
managed with judgment.
In the first place, never make the background exactly the same value as
the head. If the hair is light and the general effect of the face fair
and delicate, the background should be darker than the head, though not
too dark.
Everything must be harmonious, and a spotty appearance is to be avoided.
For instance, a very light effect of hair and face with a moderately
dark dress and a jetty-black background is very bad. Also, a head
with black hair, white dress and very light background. All violent
contrasts should be avoided.
Put the background in at first with charcoal only, using parallel lines
in one direction, then crossing them diagonally. After this take the
large stump and rub these lines into one tone, yet leaving a slight
suggestion of the lines to show through.
Put in this tone only around the shoulders and lower part of the head,
leaving the upper part of the paper bare, or nearly so.
In this way try the effect, working slowly and adding more charcoal as
the tone needs to be darker.
When you have decided that the background has the right effect in
relation to the head, use the crayon point in the same way as the
charcoal, putting in crossed lines and rubbing them together again
with the stump until a transparent effect is achieved, which will give
atmosphere and relieve the head.
If you get on too much crayon rub it all over with a soft rag. This is
an excellent thing to do occasionally, as it softens and unites the
whole while making the tone lighter.
Sometimes in finishing, a few touches of the rubber point may be used
at the edges of the background and where it softens off at the top. Use
the rubber in the same manner as the crayon point, making light lines
crossing obliquely.
Remember that hardly any appearance of lines must be seen. When all is
done they must be so softened with stump and rag as to present almost
the appearance, at a little distance, of an even tone.
In some cases the background may be carried up higher than the middle
of the head, but it is very rarely necessary to surround the whole head
with it.
Sometimes a very light tone may be put all over the paper with the
large stump and rag.
In this case the lines are only used at the darkest part around the
shoulders. These matters must be determined by individual taste, and
the composition of the portrait, as it is impossible to make general
rules for every case.
Never attempt to make landscape backgrounds or effects of drapery and
still-life behind a simple portrait head. Every thing should be kept
subordinate to the face, which is the most important thing of all.
Never use white chalk or crayon with the black in such portraits; take
all lights out with bread, or leave the paper clean.
DRAPERY.
All drapery in a crayon portrait must be treated as simply as possible,
being regarded only as secondary in importance to the head, which is,
of course, the main object of interest.
All elaborate trimmings or pronounced fashions should be avoided.
Different kinds of material are interpreted by carefully studying the
different forms of the lights and shadows in each. For instance, black
satin is rendered by large masses of black, as black as crayon can be
made with sharp, narrow high lights, so light as to be almost white.
In black silk, the masses of dark are lighter in their general tone,
and the lights less sharp and brilliant.
The different colors are represented by lighter or darker tones, as the
case may be.
In black velvet, the masses of dark are softer than in satin and not so
jetty black, while the lights are less brilliant and more diffused in
effect, leaving more half tints than are seen either in silk or satin.
In black cloths the lights are quite low in tone and the darks are not
very black, no sharp high lights are seen at all, both light and shade
taking large and simple forms.
White stuffs, such as lace, muslin, etc., are also kept simple in
effect, and are laid in with a very delicate tone all over the mass of
light, and the high lights are taken out with bread.
The shadows should also be delicate and transparent and not too dark.
White hair is treated in this way also, the character of the hair being
indicated by the form of the lights.
When there is a white cap upon the head or lace of any kind, do not
make it too prominent, but carefully study its value in relation to the
face.