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I compiled these notes for students in my online classes as well as some of the in-person live workshops I have taught over the years. I begin here with the planes of the head, which is essential for any aspiring portraitist. I promise you that time spent studying proportions, alignments, and the planes of the head, will be well-rewarded, as you see progress in your own drawings. Be patient with yourself, but also be persistent in your pursuit of excellence and understanding..
Learn to draw the planes of the head from any angle. Regular practice will pay dividends as you learn to draw portraits with confidence. (I should give credit to Ron Lemen for his lecture/demos, since I based my drawings below on his demos).Â
I confess that I was skeptical of the "Reilly Method", but after studying it with Nathan Fowkes, Ron Lemen, Glen Orbik, and finally from Jeff Watts in his online Watts Atelier, I am now convinced that the "Reilly Method" is the best way to break down and understand the structures and rhythms of the human head.
I highly recommend you try this exercise: apply the Reilly rhythms to your own head. You will learn so much about the structures and rhythms of the human head.
My teacher, Glen Orbik, encouraged this exercise: students would place tracing paper over photographs, and identify the planes of the head. Here I have practiced finding the planes of the head on Hollywood celebrities. I find this practice invaluable in deepening my understand of anatomical structure and form.
Using the same Hollywood photos above, I apply the Reilly rhythms to each face. This practice teaches me not just about the structure and form of each face, but also the rhythms that run through the human head. These rhythms help us to appreciate the design of the human head, and hopefully not just to copy what we see by to make aesthetic judgements that lead to more beautiful drawings.
The notes below address light and shadow. When I was first learning to draw portraits, I would try to copy the lights and shadows exactly as I saw them on the model. Over the years, I have learned not to copy, but to analyze and to decide: where do I want to apply the strongest value contrasts? Where do I want to apply the sharpest edges? When might I want to make an area lighter or darker than I actually see it? As you can see in the notes below, we can choose to lighten or darken, sharpen or soften, so as to draw attention to a focal point, and make a more aesthetically pleasing drawing.
These last images show the step-by-step process where I started by laying out the drawing in line, placing the features, and identifying the Reilly Rhythms of the head. After the foundation has been set, I develop the drawing in stages, applying a light layer of tone to block in shadows, mapping out the lights and darks. Gradually I develop each area of value: lights, middle tones and shadows, applying the darkest values towards the end of the drawing. In the final stages, I refine edges and and adjust value contrasts.
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