using the recommended proportions, I drew the face over the grid I made (used photo for reference). Then I placed the photo next to the drawing (in Photoshop) and sized it from middle of eyes to chin to fit the existing grid. I wanted to see what, if anything, lined up with the drawing.
There’s no way that eyebrows could be as high as that upper green line (the super orbital ridge). One would look like one had a botched face lift. Notice the mouth is lower on the drawing than in the photo. Other than those two items, everything else lines up relatively closely.
trebor61 2:32 am on January 5, 2009 | #
Now I see where the skulls come in. It would be interesting to see a photo of your Christmas present laid out in the above format – like the last posting. ps. Do you intend to draw complete figures and, if so, does this mean getting a complete skeleton ie the whole set? He! He! Hope the holiday was good for you.
Margie 1:54 pm on January 5, 2009 | #
Good idea, Bob! I’ll do that soon! The skull I have is female, so let’s see what happens.
As for owning a skeleton…hmmm.. now there’s thought! (I do have 2 cheap plastic “decorative” Halloween skeletons hanging in a closet!) I own those artists figures that you pose and draw, and have not found them very helpful. And I do feel the desire to tackle the human body again in drawing (more seriously than ever) because I have never felt very confident in that area, even when I drew storyboards its always been a weakness and I’ve felt so subpar because of it.
The holidays were just wonderful for me for the first time in years, thank you! I hope yours were as beautiful as your paintings!
chris 3:22 pm on January 7, 2009 | #
I find that the “ideal” proportions usual do work well for eye-placement (half-way from the top of the head to bottom of the chin), but everything else is related to the person. I’m not sure how you got the nose line, but I generally use the “half-way from eye-line to chin” rule, and the mouth-line is usually half of that. I use the eye-line to center the socket, with the upper edge being the brow ridge. Ideal proportions never give you a likeness of an actual person, but once you settle on a scheme of dividing up the face, you can then use that to see character.
Margie 2:24 pm on January 12, 2009 | #
thanks, Chris! I like hearing others’ approach.