One of my first portraits

**Rod.F** · March 28th, 2012, 04:24 PM

Hi there!
I've started drawing last year... a lots of interruptions but I've managed to get back on track!

This is one of my first portraits (actually my fourth).
But it's the first in which I really feel I've drawn "something".

It's my fathers' and it's in charcoal. It's from last September; I've really drawn so little since then due to job issues.

I wish my best to all of you!

**Lightship69** · March 28th, 2012, 04:47 PM

Post the reference for it buddy! cant compare it to anything and if I start insulting the anatomy or something you will cross me off the christmas card list or worse get mad at me!!

**Blankstate** · March 28th, 2012, 05:07 PM

I think it is not bad at all for someone starting out. Careful attention should be paid to things that should be symmetrical, such as the glasses. Posting your ref would help.

**Rod.F** · March 28th, 2012, 05:33 PM

This was the ref photo; it was a full figure shot but it was one of the few capturing the essence I wanted to express in the drawing.

As I said I started last year and almost never drawn in my life apart from stick figures as a child.

**Blankstate** · March 28th, 2012, 06:22 PM

When rendering a likeness of some, unless it is a 'caricature', really pay attention to the general shapes and proportions of the persons face. Try to take mental notes while drawing of areas that can be used as points of measurement such as the distance between his ear and his left eye. Make them constantly while drawing and looking at your subject and only draw what you see. Don't add things that you think should be anatomically correct, such as the cleft in his chin, if it isn't present, don't draw it. Only what is there. Keep it up. gl.

**OmenSpirits** · March 29th, 2012, 12:31 AM

Never be a slave to your ref.

Especially if it's a photo. The distortion can become apart of the image. If the pic doesn't look right (like the right eye) though the pic looks that way, you use your knowledge of anatomy to take liberty and correct it.

**hitnrun** · March 29th, 2012, 12:38 AM

A few issues to be fixed, but it's pretty close.

One problem, in response to the user saying "use knowledge of anatomy to correct stuff" - if it doesn't look exactly like the photo, anyone who looks at it will just assume you suck. This is at least MY experience. Otherwise, I would whole-heartedly agree to not be a slave to the reference.

**arenhaus** · March 29th, 2012, 10:15 AM

I think you should focus on the fundamentals for now. Learn to draw a perfect cube before you proceed to trying portraiture.

**Rod.F** · March 29th, 2012, 10:23 AM

Thanks everybody for suggestions.

Maybe I should also point out that portraiture isn't a particular subject I'd like to develop; I'd like to focus on general illustration. But this was a funny experiment and a nice present for my father!

**hitnrun** · April 1st, 2012, 08:33 PM

Yea, if you're not interested in portraiture, it would be best to pursue a type of art that you ARE actually interested in - your work will come out much better, and you will enjoy what you're doing.