Hi Folks,

Any tips for doing drawings using multiple references? I'm not so much interested in, say, drawing two people together based on separate photos; I'm more interested in (for example) drawing a portrait using the hair from photo A, the mouth from photo B, and the eyes from life.

Well, I haven't tried a mix of facial features, but would imagine you'd need to put your basic measurements in initially, marking where the top and bottom of the head were, placement of main features, and then put in the features from your other sources.

You'd need to keep a single light source in mind and likely have to adjust the features to reflect that. This is where the artistic license comes into play. It could be fun and an interesting challenge to draw.

I have had some success with this but like Jeanette said it is important to remember your measurements and light sources. And also it really helps if the two reference photos have the same pose. If the heads are reversed sometimes you can reverse one of the photo in PSP or what ever program you use. I did this recently with the two girls together.

Also this much easier if they have the same expression, smiling, serious, etc.

If you have a specific example you might post it and we could be more specific.

It would definitely be a good exercise.

Right now it's just theoretical, but I'm sure we could put together a good example for an exercise.

As my artwork has improved, I've heard two kinds of comments, meant as compliments, that I don't like. One is "it looks just like the photo!" which I don't like because, in general, a drawing is intended to look better than the photo. The "exposure" will be tweaked specially in each area of the picture, for instance, to emphasize certain parts. And of course the pencil marks, fadeouts, etc, all enhance the "handmade" look which I think makes an image much more intriguing. If you can't tell a drawing from a photo, well, then it loses something.

The other comment which I really don't like has something to do with the "Convert to drawing" plugin for Photoshop. Of course, I've seen what the results of that plugin look like, and they really don't compare to a real drawing. But still, the comparison is depressing; if all people can see is that you're copying a photo, well, what good is that to them?

So I'm wishing I could draw wholly original images. Drawing portraits entirely from life doesn't fit too well into the amateur artist's schedule -- at least, not into mine. But if I could draw a portrait based not on one photo, but on a dozen -- well, that's something else altogether. As the number of references trends upwards, at some point (what point would it be? I don't know) what you're doing is no longer drawing from a reference at all, but instead drawing an entirely original image.

So that's what I'm thinking about, and I'm soliciting advice before I go off and try some experiments.

Hi Ernest
I think it is so great that you are interested in going down this road, where in the end, the drawing has come entirely from you. Not that it doesn't when drawing from a reference, but what I really enjoy when drawing is the freedom to create exactly what I please.

I have seen amazing handwork done in this forum, when drawing from a reference photo, and sometimes they do indeed look better than the photo. I admire those who can draw like this, I certainly can't! And I can understand why others would like to have their portrait done in pencil or cp or whatever medium, because there is that hand-made feel to it, as you say. But I think, sometimes the drawing looses something, for being so closely based on reality. I quite like that fifth element that is the artist's imagination and interpretation. I like it when drawings are not completely life-like but have something extra. Since the camera showed up, we don't need art to record what the world looks like, but rather what it feels like!

So I'm wishing I could draw wholly original images. And there is no reason that you shouldn't be able to! You have the basics down and more, I have seen that, and you know that it takes practice.. I have never tried to put together two different reference photos. What I have done is practicing the more comic-like way of drawing the egg-shaped head with it's neat measures for where features normally go, and then playing with that. In the beginning every face looked a little the same, but I can feel this changing. If I use any direct reference, it is usually to see what a certain expression would do to the features. I'm nowhere near creating as amazing and expressive faces as you have, but my style is also very different, and that is not what I am seeking. This is very different from what you have been doing, I think, and I do not proclaim my method as being the best nor certainly the only one - but it works for me.

Anyway that was my two (hundred) cents.. I wish you good luck in finding the way that works for you.

Ernest do you remember seeing the popular simple line drawing of Alfred Hitchcock? It was only a few lines but it captured the essence of the man. Cartoonists and those who do characterize popular people strive to do this by exaggerating certain features.

It might be possible to create a program that will do this but I’m sure it would be a very complex program and perhaps not as good as what some humans do.

I think I try to do what you are talking about. I think Adolfo does a pretty good job of it. Some professional portrait artists are very good at it.

If I am right it involves studying the person and picking out the expressions, the mood, etc, and creating what you, the artist, feels captures the essence, or the “best side” of the person.

A person known for being happy or funny would have that look. A person who is a thinker would have the look of a serious thinker. The portrait would not only be a drawing capturing the likeness of a specific person but it would also be like a biography of the person.

You might use hundreds of photographs but the final work would not look exactly like any of them. You might even do several before you got exactly what you wanted.

An artist would need to study the subject intimately and then create what they feel captures the whole person. Right?

Bob.

Bob: yes, that's exactly what I'm talking about as the long term goal.

So, how do you suppose one learns to do it?

Marie: thanks for the encouragement and different perspective. It's funny, but come to think of it, I've never tried to do a "serious" drawing entirely from imagination; nothing more than little sketches. It's about time I tried!

Ernest, creating wholly original drawings is well within your abilities - everyone's abilities. Reference material is nearly always used to draw from in any drawing or painting. Artists may not always be true to the original photo or life piece and this manipulation is what makes for interesting images.

I have been working on a creativity class with Armin Mersmann that has stretched me a lot. Its about portraiture, but with a twist - I'm doing a symbolic self portrait which has no portrait in it but representation of myself. This is a lot more difficult that it sounds.

I researched images, formed compositions, worked and reworked thumbnails and finally put something down on paper. Even so its still not completely in place, one half of the drawing remaining still in my head. And this image isn't small, its all graphite and measures 22 x 30 inches on illustration board. I imagine this drawing will take several months to complete.

This is indeed an original and its an exercise that I recommend that everyone go through. Here is the work in progress - this will take some time to complete. The images so far are too personal to share here, and I also believe its good for the viewer to form their own interpretations as well.

So far the tentative title is Surf and Turf

[attachmentid=6190]

Thanks Jeanette, and all of you. What a great discussion! I now have several pieces of homework to do...


Thanks Jeanette, and all of you. What a great discussion! I now have several pieces of homework to do...

Wow Jeanette, that sounds really really interesting! So you choose symbols that represent yourself and have meaning to you? And then place them together in a single drawing? That sounds like s challenge both artistically and mentally in the soul-searching way.. How amazing when you find a project that will keep you occupied for months, and still be interesting to see to the end. It looks like it will be a very intriguing image, from what you showed here..

Ernest, I'm glad my comment was useful to you - it is an interesting discussion, which made me look at how I actually perceive my own work.

Marie, what you do is even further along the scale -- I can't begin to think how you can conceive of a whole scene from your imagination, and draw it. It's just not something I know how to do. Tell me something about your process -- how does it work? Do you use references for some things?

Well, what usually happens is that something inspires me, most of the times it is something I read or a discussion I have with a friend, but I have also challenged myself to base a drawing on a simple word, like the word of the day from a dictionary daily feed.. It is usually a very basic idea. Then I try to imagine how the scene would play. I'll give you an example (that you know well already!):
[attachmentid=6209]

For this one all I knew was that I wanted the adult and a tree. I was looking on the internet for oak-trees, because I really like those, and thought they would be nice with their sometimes twisted grow-patterns. Then I sat down and experimented with placing the tree and the man. This involved a lot of me standing in front of the mirror posing to find a posture I liked.. It occured to me then that it might be nice if he was actually doing something in the forest that we could see, and I thought that he might be looking for the two small children, who would then try to hide from him, because they didn't want to come home yet and go to bed.. (So for me, it is pretty much like writing a little story, where one chrystalized moment should tell the story). The addition of the children made it necessary to have a whole forest, because if there was only one tree it would be unlikely that they would be able to hide from the man.
Besides the tree references, I went searching on the internet for inspiration for the man's clothes, boots and especially his belt, which had me tearing out my hair. His expression is me again standing at the mirror and pretending to be yelling while squinting to see how it looks.. The background is inspired by the lesson on light between the trees here on this site..
As my ideas occur to me I sketch and sketch and sketch until I get the right pose, the right expression.. Lots of thumbnails. The thing evolves when I look at the thumbnail and see something missing, and ask myself what would be there. When I finally think I have it right I place the sketches next to my drawing board and then draw the whole thing again on some good paper.

Another thing that happens sometimes is that an idea suddenly lends itself, or springs from the desire to practice something I would like to improve on. Like lighting for example as this one did:
[attachmentid=6210]
Or the nude male form as this one:
[attachmentid=6211]

I like my drawings to be as realistic as possible, but still have that fantasy element, that sets them slightly apart from real life.. It is a balance, that is not so hard to obtain, as my drawing skills do not yet lend themselves to complete life-likeness!

Hmm, I'm not sure if this was what you asked for, if not please ask again. It is actually quite interesting for me to try and put my process in words.

That was very helpful -- thanks so much!