How to draw a portrait: materials from the marathon (19 teaching videos)

Hi!

I’m really glad you’ve decided to study all the subtleties of portrait drawing with me. There are 12 topics ahead, 10 of them video lessons and timelapses, and two of them free. During the marathon the rule was: one week, one piece — now you can draw at your own comfortable pace :)

Below I’ve briefly announced each topic. Start with the very first one and gradually move on to the harder assignments, or jump straight to whatever looks coolest.

Program of the "Portrait" marathon

Topic 1. Drawing the bones of the skull. I show how to build a sound construction and how to use a graphic device for greater expression.

Topic 2. Drawing the skull. I tell you the neat tricks that make the main principles of drawing skulls easy to remember. For example, we’ll find the Eiffel Tower in the skull!

Topic 3. Drawing the parts of the face. As is tradition, we don’t just copy from life or from a photo reference — we learn to analyze the form, break it down into simple modules, and draw thoughtfully.

Topic 4. Drawing a plaster head. I show what to watch for when drawing a plaster head, including how to depict casts with damage — cracks and chips (that’s always interesting!).

Topic 5. Drawing a portrait of an elderly man in ¾. We’ll draw from the mass, or rather from the silhouette — old men often have beards, unruly hair, sideburns, and so on. We’ll try to catch and convey the character of an old man: whether he’s a mean old man, a wise elder, or a kind, warm-hearted grandpa is up to you!

Topic 6. Drawing a portrait of an elderly man in profile. We work in balance: looking for expressive forms and stylizing, while also attending to construction, proportions, and details.

We’ll pay special attention to the ear and the nose ;) The thing is, those are exactly the parts that keep growing all through life! Which means they become even more expressive with age — and of course that’s beautiful.

Topic 7. Drawing a male portrait in ¾. First I explain and show how you search for the angle and the idea, and what goes into building the character of a portrait. Then, out of the sketches, I pick an English football hooligan who works as a dockhand at the port, and draw him in more detail.

Topic 8. Drawing a male portrait in profile. This assignment is about creative freedom! The only constraint: it has to be a man, and it has to be in profile. Everything else is up to your imagination — pick photos of your favorite actors as a reference, draw friends and relatives, catch random passers-by and ask them to pose (a joke, but also not a joke).

Topic 9. Drawing a female portrait. Over the course of the video lesson I talk a lot about keeping the construction right, showing the breaks of the form, and adding interesting details and touches at the final stage of working up so the portrait looks more alive.

Topic 10. Drawing a female portrait in profile. For this assignment the timelapse and the video lesson are completely different — I draw two different women. All so it’s more interesting for you :) In the commentary on the video lesson I share my secrets as usual, show how to catch the proportions in a profile view, and explain, for example, how the skull and the hairstyle are connected. I also explain why you shouldn’t render every last little detail of your piece to perfection.

Topic 11. Drawing a portrait of an elderly woman in ¾. In this lesson I explain how to show the changes of age in a female portrait, how to keep the proportions, work with value, and depict the features of the face so they sit harmoniously together.

Topic 12. Drawing a portrait of an elderly woman in profile. You’re all super independent artists now, so there won’t be any extra hints. Except one: use your imagination and apply every skill you’ve picked up in this marathon. You’ve already done great!