Trial sketches

For beginning of my initial research on this assignment I’ve started to do some portrait sketches, in this initial research I’ve used a soft pencil to create more tonal pieces and to look more into the individual features of the face and get an idea of how I want to go with my work during this assignment and really work on getting the right style I will do for my final pieces.

Firstly I approached the first portrait with a line details, I didn’t want to add too much tone I felt like I could create an effective piece using lines and just trying to create effects throughout the face instead the classic tonal face portrait, below is the picture of my result:

I feel like this drawing went just the way I wanted and envisaged it, I like the different lines throughout the face I think it shows an effective piece and it’s worked well with my style and how I present my work, I do like this drawing and will look into further pieces like this. I’m thinking of looking into line portrait artists and seeing if I can get some more inspiration off that.

Next is my tonal portrait, I do feel I need to do independent studies of tonal portraits because I don’t feel my own style is completely realistic when it comes to portraits, whether I’m doing too small a scale and not managing to get the detail in or using the wrong softness of pencil. Below is the picture of my result:

I do think I need to work detail into my portraits more and really focus on finer details, I believe it may be me using too soft of a pencil to be able to achieve the detail and realism I’m really looking for, I do think with doing these types of portraits I’m not showing off my true style therefore I will continue doing tonal portraits yet this will be in my own time and not to do with my final piece, I’m leaning more towards line art and how that effect and how more used to doing those types of piece I am, I think my work style is more ‘scruffy’ or mark making than realistic tones.

All in all doing these first initial portraits I have already learned so much about what I’m going to continue to do and different styles I need to trial on my own, it’s all about practice and I will do future tonal drawings with a more fine pencil to see if I can get that detail I’m looking for.