Portrait sketching exercises2

This painting was created in 2017. This year I spent more time thinking about art in sketching courses, which also caused a disconnect between my color painting and sketching. I am more bold in looking for the core of Chinese culture in sketches, even though I still know very little about traditional Chinese culture. However, I am more conservative when it comes to color painting.

Overall Size:
Size without the frame:
Country: China
Date: 2017
Materials:
Condition: well preserved

Creative themes and style | My works revolve around the creative concept of "The land of humanity, People on the land". The people in the painting are people in nature, and the lines, shapes, and colors are close to nature. The nature in the painting is nature in the eyes of humans, existing in interaction with humans.I don’t pursue a series of works with a fixed and continuous style. I hope that the style of the pictures will synchronize with the changes in my life and always remain oscillating. The performance of the work must be in sync with the development of one's own life in order to be Sincere and powerful. Ideas are later.

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Reference view

Artwork Interpretation

The brushwork is both delicate and heavy, combining lining and rubbing. It stacks textures with brushstrokes. The roughness of the skin and the texture of the clothing are accurately depicted. It can be compared to the brushstroke rhythm in Nicolai Fechin’s sketches, weaving emotions and reality with lines.

The content focuses on an individual portrait, and the theme is the presentation of the figure’s authenticity. Through realistic techniques, it conveys the figure’s expression and temperament. Emotions are hidden in the contours of the eyebrows and eyes. It allows viewers to empathize with the deep gaze of art on ordinary individuals in the realistic mirror, and feel the beauty of the integration of life texture and painting skills.

FAQs

Q1: Why did the artist choose a frontal gaze for this portrait?

A1: A frontal angle allows the full display of the face’s symmetrical structure, testing the artist’s skill in capturing proportions and the precise placement of facial features. At the same time, the direct gaze strengthens the sense of connection and engagement with the viewer.

Q2: What is distinctive about the way the hair is depicted?

A2: The hair is rendered with loose, flowing lines rather than meticulous detailing. Instead of focusing on individual strands, the artist uses light and shadow contrasts to suggest the volume of the hairstyle, ensuring the viewer’s attention remains centered on the face.

Q3: How does the light and shadow treatment differ from a profile portrait?

A3: A profile portrait emphasizes the contour of the face and the layered effects of side lighting. By contrast, this frontal portrait highlights the interplay of light and shadow on the forehead, nose bridge, and cheekbones, making the facial structure appear more three-dimensional.

Q4: How do the facial lines convey texture?

A4: The use of short cross-hatching strokes combined with broader shading techniques conveys both the thickness of the skin and the traces of age. This is particularly evident around the under-eyes and mouth corners, where the texture becomes more pronounced and lifelike.

Q5: How is the subject’s overall character expressed through form?

A5: The direct gaze and firmly closed lips project a sense of composure, even leaning toward severity. Through the use of layered chiaroscuro (light-dark contrast), the artist conveys a mood of calm strength and resolute dignity, allowing the portrait to radiate a powerful, enduring presence.

Yingqiu college

Light gray lays out to create a soft atmosphere, and dark gray depicts tree shadows and building contours, showing the charm of “a single color contains all phenomena” in sketch.

Character sketching exercises4

Like Edvard Munch capturing emotional intensity—though softened here—it employs a more understated, everyday narrative.

Portrait sketching exercises3

In terms of modeling, it accurately outlines the head contour and hair form of the elder. Similar to Käthe Kollwitz’s refinement of the figure’s spirit in her prints, it uses vigorous lines to carve the wrinkles etched by time and the fluffy hair, materializing the vicissitudes of life.

plaster exercises3