Steps to a Likeness: Oil Portraits

In this excerpt from, Steps to a Likeness: Oil Portraits, with Perri Sparks, you will see Perri demonstrate how she measures the features of a model's face and head and translate those measurements to canvas to achieve the beginnings of a likeness. The complete 1 hour and 46 minute video is available at www.teachingtapes.net.

Category:

Howto & Style

Tags:

• oil portrait painting
• Perri Sparks
• getting a likeness

[TeachingTapes]

Acurasee Proportional Dividers $11.99

I also have a jpeg of of the gray scale and assembly instructions for the contrast viewer.

Email me directly if you want me to send them to you.

YouTube won't let me post an email address but if you go to our website you can send me an email through it. Ron

[EnzoTheBaker]

Is it me or does the model Delilah look like she's been kidnapped? Why does she look so scared?

[tommyg794]

i think she is frightened of moving in case them white lines fall off her face!!

[yuvakstudio]

I know some people work well by measuring and some still do great by not measuring. It depends on what you find comfortable but for most beginners the measuring helps even though sometimes it may lead to rigid images.

[DistressSignal]

@Shan2809 Well, I'll agree there.

[Shan2809]

@DistressSignal there was one thing that i was taught in life-drawing that i find very helpful and it was to draw vertical lines, first by starting from a certain point then moving outwards either side of the original line. I'd say measuring does help to an extent if kept to a minimum, however measuring every detail i personally find unnecessary

[DistressSignal]

@Shan2809 Well, if your drawings aren't turning out very proportionate or realistic, and your drawing doesn't really look like the person, then you'll know why. Personally, I notice a huge improvement in the quality of my drawings when I actually sit down and pay attention to the measurements, even for just guidelines.

[Fullmetal1890P]

Or you could just take a picture.

[BrunoJA]

You don't measure to the top of the eyebrows. The correct measurement is to the brow line, which is determined by the BONE STRUCTURE. This has the advantage of giving much more consistently an equal division into thirds across a diverse range of faces than measuring to the eyebrows, which vary considerably and are furthermore subject to the whims of fashion.

[BlkFlamesz]

This was so hard to watch without laughing because of the model's scared face. I kept thinking about the top comments too. I usually read them before I watch a video.

[dyablo27m]

mucho bla bla bla poco glu glu glu -.-

[silverfox55]

Rembrandt praised the day he bought his calipers from W H Smith!

[Shan2809]

meh there really is no point measuring, its much easier and quicker to freely draw, unfortunately im being taught to do this in life-drawing and i get told off for not measuring