Transcripts
1. Introduction: Eye: Hi, my name is Shane, a professional portrait
artist based in the UK. I run my own Commission
based art business, where I'll help clients recreate
heartwarming moments by drawing photo realistic
portraiture of their loved ones. Welcome to the third episode of daily exercises to
improve your portraits. This particular episode
will focus on the eye, including shallow depth of field effect with stunning
highlight detailing, wonderfully smooth
value transitions, and subtle surface
hair detailing. The you interested in photo
realism or hyper realism. Knowing how to utilize
a full range of values is foundational
to achieving both. It's impossible to achieve this by using graphite pencils alone, so we need to incorporate
different types of pencils to give us a
full spectrum of value. It can be quite a daunting
prospect when starting out, even if you have a
little more experience and just want to up your game, trying to figure out which
techniques to use or which materials to buy can be
a frustrating process. So, I wanted to develop a class whereby at
completion of that class, students will have nurtured
the skills necessary to produce stunning photo
realistic portraiture. I'll guide you through 26 small manageable fun drawing
studies that will take you from novice to
advanced in one class. You'll learn a specific
learning process that uses graphite, carbon, and charcoal pencils together to showcase a full range
of beautifully rich, saturated tones with
exceptional results. I've separated this class into a series of eight mini episodes, each focusing on different
elements within a portrait. Please feel free to visit my
home page where you'll find all eight episodes within the series to be added
over the coming months. Students will learn how
to observe and recreate details that help achieve
realism and authenticity, a skill set that actually
translates beyond portrait and pencil drawing as its
relevant practice for lots of visual arts. Beginner to advance
students welcomed. I want to assure the
very best of luck, so grab those pencils, and let's get cracked.
2. Class Orientation: Eye: Hey, guys, welcome back for the third installment
of daily exercises to improve your portraits. It's great to see you here. If this is the first
installment you've come across, I encourage you to
visit my home page where you'll find
all class episodes. I intended for the series
to be worked through from the beginning as
each individual lesson builds on the last and
has been organized in such a way so as to further
your skill set as you go, either by introducing
new tools or techniques, increasing time and improving patients or honing
newly learned skills. This particular episode
is the third in a series consisting of
eight class episodes. Here. We'll focus on the eye. You'll get a chance to create a shallow depth of
field effect and see firsthand just how effective focused and unfocused elements can be within a drawing. Our attention once
again will be on creating super
smooth skin blinds using pencil pressure
and brushes, and you'll get an
opportunity to use the monozyo eraser to create subtle surface hair
detailing on the skin. Our studies include
light graphite tones with beautiful delicate lashes, super smooth mid to
darctnal blinds, and unbelievably soft
light to dark transitions. Completing small
studies will not only help keep your
attention focused, but will also help
prevent you from feeling overwhelmed,
tired, and frustrated. Ing a full set of values is key to creating photo realism. But if you place a
deep black charcoal directly on top of graphite, the contrast will
look too stark. So I'll show you how to lay a different pencil
compositions to maintain a consistency
in tone and keep all values in
harmony with one another. I've uploaded grided
printable sheets in resources below this video, along with reference photos, materials list, and schedule. You can mark out the
border shapes and use a grid method for outlining
or free hand, if you prefer. Get the most out of
this realism class, I recommend that you one, mentally prepare yourself
to slow down before each lesson and take your
time with every project. Two, take a photo of each
finished study as you progress, place it alongside the reference
photo using an app like a layout or on your desktop and make any necessary
adjustments. This is such an important part of the process when learning, and will give you a
greater understanding of any difficulties
you may be facing. And three, Try to
increase the time spent adjusting and
perfecting your work at the end of each study. The basic materials
you'll need to get started will be arches paper, Stadler graphite
only pencil set, Stadler graphite carbon
mixed pencil set, one conti pari charcoal pencil, a few cheap brushes,
and some erasers. You can find a whole lesson
on materials in episode one. Before we move on
to the next lesson, I'd like to give you a
bit of encouragement. There are four years between
these two portraits. My journey was self taught, so it took me a very long time
to figure everything out. Completing all the
lessons within this class will speed up your learning
process immensely. And if you create a
daily drawing habit, you'll be killing it
in no time at all. So, have fun, and I'll see
you in the upcoming lesson.
3. Eye Study: Dark to Mid Tone Blends With Conte Charcoal Pencil: Yeah. Guys, welcome back. In today's study, you'll be
working on dark to mid tones. There's quite a lot of
dark value in this study, so you'll get a much better
understanding of how to manipulate the darker pencils
to create smooth skin bins. Not only you get a chance to work the black
range of pencils, but you'll also get
to see just how smooth the contcharcal
pencil can make transitions. The main things that we're
looking to achieve with this study are solid,
smooth skin transitions, correct eyebrow flow,
and correct line and lash weight between the
upper and lower eyelids. Remember to use extremely
light pressure throughout, especially with a black
range of pencils and try not to leave any visible lines before smoothing out the blacks. Okay, Let's get cracky. I always like to
begin by outlining all the important lines
with the HB black. This grade pencil from the
black range is quite stable, so won't smudge when smoothing out graphite around the lines, especially helpful around
the eyelashes, for example. Be mindful not to
go over any lines that aren't as dark
as the HB black. Using a five B blue here to
block out the darker tones. I use a five B blue under
all the really dark tones, sort of like an undercoat. This really helps keep the tonality between the
different pencil sets. I always find it super helpful getting some of my darkest
value on a page as soon as possible as it's easier to determine all other
values from then on in. Our darkest pencil is the
conte three B charcoal pencil, and if you wait to use
that until the end, you could realize it's too dark compared to all
the other values, and you'll have to go over
the whole portrait again. Readjusting your values. I blend out using the
eig show makeup brush. This layer doesn't
necessarily have to be solid as we have a few layers
to place on top of this, and they will help saturate the page and make a solid tone. You can also use this brush to soften the edges of
the five B block and push the graphite
around to create some mid tone value
as I'm doing here. I start the eye with
the five B blue. A small blending stump or an angled makeup brush are great tools for smoothing
out tire spaces. Exactly the same again for
a second coat of five B, and you'll really start
to see the value deepen, and the contours of the face
becoming more prominent. I start with a five B
blue to begin making the patterns of the ris and use a soft makeup
brush to smooth out. Deepen in the
darkest values now, using the six B black pencil. Use unbelievably
light pressure here, and don't forget to
lighten it even more so to fade out at the
edges of the block value. I use a combination of
small circular strokes or straight strokes going in all directions to
get an even cover. If you have a variety of
hard and soft brushes, try using them all and
see how they perform. Notice how I'm using the brush
to push the graphite over the edge of the dark value to
soften and fade the edges. When I add the lighter tones, you'll end up with super
smooth transitions between the different values. Now we have the main
body of the ris field. We can start to pick out
a few highlights using a sharpened mono zero eraser. Remember how we made
an angle by running it along the sandpaper block
in a materials lesson. I used a small soft makeup brush to soften the ends
of the erasor lines. Now using the five B blue pencil once again to begin the
whites of the eyes, followed by the six B black
for deep in the corner. And then I'll use a
small, soft makeup brush to make a smooth transition. And now this is the H blue for the lighter lines at
the bottom of the eye. You pretty much always find that the lower line of the eye isn't
as heavy as the top line, so a lighter pencil
is often needed. Don't forget to lift any
tiny dark graphite spots when you see them to help
maintain a smooth tone. Now we get a chance
to lay down some of our darkest value,
the conti three B. Be mindful not to go too close
to the edge of your block, as this pencil has
a really soft lid and leaves a lot of powder. We'll use this powder to smooth out the
transitions with a brush, which will create a
super smooth blend. Now that we have some of the
darkest value on the page, it's a great time to start
filling in the lighter values as you'll find it easier to
determine the correct tone. Always start light and
gradually add the darker tones. I'm starting with
a H blue pencil. The eye show brush I'm
using here is worn, so has really short
stiff bristles. Because of this, it created a blotchy effect under the
eye, which you can see here. Going over again
and smoothing out using a tissue should
eradicate this quite a bit. Now using the HB blue
pencil to deepen the tone. I'm being extra careful
not to smudge any of the three B charcoal pencil
over the lighter value. Now the two B blue for
just above the eye. The stiff Georgian short
filbert brush here by Dala Aune will give you a nice smooth finish
to darker you go. Small circular
motions work well. I start drawing the eyebrows using the seven B black pencil, working the strokes away from the body of the brow so I can lighten the pressure
at the end of each stroke so it naturally
fades into the skin. Use the mono zero eraser to
pick up any lighter strokes. Using the mono zero eraser on the darkest values will only
leave a mid value line. A battery powered eraser will leave a lighter
line in the mono, but they can be
tricky to handle. If you need a bright
white, highlighted line, it's best not to cover with dark value at all and
try to draw around it, and now using the two B black to soften the transition from
dark to light skin tone. Remember, the stiff, short feel works wonderfully
well with the dark tones. I just keep going backwards
and forwards between the neable sor and brush until the transitions and tones
are as smooth as can be. Oh Using the battery eraser to establish the bright
highlights in the eye. A few unbelievably light dabs
here is all that's needed. I use the B blue to deepen
the tone just above the eyebrow and smooth the transition using
the two black. Be extra careful when laying
down the lower lashes. They're nearly always lighter and more delicate than
the upper lashes. It helps if you
run a pencil along sandpaper to get a
really fine point. And very delicately using circular motions to push some of the darker value towards a lighter value to help
soften the transition. Now, picking out a few
highlighted lashes with the mono zero erase. I'll pick out the highlights
using the battery eraser. We use a combination of
turning it on and off to create either a mid tone
effect or a bright highlight. The perfection eraser is
also a fantastic tool to create very subtle detail
and mid tone highlights, the softer lead of the
curry pencil eraser and the battery pel eraser will pick up more graphite for a
brighter highlight just by. I create some shadow on several
of the dots just made to represent small bumps on the opposite side to where the light source
is coming from. The light source here is
coming from the right, so the cast shadow on the
bumps will be to the left. I draw a small sic to the
left side of the dot. So before you begin
drawing your study, key things to remember are. Firstly, to block out
your darker values, this will help give you
a better understanding of your drawing
visually speaking. Use super light
pressure when using the black range of
pencils and spend quite a bit of time correcting any irregularities
throughout the process, like lifting graphite spots, filling in light
of patchy areas, and making smooth transitions using pencil pressure
before blending. So, have fun and while
you're doing that, I'll be setting up
for the next lesson. I'll catch you there. Yeah.
4. Eye Study: Dark to Light Tones With Hair & Skin Detail: So in today's study, we get to focus on
drawing an eye, which incorporates
dark to light tones. The goal for this lesson
is to focus on creating beautifully smooth
value transitions between light and dark, especially in the
whites of the eyes. That's one of the
areas that will really help make the eye pop. Pay extra attention to the shape and direction of
all the eye lashes and make sure your upper
and lower line weight is true to the reference photo. We don't want to go too dark or too heavy on the lower eyeline. Also, we have some
relatively easy skin detail to contend with, so
let's get into it. So to begin this study, I first want to block
out all the dark value using the five B blue pencil. You will also see me using
the HB black to mark out important lines like
lashes and eyelids. Do you remember what I
said about the HB black having a stable lead and won't smudge if you
blend around it. Be mindful of eyelash
weight and flow. Some lashes may be slightly
thicker than others, and two or three lashes may all meet at the
end to form a point. I'm using makeup brushes
here to smooth out, but Tisha will
work just as well. Remember, this is
just the underlayer, so it doesn't need
to be perfect. Subsequent darker layers will help make these
parts look smooth. Using the B grade blue
to add some mid tones. Try all of your blending
tools to smooth out. I use a cotton bud makeup
brush and then a tissue here and the two H H blue
for some lighter tones. Remember, we always
start light and build value by gradually
adding darker tones. I use small circular motions wherever possible when
smoothing out with a tissue. As I begin to build value
using the B blue pencil, I want to smooth out
the transition from the five B in the
bottom right corner by adjusting pencil pressure. I also want to lighten
the pressure as we work in a direction
of the nose, so we fade the B pencil
into the two H value below. Once again, using the B blue to soften the transition and then
smooth out using the bush. A brush with stiff bristles like the Dale Rune Georgian
brush here is great for pushing the
graphite around the paper and can be better for
blending in some cases. Working the brush towards the lighter layer to help
create a smooth transition. I use small circular
motions for this. Light or heavy pressure is okay. Using a combination of
four B and seven be black and five B blue to build
this little corner here. Don't forget to smooth out
using one of your brushes, using varying pencil
pressure with the four be black here to
gradually change tone. You can notice a couple of
dark spots appear here, which I lift using the as and
then using the brush again. And now using the six B black
pencil to darken the value. Same again with the
four B black as we begin to build the
right side of the face, adjusting pressure
where necessary to create smooth transitions. Paying close attention to every transition
like I'm doing here. I'll try a different brush here. This is a small Dorian brush. It's a stiff brush,
which will help push the graphite around that's already on the paper to
make a better blend. Eight B black here for the
very darkest parts of the eye. Make sure you keep
the pencils sharp so to get a nice crisp edge. Use a small makeup
brush to smooth out. Remember, the lines
of the iris always travel from the outer edge
to the pupil in the middle. So we want to make
a very smooth blend here in the whites of the eye. Using very light pressure, I add some six B black and smooth out with a
small makeup brush. Don't forget, you can use a perfection eraser
to gently dab and lift any parts that are interfering with
your smooth blend. Using the seven B black pencil to make some
patterns in the ris. Okay. So using the same
techniques as we previously used, let's begin to lay down
some of our lighter values. Starting with a blue
range of pencils, we begin with the H, then the H B, then B. If you can't get the smoothness
you want using a brush, try using a tissue
for a better blend. As I use a H blue here to add
value around the eyebrow, notice how I keep the left of
the eyebrow a lighter tone. I'll fill the lighter
area with strokes in just a moment so it'll
look like light hairs. The eyebrows are a
mid to dark tone, so I'll start with
a HB black to mark, then change to a B blue
to work on a transition. As I build the contours to
the upper part of the eye. Now, I want to start creating the subtle lighter
brow hair lines using the H blue pencil. I'll use a mono zero eraser to pick up the highlighted
hair strands later, but for now, I just want to create some directional
hair patterns. Now it's time to dial in on the lashes using a six B black. Take extra care with the lashes and make note of how they flow. Sometimes they start by heading downwards,
but then swoop up. Sometimes you get
two single lashes joining at the top
to make a point. Take a look at these lash
patterns to get a better idea. And now, the seven B black
for the darkest parts. When using an eraser to make a brighter line,
like I'm doing here, it can be a good idea to use a brush to soften both
ends of the line, so it fades into
the darker tones at either side to make
a subtle transition. Still working away at the brows and transition
using four B black. And now for the Conti
three B charcoal pencil, remember not to
cover too much of the shadowed area because we
want to leave space so we can use a powder
from the conti to get that smooth blend
using the soft brush. I'm being careful to create a sharp edge as I draw around
the highlights here as the difference in value will help the highlights stand out and really taking the time to perfect all the tiny
bits of detail, taking the time to perfect every little detail is what will make the difference
to the final result. A few small adjustments
with the perfection eraser. Gently dabbing the
battery eraser will give you more of a
mid tone highlight, whereby turning it on will
give you a bright highlight. I'm using a combination
of both here. I've used a sandpaper
block to sharpen a mono zero eraser
and I'm picking out a few light hair strands. I always soften the edges of any highlighted strands
using the brush. Now spending some moments, just adding a few finishing
touch ups to the values, and then we can
begin the detail. Now just doing some
final finishing to the transition to make
it as smooth as I can. This isn't a huge drawing, so we don't have much space to dial in on detail,
such as skin pores. But we can make subtle
suggestions of detail. You can achieve midtone and
lighter tone skin pore detail by simply dabbing the
perfection eraser, as I'm doing here, or a
battery powered eraser. The lead in the perfection
eraser is harder, so I won't pick up as
much value as the T. This technique of dabbing
is a great way to lighten a small
patch of dark value, if you accidentally go too dark and cover more
area than you meant to. I use the conti to create
two thin dark lines along the eye lash line and upper iris and smooth using
the small math up brush. I'm using tiny little strokes here without turning
the motor on, just to give the
impression of skin paws. Sharpen the perfection
eraser here to an angle to make the
little strands of hair. Literally, only a couple of highlights are enough
to have an impact. Sometimes, if you add too many, they could lose
their effectiveness. Then I spend the last
30 minutes or so just touching everything up and making sure everything
looks perfect. Correct values,
smooth transitions, and all highlights, et cetera. Using the perfection eraser
like a pencil here to very delicately lift a very
subtle layout in this area. Okay, so now it's your turn. Try to spend a
little more time on the finishing touches
with every study. I'll spend quite a bit of time perfecting each layer as I go, and then again at the
end of the drawing, making sure every little
imperfection is fixed. And don't forget to take a photo of each finished piece and place it side by side by
reference photo so you can see if any adjustments
need to be made. It can take an awfully
long time to become comfortable and confident
with using really dark tones. I sometimes still
find that I need to go darker than I
originally thought. So have fun with your drawing, and I'll see you in
the next lesson. Yeah.
5. Eye Study: Light to Mid Tone Blends & Highlight Detailing With Battery Eraser: Hello, people, and welcome back. We have another
eye study for you today where you'll
get a chance to see just how effective the
battery powered eraser can be when creating highlights. We'll be making super
smooth skin bins using the lighter grace of pencils from the graphite only range. Also, there's out
of focus elements sitting side by side
in focus skin texture. We also have some tricky
eyelashes to contend with, so keep your pencils sharp and
take your time with those. Okay, so I'm just masking out the squares and checking
values before we begin and start the blurry
eye lashes with a HB black. I start with a HB black pencil as it won't smudge as much as the blue pencils
when you blend in background value
around the lashes. Smooth out with a
small makeup brush. Don't forget to smooth
every single layer. Or a blending stump will do. I'll start the background with an F and H blue using a
cotton bud to smooth. Double checking the
values once again, and then a two H and H blue to build value for the
skin around the eye. Making sure to keep the edge of the skin against the
background looking blurry. We can keep edges looking soft
and blurry using brushes, cotton buds, or stumps. And don't forget to
lift any dark spots using the nedable eraser. You'll see me using
the four B and six B black as I differentiate
the values in the eyelash. If you look closely, you can see some subtle changes in value
within the eyelash and then make the skin and
background a little more solid with another coat
of two H and H blue. Using the perfection eraser
to fine tune some dark value, now using a blending
stump to help keep the edges of the
lashes soft and blurry. If at any point you
feel the brushes aren't creating a
smooth enough effect, using a tissue will
make a better blend. If I want to re
establish a line, I'll use an eraser with
a softer lead like the curry naw as it'll pick up graphite much better than
the perfection eraser. I constantly make small
tonal adjustments throughout the process by dabbing the needable eraser to lighten areas that have
gone a bit too dark. Making sure the edge
of the highlight here is sharp as in
the reference photo. I built the middle
portion of the nose here up to this point by
firstly layering the two H and H blue pencils and adding the darker
tone with the HB blue, blending every layer
as always and varying pencil pressure to create
smooth transitions. And re establishing
some highlights by dabbing with the
perfection eraser. Using the HB black to mark some important lines,
so I don't lose them. Pay extra attention to
how the lashes sweep down and then up and
take it very slowly. These few lashes here are
lighter than the rest. I used the sandpaper block here to make a very fine point. These lashes that I'm drawing now are just the first pass. I will thicken and darken the
lashes with another pass. Notice how I've used
the sharp lid to create the bundle of hair
to the left of the eyebrow. We'll use a different
technique for the eyebrow hair that's
out of later on. The lower part of the drawing beneath the eye is
slightly darker, so I begin this area with the HB blue and
build from there, using varying pencil pressure to differentiate the differences
in value as I go. Lots of brushwork as I
slowly deepen the values. Darkening even further, using slightly more pressure
with the HB blue. I re establish a sharp line in the iris using the
craw pencil eraser. And some more perfecting
with brushes and as. I lay down a couple of coats of F blue for the bottom
right corner here. I lighten the pressure a little as I move
away from the corner to fade into a lighter tone
and create a soft transition, then blend together
with a soft tissue. I want to make some out
of focus brow lines here, so I start by using the HB blue. I keep the pencil at an angle and make
sure it's not sharp. So I can make some
soft thick lines. And now using a
combination of two H, HB, and F blue to darken the blurry eyebrows and build the contours of
the right side of face, along with the stiff organ
filbert brush to smooth off. You can see how I'm making
different tones with the HB blue while
building this area, just by varying the
pencil pressure slightly. And making some tiny adjustments
to the blurry lashes. Now, I'll start
building the ris using the B and two B blue pencils. First, I want to draw
all the important lines differentiating the
values with the B blue, then I'll add the darker
values using the two B blue. Picking up some of
the graphite with the perfection eraser
as and when needed. And deepening the
tone at the edge of the ris using the four B black. And now adding some B blue to darken under the
eye, with again, finishing off using
the stiff brush, paying close attention to all the tiny details
around the eyelid. A coat of four blue to begin filling in the
whites of the eye, B blue for the corner
and then brush. Do. Making sure to sharpen the edges of highlights
where needed. As we begin the lower lash line, I'm mindful that they aren't
as heavy as the upper line, so I sharpen the lead
of the seven B black with a sand paper block
and carefully go over the lines with varying
pressure to render thick lashes near the root
and thin near the end. I'm constantly twisting
the pencil a quarter turn to make sure I'm using
the sharp side of the lead. After I complete the lashes, I spend quite a bit of time
touching up all the values, using the same techniques
until I'm happy with the tones and that all
transitions are smooth, and then we begin the detail. M Being careful to draw around some highlights
with the F blue, strengthening the outline with a sharp line around the
highlights will make them. Now to dial in on the detail. I'm mostly turning the eraser on here to create
bright highlights, and then I use a
mixture on and off to create both bright
highlights and soft midtone dots and lines. You'll also see me use a
sharp perfection eraser for some very subtle texture. I combine some of
these markings with subtle pencil lines in between the erase lines
to create shadow. The light source is
coming from above and left in this
reference photo. So if you need to add shadows for small spots in the skin, they will be to the
bottom right of the lump. I now just keep adding
texture until I'm. It's a good idea to
check your values right before you begin detailing because you
don't want to be making value changes after detailing because you'll have
to do it all again. You can use the erases
like a pencil and vary your pressure to create different tones of highlights. The perfection eraser
is fantastic for this. Finishing off the
eyebrow here just at the beginning with
the six black. Notice the contrast between the sharp and blurry brow line. This really helps add depth to the drawing
and make the eye. Welcome back, guys. I hope
you enjoyed that demo. I loved drawing this study as it incorporated quite
a few key elements that really made it pop. Some things to remember
before you begin are use brushes and stumps to keep certain elements
looking out of focus. Use the sandpaper block to get extra sharp pencils
for the lashes and keep the battery eraser super sharp for those
tiny highlights. And be careful not
to add too many as it could tone down
the effectiveness. So, have fun, and I'll catch
you in the next lesson. Yeah.
6. Conclusion: I just wanted to
give you a huge pat on the back for completing
the third episode. Congratulations. There were lots of things to take on board
within this episode, but I think the most
exciting aspects were creating those wonderfully
smooth value transitions, shallow depth of field effect, delicate eye ash flow, and surface hair
and skin detailing, not forgetting learning how
to use a battery eraser to create subtle
highlighting detail to make your drawings pop. I think the most
important things to bear in mind from this episode are to keep an eye on the line weight between the
upper and lower eyelids. Also the lashes. The upper is nearly always
heavier than the lower. Also be mindful not to overdo it with the battery
eraser highlighting. Sometimes in the drawing, just several small
highlight dots can be enough to create
another layer of depth and have
a major effect. Please feel free to
try any study as many times as you like until
you're happy with results. So before I wrap everything up, I want to remind
you that you can upload all completed studies
to your class project page. Each student gets one project
page per class episode, but on that page,
they're able to upload all the projects from the
episode along with text. Even space for thumbnail
photo at the very top of the page where you can add a drawing from the class
that you're most proud of. The thumbnail picture
is what will appear on the main class page for
everyone else to see. Students can press on
the thumbnail picture, which will open your
project's page for them to see all the wonderful drawings that you made
throughout the class. If you'd like to leave a review, you can hit the Reviews tab and then press Leave a Review. All reviews are warmly welcomed, and I always love to hear
your thoughts on the class. If you have any questions
regarding the class, you can hit the Discussions
tab where you'll find a discussion that I started
regarding contact me. Can hit Reply or one of these tabs and
post your question, and I'll reply as soon as I can. I've also started another
conversation thread on my main profile page. Just find my page, scroll
down to the bottom, press your questions
and discussions, thumbnail and leave
your message. With that being said, I
cannot wait to see you. In the next episode, we have some fantastic
studies coming up. So take careful now, and I'll see you a bit later.
Shayne Wise, Professional Portrait Artist
