I took no time off after completing Sketchbook Project #1. I considered it, taking a short break. That was part way through that project. I was so focused on what I was doing that for a short time I entertained the idea of taking a little time before I started the next project so I could work on some other art during the time I was working on that sketchbook art. I’d done really good by setting aside the time to do those drawings so I thought I could use that time for other art instead. But ultimately, I decided against it. I had started a habit and I didn’t want to break that. I had also, already decided what the next sketchbook was going to be…Facial Expressions.
Many years ago, from early on in my drawing career I drew faces, portraits. I had an art instructor in high school who showed me how to draw eyes and it stuck. It took a couple of years before I really got to drawing portraits. I used to draw different celebrities, some singers, some actors, particularly from Star Trek. I found that I could go to events where the celebrities were and get them to autograph the portrait that I drew of them. It was cool. And fun.
So here I am, so many years later and I’m thinking about what I can do to improve my drawing and sketching. I’m not really in a position to try to take a drawing course, which I have done in the past. Then I remembered that I have some great reference books I picked up a few years ago. One of them is a book of facial expressions. It has several different models of different ages, ethnicities, and gender each making multiple faces or facial expressions. So, I decided that I would take a sketchbook and fill it with these facial expressions. And instead of just filling the sketchbook as quickly as I could, I would approach it like I did the first Sketchbook project. One a day.
The one a day keeps me from rushing through and it keeps me drawing daily which I am finding very important. It’s like practicing music or Taekwondo, too many days off in between and things can get rusty.
I try to choose expressions that will be a bit of a challenge. They have lots of teeth or are at an angle off from looking straight ahead. After I did a few, I realized that part of what does make this extra challenging, besides just the years since I have done portrait type drawing, is that when I was doing that work nearly all the faces I drew were forward facing with a fairly neutral look. Almost nothing in three quarters or profile. And I only remember one where the subject was smiling with teeth showing.
So far this has been a good exercise. It was a little rough getting started. Like I said, I haven’t done faces to any extent in several years. I think I’m starting to get comfortable again. At least it’s not taking quite so long to get all the main pieces in place. I tend to draw more by what I see, and, in the past, I have always started with the eyes. With this exercise I generally start with what seems to be the dominate feature of the expression. It might be the eyes or sometimes the mouth. I think I have done one that the nose was what I started with. Choosing to start with what stands out is making a big difference. It is less constraining. And it might be part of what I took from the last project, and I didn’t realize it.
And that’s the reason for doing these exercises. I adopt new methods and techniques and then carry them on into the next thing I do. Yes, I could learn some of this from a drawing course, or maybe not. Sometimes it really takes doing it to learn it. And it takes doing it to develop the working method that works best for each individual artist.
So that’s the current project. I’m working on a sketchbook full of facial expressions. The rules I’m decided on for this is to try to choose a picture of a different model and different expression for each day. Though I have used the same model twice a couple of times. I also try not to skip. So, the next model in the book is who/what I work from. I do this to keep from being too lazy and only using models or expressions that I think are easy to do.
As with the last project, it doesn’t keep me from working on other art as well. In fact, I have definitely been doing that. I but to fulfill the requirements for this it has to be a facial expression in the sketchbook I have designated for the project.
As I said, I am working on other art as well. Both digital and non-digital. And I’m very excited about some of that. I can’t wait to share more. Which will likely be in the next post. I am closer to having all the pictures of the last project, or rather, Sketchbook Project #1 ready to post. So, keep a watch for that. For now, I’ve included a few pictures from the Facial Expressions project. Also, if you are interested in the book that I’m using for reference you can find it here on Amazon. I have no affiliation with Amazon and get nothing in return if you purchase from them or not so if you find the book somewhere else that you prefer to patronize, I’m all for it.