Time Duration: 6 class periods

Unit Title: Drawing/Painting

Lesson Topic: Facial proportions

 Objectives of Lesson

Upon completion of this lesson, students will be able to:

1. Use at least three shades of value to give the illusion of form.

2. Accurately depict the proportions of a human face.

3. Demonstrate knowledge of art elements and principles in drawing.

NVAS 1A, 1B, 2A, 2B, 2C, 3A, 3B, 5B, 5C, 6B

 Materials Needed

1. Photograph of person to be drawn.

2. 9" x 12" and 18" x 24" drawing paper.

3. Drawing pencil and eraser.

4. Yes, You Can Draw! Video

5. TV and VCR

6. Stand with 18" x 24" Drawing Paper

7. Historical portrait drawings as examples (Da Vinci, Van Gogh, Rembrandt)

 Instructional Procedure with Approximate Time Line

Day One

Show students portrait drawings of Da Vinci, Van Gogh, and Rembrandt as examples.

Van Gogh, Vincent

Van Gogh, Vincent

Da Vinci, Leonardo

Rembrandt

Tell students about the historical significance of the artist along with a short biography.

Explain to the students that we will watch a 30-minute video about portrait drawing (Yes,

You can draw!). Have the students draw "The Blank" (general proportions of the human

face) in their sketchbooks.

The Blank

Then follow along with the artist and sketch from their photo as the artist draws

from the photo in the video. This will give students an opportunity to

practice looking carefully at their photo and drawing what they see.

 Day Two

1. Write on the board the assessment criteria for this project.

Drawings will be graded on:

Size 10 points

Value 50 points

Proportion 20 points

Elem./Prin. 20 points

Total 100 points

2. Înstruction

Composition: Take a look at your source (photo or model) and imagine how the image

will appear on the drawing paper. The drawing will be centered on the paper and filling the

entire space. Artists often make several thumbnail sketches before beginning their

drawing (do an example of a thumbnail sketch on the board).

After doing several thumbnail sketches, use your inner eye to visualize the completed

drawing on your sheet of paper. Imagine the composition, the areas of light and dark and

how the pencil lines will communicate the personality of this specific face. This imaging

process will give you an inner sense of the final work and will send a message to your

unconscious mind that you can produce an excellent rendering of the face you are about to

draw.

Creating a Blank: Next, you will create a blank of the face, neck, and shoulders. This

blank has been used by artists since the 5th century, BC so remember, you are in good

company. Have students make a large oval on their paper to show the general shape of the

head. Draw a straight line down the middle of the oval from top to bottom; this signifies

the middle of the face. Draw a straight line across the oval half way between the top

and the bottom; this is the eye line. The face is approximately 5 eye-widths across so

draw in 5 ovals across the eye line. Draw a straight line half way between the eye line and

the bottom of the oval; this is where the bottom of the nose is. The nose is

approximately one eye-width across. Draw a straight line approximately one-third between

the nose line and the bottom of the oval; this is where the mouth will go. If you were to

draw straight lines down from the middle of the ovals where the eyes are, where those lines

intersect with the mouth line is the width of the mouth. The ears are located

between the eye line, go above to where the eyebrows are, then goes down to the nose line.

The neck comes down from the bottom of the ears. Lastly, the shoulders should go off the

Page because it is wide enough to accommodate a head-width on each side.

Day Three

1. Instruction

Elements of the Face: Use a light line to sketch the position of the eyes. For children,

eyes are located below the half way mark. As you draw the face in detail, you may notice

that you may need more space for the chin, for example, or less distance between the eye

and the edge of the face. Your portrait will be more complete if you include the neck and

shoulders, too.

Eyes: Once you have completed the blank, you are ready to switch gears. Put aside

thoughts about proportions, measurements (left brain) and what you "know" about the

face. As you draw the details of the face, concentrate only on line and value. We will

begin drawing the details of the face with the eyes and the value surrounding it. The eye is

interesting because it is much more than an almond shape with a dot in the center (draw it

for demonstration purposes). Look carefully at each element and you will see lines above

the eye, one at the edge of the lid and one where the lid folds back. Notice the shape of the

white of the eye and the shape of the shadow above the eye. Continue really looking at the

source, not drawing from your idea of how it should look, but rather focus on what you

actually see in front of you. For example, you know the iris is round, but the whole circle

is not seen.

The eyes are recessed into the eye sockets. Try closing your eyes and feeling your face.

You may want to sketch the eyes on a separate paper before drawing them.

Nose and Ears: The nose can be difficult to draw because it does not have exact edges

that can be represented by lines. As you can feel, your nose is defined only by the change

in contour as your skin moves over bone and cartilage. Only the nostrils have an exact

shape that can be studied and drawn. The rest of the nose is defined by shadow. Look for

the side that has the greatest shadow and draw the shape of that shadow. You may notice

subtle shadows along the length of the nose as well. The shadow that defines the nose

usually connects to the shadow above the eye (in the eye socket area). Below the nose you

may see a shadow and a small indentation that runs from the tip of the nose to the center of

the upper lip. Look for shadow in this area. Often this shadow shape is enough to give the

viewer an impression of how the upper lip is formed. When drawing small children, you

may want to only draw the shadow below the tip of the nose.

Day Four

1. Instruction

Mouth: The mouth is very important to the character of the portrait, so study it carefully.

The meeting of the lips is usually the strongest line of the mouth. Notice that this line is

often asymmetrical and the thickness of the line may vary. When you have drawn the line,

you can then look for a shadow that often appears below the lower lip. Remember that a

mouth that is fully drawn may appear to have lipstick, and so men’s mouths are best

represented with an emphasis on the line where the lips meet and the shadow above and

below the lips. Notice how a single line and shadow shape gives the impression of the

mouth. Again, you may want to sketch the mouth on a separate piece of paper first. Lines

that appear on the face are important to the character of the portrait, but they need to be

softened when drawn. If you see prominent lines from the edge of the nose to the corner

of the mouth or across the forehead, draw them with a light line. You can achieve excellent

results by smearing the line and using your eraser to add a highlight next to the line. This

will achieve the effect of indicating the line without making it too harsh.

Contours of the Face: The egg shape with which you began your portrait does not

represent the exact line of the head. You will probably erase or draw over it as you

develop your drawing. For example, look at the line that defines the side of the face. It

may indent near the eye, may protrude over the cheekbone, or may appear smooth or

broken. Follow the line carefully with your eye, noticing each variation. Then with your

pencil, draw the line. You may want to measure a few distances, such as that from the

edge of the eye to the side of the face. That distance may turn out to be the same as one

eye width, but it will vary, depending on the fullness of the face.

The Chin and Neck: As you continue to develop your drawing, notice the shadows that

define the face and neck. Often the neck will be darker because it is farther from the viewer

than the face. The chin may cast a shadow on the neck. You can add the appearance of

roundness by darkening the edges of the neck and then blending them by smearing the

pencil. Notice the neck is like a cylinder.

Day Five

1. Instruction

Hair: When drawing hair and ears, this rule will often apply: simpler is better. You don’t

need to draw every strand of hair or every detail of the ears. Look first for the overall

shape of the hair or ear. After drawing the contour of that shape, you can add dark shapes

such as those you see in your source. If you spend time drawing the hair that surrounds

the face, you can simply indicate the rest of the hair with dark and light areas. Use lines to

draw the direction that the hair is going to give it visual texture. The hair should have an

overall dark value. Next, do the eyebrows in the same manner.

Value: Look for the values on the face. Notice the direction that the light is coming from.

Did the flash go off in the middle? Then you should see highlights in the middle of the face

And even values on the sides of the face and the nose. If the flash went off on the side,

Then there will be darker values on one side of the nose and face than the other. Look for

shadows on the low areas of the face and highlights on the high areas. Ask the class where the high areas of

the face are and where are the low areas? Explain to the students that the values need to have soft edges like

the Mona Lisa. The values need to go dark to medium to light and then fade out into the highlighted area.

Day Six

1. Instruction

Value: Continue with the value from the previous day.

Upside Down Drawing: When you turn your drawing upside down and step back, do

you see areas where you can make changes? Drawing upside down from a photo will also

force you to focus on line and shape, rather than drawing from your assumptions about

how a face looks. Try it!

2. Assessment

Supplemental Activity: Have students grade themselves using the assessment criteria

above. Tell students to be honest with themselves.

Images from Drawing The Human Head, Hogarth, Burne