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Sketching in always entails 4 separate elements: line, value, texture, and shape. In the special case of pencil portrait drawing we can refine the list of elements to six: shape, proportion, anatomy, texture, value, and planes. In this article we will give a detailed description of each of those pencil portrait drawing elements. (1) Form Shape or Shape - The illusion of three-dimensionality in sketching and art in general has been central to Western art for a long time. The carving out of shape using line, structure, and value was essential to almost all Renaissance art. In contrast, eastern and a great deal of contemporary art stress flatness of shape although this period in contemporary art is drawing to an end. All shape in sketching can be reduced to 4 basic 3-dimensional solids: bricks, cones, cylinders, and spheres. The proper use of these shapes together with perspective and value leads to the illusion of 3-dimensionality even though the drawing is, in actuality, located on a 2-dimensional sheet of sketching paper. In portrait sketching, the arabesque of the head, the square structure of the head, and all elements within the head (nose, eyes, etc.) are all 2- and 3-dimensional shapes that contribute to the overall illusion of 3-dimensionality (2) Proportion - includes all sizing and placements of shape. Proportion refers to the concept of relative length and angle size. Proportion gives answers to these 2 questions: 1. Given a defined unit of length, how many units is a given length? 2. How large is this given angle? Answering these 2 questions consistently correctly will give a drawing with the right proportions and placements of all shapes. (3) Anatomy - refers essentially to the underlying parts of bone and muscle of the head. It is essential to study as much as you can about anatomy. There are a lot of studies available on anatomy for artists. For a portrait artist it is really significant to study the anatomy of the head, neck, and shoulders. Anatomy texts unfortunately contain a lot of Latin terms which makes it somewhat difficult to grasp. The idea is to study slowly and a little bit at a time because it can be quite frustrating. (4) Texture - in portrait sketching expresses the degree of roughness or smoothness of the shapes. The texture of a rhino skin, for instance, is quite different from that of a window pane. There exist several methods and tricks to assist you with the creation of the proper textures. Creating textures gives you the chance to be very creative and to use every possible type of score you can make with a pencil. In portrait sketching textures occur in places such as hair, clothing, and skin. (5) Tone - refers to the variations in light or dark of the pencil marks and hatchings. Commanding portrait drawings employ the full range of contrasting lights and darks. Beginning artists many times fail to reach this full "stretch" of value, resulting in timid, washed-out drawings. (6) Planes - create the sculptural sensibility of a portrait. The head has many planes each with a unique direction and therefore with a different value. The idea is to think of the surface of the head as a set of distinct planes with a particular direction relative to the light source. You should try to recognize each of the planes and draw its correct form and value. The correct handling of planes adds a lot to the likeness of your model as well as the illusion of 3-dimensionality.
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