Tip for drawing portraits in pencil – cropping

Cropping is a presentation technique that shows a subject within the confines of your paper and often involves cutting off some parts of the subject. For example, part of a hat or an arm may be cut off or cut off.

Cropping is a tool that can often be used to great Portrait zeichnen lassen dramatic effect. It usually brings the subject much closer to the viewer and makes the portrait more intimate. As a viewer, one almost has the feeling of being intervened in the space of the subject.

Here are a few ideas on how to apply the cropping technique to your pencil portrait drawings:

* balance

Cropping immediately presents you with a compositional puzzle. You must use good judgment about what to harvest and what not. You must be careful to keep the balance in the drawing, both in terms of shape and values. It’s a good idea to stand back a little and assess your drawing from afar.

You can usually determine whether you have done a good job based on your gut feeling. If the result feels right, then it’s generally right. If not, you should try to determine what exactly is wrong. Mind you, some subjects or situations don’t lend themselves to cropping and are best left whole.

* Border

Sometimes it can be beneficial to the overall look of the finished product to use border tape or actually draw in a border. Border ribbon is available at any art store and comes in many different colors and widths. Edge tape is generally only used for artwork that you are making prints from, as the tape on the original will almost certainly loosen over time and perhaps even ruin the image.

* Variant

An alternative to actually cropping is to let the drawing run to one or more edges of the paper. This often creates a triangular composition with pleasing results. It can also help you balance values when there are no other alternatives.

I use this technique regularly when the subject’s upper body clothing is of interest. I usually draw the life size head on a 16″ x 20″ ground. By letting the drawing run out to the bottom and side edges, I can gain enough space to draw the upper body clothing as well.

* Performance

Cropping is an interesting composition tool. It can also be used to draw the viewer’s attention in a certain direction away from the page, forcing him or her to think about what isn’t drawn in that direction.

For example, part of the back of a horse-drawn carriage could be cropped. A smiling handsome gentleman could sit in the front of the car and look at the invisible backseat of the car. In this way, the viewer is invited to wonder what kind Bild zeichnen lassen of person could be sitting at the back of the cart who could hold the rapt attention of such a fine gentleman. I admit , this example doesn’t leave much to the viewer’s imagination.

The cropping is interesting and adds to the drama of the composition. It’s something you have to try at least once.