
Learn to construct the 3/4 head by using a central line, adjusting eye placement from above and below, and clarifying facial planes, nose tilt, and jaw angle.
Practice drawing male and female heads from a three-quarter view, using a stable underlying structure to guide facial features and expressiveness from above and below.
Engage in backward and forward spiraling to master the three-dimensional facial form by drawing the face on a simplified skull, making bones and planes the basis for feature placement.
Spot on the mouth by understanding how a three-dimensional muzzle changes with angle, and render the lips' central line and volumes accurately from front, 45-degree, and side views.
Practice drawing only the shadow form to reveal the silhouette and memorize principal shadow patterns and lighting, using a Rembrandt-inspired, layered approach from bones to chiaroscuro.
Learn two techniques for assessing drawing precision—proportions and alignment—by measuring cheekbone to chin distances and nose-to-mouth alignment, using a straight instrument and a fixed viewing position.
The 3/4 view is my preferred angle to draw a portrait. That’s because it really permits you to give a tridimensional and “sculptoreal” feeling to your drawing. For the same reason, it’s the most challenging kind of portrait. You really can’t improvise it. You have to know the forms, the anatomy and how every part fits in its proper space. Just knowing how to copy a photograph is not enough! If we want to make art, we need to know how to draw consciously. We need to understand what we draw and why. In this course you will acquire the essential knowledge you need to do it. You will learn the anatomy you need, and how to simplify it in a basic tridimensional form that gives you the certainty that everything is in the proper place and from the correct angle. And we will see it specifically from the 3/4 point of view. It’s really important to deepen the knowledge of the human head from every angle. In this way you can really grasp it! After that I will guide you step-by-step, to make your first 3/4 view portrait. If you follow the lessons and do the proper exercises you will see your portrait drawing skill skyrocket.