Hello everyone! Today I want to share with you one of my recent graphite portraits that I’m very proud of. It’s a portrait of an elderly gentleman who happens to be a veteran and has a Douglas A-1 Skyraider airplane in the background. The Skyraider was a single-seat attack aircraft used by the US Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps during the Korean and Vietnam wars. I chose this subject because I wanted to honor the service and sacrifice of the veterans and also because I love drawing planes.
In this post, I will show you the steps I took to create this portrait and explain the techniques I used. I hope you will find it helpful and inspiring for your own graphite drawings.
Step 1: Drawing the outline and rhythms in this portrait of a veteran
The first step was to draw the outline of the gentleman and the plane using the envelope method. The envelope method is a technique where you draw a simple shape that contains the main contours of your subject. This helps you to establish the proportions and placement of your subject on the paper.
I used a HB pencil to draw the envelope shape lightly on an 8 x 12 inch Strathmore 400 series drawing paper. I made sure to leave enough space around the subject for the background.
Next, I added the rhythms of the gentleman and the plane using the Reilly method. The Reilly method is a technique where you draw curved lines that follow the direction and movement of your subject. This helps you to create a sense of flow and dynamism in your drawing.
I used a HB pencil to draw the rhythms lightly on top of the envelope shape. I paid attention to the curves of the face, hair, clothes, and plane. I also added some basic shapes for the eyes, nose, mouth and ears.
Step 2: Adding values
The second step was to add values to the drawing by establishing 5 values and smoothing out each value with a blending stump before adding the next value (light to dark). Values are the shades of gray that represent how light or dark something is. By using 5 values, I was able to create a realistic and contrasted portrait.
I used a range of pencils from HB to 4B to create the values. I started with the lightest value (HB) and applied it to the areas that were facing the light source. Then I used a blending stump to smooth out the pencil marks and create a soft even tone.
Next, I added the second lightest value (B) and applied it to the areas that were slightly darker than the previous value or
were light gray in color. Then I blended it with a stump as well.
I repeated this process for the remaining values (2B & 4B) until I covered all the areas of the drawing. I made sure to leave some white spaces for highlights and reflections.
Step 3: Smoothing transitions and adding details
The final step was to smooth out the transitions between values and add all the details to the gentleman and plane. This step was crucial to make the portrait look realistic and refined.
I used a kneaded eraser to lift off some graphite from the areas that needed more highlights or were too dark. I also used it to create some textures such as wrinkles, pores, hair strands and plane parts.
I used a sharp 6B pencil to add some dark accents and details such as eyelashes, eyebrows, nostrils, lips, buttons, medals and plane markings.
I used a tortillon (a paper stick) to blend some areas that needed more smoothness or softness such as skin, hair, clothes and plane body.
I hope you enjoyed this blog post and learned something new from it. If you have any questions or comments, feel free to leave them below.
Also, I want to express my sincere gratitude to each and every one of you for taking the time to explore my blog post. Your engagement and support means the world to me. If you've been captivated by the featured drawing or any other pieces showcased on my website, they are available for purchase. Additionally, I welcome the opportunity to create a custom piece just for you. If you have a specific vision or if there's someone special you'd like me to draw, feel free to reach out. You can contact me via email at artbymikelsean@gmail.com. Your interest and enthusiasm fuels my passion for art, and I look forward to the possibility of turning your creative ideas into beautiful, personalized works. Thank you once again for being a part of my artistic journey.
Warm regards,
Mikel Sean
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