Hello everyone, welcome to my blog where I share my passion for drawing portraits with graphite pencils. In this post, I want to share with you my journey of drawing one of my favorite actors, Bruce Willis, from a photo reference.
Bruce Willis is known for his roles in action movies such as Die Hard, Pulp Fiction, The Sixth Sense, and many more. He has a distinctive bald head and a charismatic smile that makes him a great subject for a portrait.
However, drawing him was not easy for me. I faced many challenges and frustrations along the way. Here are some of the difficulties I encountered and how I overcame them:
Getting the proportions right: Bruce Willis has a very oval-shaped head and a wide jawline. I had to measure the distances and angles carefully and use guidelines to sketch the outline of his head and neck. I also had to erase and redraw several times until I was satisfied with the shape.
Capturing his facial features: Bruce Willis has very expressive eyes and a mouth that conveys his emotions and personality. I had to pay attention to the shapes, angles, and sizes of his eyes, nose, mouth, and ears and try to replicate them as accurately as possible. But his chin gave me the most trouble and I had to redo multiple times.
Creating his skin texture: Bruce Willis has a smooth skin texture with some wrinkles. I had to use tissues, cotton swabs, and blending stumps to create a soft and even tone for his skin. A long with using the kneaded eraser to lift off some highlights and create contrast. I also had to draw his eyebrows with short strokes and vary the pressure and direction of the pencil.
Adding the finishing touches: Bruce Willis has some distinctive marks on his face such as scars and wrinkles. I had to use a pencil and Tombow Mono eraser to add these details and make his face more realistic and unique.
I used the following materials for this drawing:
H, D, 3D & 5D graphite pencils
ruler
proportional divider
kneaded eraser
Tombow Mono Zero eraser
blending stumps
tortillions
cotton swabs
white paint pen
Strathmore 400 Series drawing paper.
Here are the steps I followed to draw Bruce Willis:
I started by sketching a standard loomis head with a H pencil. I used light strokes and measured the proportions carefully. I also marked the position of his eyes, nose, mouth, and ears.
Next, I added light value to his face with an H pencil. Then, I adding the next darker value using a B pencil, and continued with the 3D and 5D pencils.
Then, I smoothed out the values on his with a blending stump and added more details to his eyes, nose, mouth, and ears with the varying pencils. I used the kneaded eraser to lift off some highlights and create contrast. I also made adjustments as needed and smoothed all my marks with either a tissue, cotton swab, or with blending stumps.
Finally, I finished the drawing by adding some finishing touches and a white paint pen to add highlights to his eyes. I darkened some shadows and added some highlights using my kneaded eraser and Tombow Mono eraser to make his face more realistic and expressive.
Here is the entire drawing in a time lapse if you would like to see that:
Dear readers,
I want to express my sincere gratitude to each and every one of you for taking the time to explore my recent blog post. Your engagement and support mean 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 fuel 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