Pencil Portrait for a Hero by Deb Skinner

Over the years, people have asked about the procedure I use to do pencil portraits.  So, when a local law enforcement officer asked me to do a portrait of her husband (a New Mexico State Police officer), I took some photographs to give an idea of the process.

The pencil portraits I am most often commissioned to do are those in the style of photographic realism.  The first step is to ask the customer to bring a group of photographs they would like me to work from.  (I almost always work from photographs, as it's much more convenient than asking a novice model to hold still for hours while I draw them.)  I love to do portraits from a live model, the poses are more natural in life, and I think it is often obvious when a drawing was done from life or from a photograph.

Good photographs are absolutely essential to a strong end product.  Notice in the photo taken above there is a strong light source coming over his right shoulder.  This gives an interesting highlight on his right cheekbone, and on the folds in the fabric of his uniform.

After I have several photographs, I work to arrange them in a way that is pleasing to the eye.  Although symmetrical compositions are more formal, I prefer asymmetrical. I think they are more interesting.

If you click on the partial drawing to the left, you will see that I very lightly sketch the images on the paper until they are accurate.

I work with a mechanical pencil, because I am able to get a higher level of detail.  I use the cross-hatching technique to create the shaded areas, and refer to the photo constantly.

Sometimes, I am asked to edit the photos, or add something.  In the image to the left, I was asked to add a specific logo to the front of the shirt.  This took quite a bit of time, as the image had to undulate with the folds in the fabric of the shirt.

I always use archival papers and strongly recommend customers have the drawings framed with acid free mat board, and an acid free backer board.  Many frame shops offer glass with a UV protective coating, and I also recommend this.

Pencil is one of the most enduring mediums.  It has tremendous appeal as most people have used pencils extensively in their lives, and it seems almost like magic to see a photograph like image created from such a simple medium.

I enjoy working with pencil for many reasons, but what I love most is when it all comes together.

Deb

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