Week 2 — Simplification & Exaggeration
[ Forehead Plane ] / | \ [Left Temple] | [Right Temple] \ [Nose Bridge] / [Cheek] | [Cheek] \ | / [Jaw / Chin] Planar Analysis (Asaro Head) Week 2 — Simplification & Exaggeration [ Forehead
In digital painting, relying too much on the airbrush tool flattens your forms and makes the portrait look muddy. Mix textured, hard-edged brushes for structural planes with soft-edged brushes for smooth transitions like the cheeks or brow. In traditional painting, experiment with palette knives for blocky, graphic textures. Canvas Texture and Layering Canvas Texture and Layering Decide on your stylistic
Decide on your stylistic direction. Caricature pushes unique imperfections for comedic or dramatic effect. Idealization smooths out irregularities to create a sleek, aesthetically harmonious, or mythic character. 3. Light, Form, and Value Control flush red cheeks and nose
Completing class work means working within specific timelines. A structured workflow prevents you from getting stuck at critical stages. Description Loose, gestural lines establishing anatomy. Proportions and placement. 2. Block-In Laying down flat, local colors or values. Silhouette and big shapes. 3. Ambient Occlusion Adding the darkest darks where surfaces meet. Defining depth and contact points. 4. Rendering Blending, carving planes, and refining edges. Form and material texture. 5. Highlights & Polish Placing final specular highlights and color corrections. Drawing focus to the eyes and focal points. 7. Critiques and Iteration
Traditional portraits feature distinct temperature zones (warm forehead, flush red cheeks and nose, cool bluish jawline). In stylized work, you can exaggerate this zoning using neon or pastel shifts to create captivating focal points.
→ Coloring. Use color harmonies and temperature shifts to bring the value structure to life.
