Art Professor Shows How to Compose a Portrait

• Shift away from dead center
• Emphasize lighting
• Diagonals are super helpful because they have direction; versus vertical and horizontal lines which are stable
• Negative space: example Barry Moser, Kara Walker
• 3/4 view or cast shadows that create their own mass (to offset something that would be dead center)
• Look at a portrait through an abstract lens (fights the emotional baggage)
• Start by blocking large areas of space, paint everything in relationship to other things, address the whole thing; don’t linger on one area. Keep moving.
• Don’t use measurement systems. Measure with our eyes!
• The angle/tilt of the head/posture, orientation ala Modigliani or Jenny Seville 
• surface and texture (Leon Golub)

So many ways to open up narrative possibilities, even in just head, neck, and shoulders. Much much more than eyes, nose, and mouth.

Assignments:

• Watch self-portrait tutorial
• Do self-portraits in sketchbook every day, even if it’s just 5 min.
• Draw from life while in MN