Head Studies

Michelangelo

16th C. Italian

(Note that the shape of the skull is essentially ovoid--like the shape of an egg.)

Kathy Kollwitz

Self Portrait

20th C. German

Note how Kollwitz emphasizes the planes of her face (and their values) with the side of her charcoal.

Alberto Giacometti

20th C. Italian

Note how Giacometti uses his lines as if they were wires for a sculptural armature.

Maurice Quentin de la Tour

18th C. French

(Pastel)

Note the very emphatic lights and shadows that give this head its sculptural volume.

Also: remember the foreshortening we talked about with regard to this drawing?

Thomas Eakins

19th C. American

(charcoal)

Note the slope of the shoulders (created by the diamond-shaped Trapezius muscle of the back.)

The Trapezius: we’re going to learn more about this pretty soon…

Leonardo da Vinci

16th C. Italian

(Leonardo made hundreds of careful studies of human cadavers with the expectation that his observations would eventually be published.)

In the FACE: note especially the circular Orbit that houses (and protects) the eyes, the protruding Zygomatic bones of the cheeks, and also the nearly rectilinear shape of the Mandible (or jaw bone.)

In the NECK:

note the Sternomastoid muscle and the Clavicals too, as well as the shape of the Trapezius from behind.

Student work:

charcoal

Student work:

charcoal

Student work:

pastel

Student work:

pastel

Student work:

graphite pencil

Student work:

graphite pencil

Student work:

Conte

Student work:

Conte

Student work:

Black and white charcoal pencil

Student work

(Charcoal)

Student work: pen, ink, and acrylic

Student work: acrylic on watercolor paper

Student work

(Conte)

Student work:

Pastel, oil pastel, and graphite

Student work:

White Conte crayon over ink

OK: Let’s do head studies!