High Score Password Sketch Series: Female Portrait Edition

Author: Mao Zongzhong, Qi Bin
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-11-01
Features: This book primarily analyzes 3-hour sketch portraits for the college entrance examination, focusing on the characteristics of women. Pay attention to the following aspects: The basic structure and proportions of male and female portraits are consistent, with the main differences lying in the shapes of the bones, the strength of the muscles, hair styles, and slight variations in expression techniques.
1. Bone Structure
Women's bones are generally finer and flatter than men's, with the main differences in three parts: the brow ridge, nasal bones, and mandible. The flat brow ridge makes the frontal eminence appear relatively full, which is also the most important feature distinguishing women from men. The nasal bones are relatively lower and flatter than men's, making the tip of the nose slightly upturned and the nose contour softer. The mandibular angle is greater than that of men, appearing more inclined. The distance between the two prominent points on the chin is smaller than that of men, making women's chins rounder and smaller, appearing sharper from the side.
2. Skin
Women's muscles appear thinner than men's, so when rendering the masseter and orbicularis oris muscles, draw them smoothly to reduce contrast. In general, when painting the skin, pay attention to softer transitions and use lighter strokes.
3. Hair Style
Women's hair is generally slightly longer than men's, so when shaping the hair, focus more on the shape of the skull. Except for curly and short hair, emphasize the texture of the hair, avoiding overly stiff and dull-looking hair.
4. Expression Techniques
This section reminds candidates that since women's faces appear flatter, they are prone to being drawn flat, dull, or empty. Therefore, when rendering the planes of the face, it is essential to generalize and highlight the overall sense and volume. Be bold in your strokes. Later, in the process of painting, focus on the details of the facial features (especially for young women). Capture the model's characteristics, delve into the details, and pay special attention to the relationship between the features and the face. Focus on the edges of the features—such as the corners of the eyes, mouth corners, wings of the nose, nostrils, and lip lines—as well as the distortions caused by perspective. Ensure the relationships between the features are cohesive and compact. In terms of black, white, and gray, lean toward the extremes of black and white, with lighter gray tones to make the painting appear bright and lively.