Charcoal Portraits

In this video, there are several tips and tricks used to create a charcoal portrait. First, the artist lays out standard proportions of the human head. This includes drawing out the placement of the top of the head, chin, eyes, nose, and lips.The main element the artist is focusing on is value, and starts by drawing the dark areas (shadows) of the face. By looking at the tone, you shade in the shadows and try not to think of it as an actual portrait. The artist connects the dark and white areas together and blends it. The next step is to add details within the shadowed dark areas. The artist also uses shape and texture by using the white chalk to highlight certain features. Once it starts to look like a face, the artist adds slight lines to bring out the shape off the head. Remember while drawing, it's all supposed to be "relaxed." 

Self Portraits

Jean-Michelle Baquiat's "Self Portrait"(1982)

Jean-Michelle's self portrait resembles cave man drawings. The markings and lines drawn on are not soft, but look rushed and drawn in a craze. The actual facial features are not fully detailed, but looks as if the background uses more line and space. Different textures and hints of orange colour are shown in the background as well. The dark colours and harsh lines may show that Baquiat himself has personal issues. 

Frida Kahlo's "The Broken Column"(1944)

Frida Kahlo draws herself as her perspective, because of an accident that changed her life. Shown in the self-portrait is what looks like a metal pole attached to her spine, and nails covering her body. Frida shows the struggles she had to go through. Not only that,  her perspective on herself is harsh and ugly, as she has put a uni brow and mustache on herself. She uses positive and negative space by having the neutral desert background and her being the positive space with brighter colours. 

Pablo Picasso's "Self-Portrait" (1901)

Pablo Picasso's use of positive and negative space are shown here with the blue, nearly solid background. The bright blue background supports the dark neutral portrait of himself. Not only that, but the value is used to show the bone structure on his face, and the very dark shadows that are shown in the bottom half of the portrait.