Portraits in Watercolours PART 3: the 3/4 View

The next edition of the Portrait workshop is about another and in a way better perspective: The 3/4 view. . The group was different from last time, with some great members not available and other finally back from their travels (next time let's hope everyone will be back, that way we would have such great numbers. But - we had a fabulous time anyway.) 

We started with an overview of the typical proportions of a 3/4 view. This view gives more information about a person, for example, you see the nose - a quite important characteristic of the face - much better. There is foreshortening and because of that, not all of the 'rules' and distances are the same as with a full face view... Measuring becomes even more important. When drawing you can view the foreshortened part of the face as a a separate object, especially if you draw 'upside down' . And the eye, lips and nose have a different shape. 
Very important also is the fact that the face is often at an angle, which means that the eyes are not horizontal, as well as the nose and the mouth. Make sure you check that out!

   

After the theory-bit everyone got to work and the improvement is there for sure. Here are the portraits of Franck (2x), David & Cloé, Susannah, Robert and Sissy. By Denise, Anna Karin, Brenda, Anna and Martine.

 

 
You may have recognised Robert Redford and Sissy Spacek in the portrait results above, Celina once painted a very good 3/4 portrait of Sam Elliot. Here is is again, as a reminder and because we love Sam Elliott. 

Thecla on the other hand planned something entirely different, although you can see a face in it! it is a wonderful wet-in-wet technique and it looks so special! I love it.