4/24 PORTRAITS: Light and Form

Rachel Edelstein

Last night, we added value to our portrait studies. The greatest sense of volume will be achieved when the subtleties of "light" are addressed. First, even the fairest complexion should have a light tone so use the white of the paper selectively (for highlights). The main areas for establishing tonalities are in the temple and brow areas, the eye sockets, cheeks, around and under the nose and lastly the neck. With overhead lighting, the gradations will be smooth and soft. Notice the strongest values are in the cast shadow of the nose and jaw line.