Graphite Drawing Techniques for Planar Portraiture
A course by Dan Thompson , Artist and Teacher
Learn how to use structural forms with multiple planes to create experimental pencil portraits from observation of the human figure
Learn how to use structural forms with multiple planes to create experimental pencil portraits from observation of the human figure
Drawing people and portraits is an opportunity to tap into a centuries-old tradition and continue the legacy of the talented creatives before us. Artist and teacher Dan Thompson aims to uncover the mysteries of the human form through his portraiture. His work can be found in both public and private collections around the world, and he teaches at the New York Academy of Art, among others.
In this online course, Dan shows you how to use structural forms and planar modules to interpret an experimental portrait drawing from life. Learn how to use graphite to draw the body as an aesthetic blend of construction, plane, and morphology. Are you ready to create perceptual portraits from scratch?
What will you learn in this online course?
26 lessons & 17 downloads
- 99% positive reviews (281)
- 10,167 students
- 26 lessons (5h 53m)
- 17 additional resources (8 files)
- Online and at your own pace
- Available on the app
- Audio: English
- English · Spanish · Portuguese · German · French · Italian · Polish · Dutch
- Level: Beginner
- Unlimited access forever
What is this course's project?
Create two drawings: an abstract portrait from direct observation, and another which is a structural, linear study of the original.
Projects by course students
Who is this online course for?
This course is for anyone with an interest in improving their portrait drawing with graphite pencils and who wants to explore experimental portraiture.
Requirements and materials
Previous drawing experience would be beneficial but is not essential.
In terms of materials, you will need paper with a medium texture, graphite pencils of varying hardness, a razor or penknife, sandpaper, and a kneaded eraser.
Reviews
A course by Dan Thompson
Dan Thompson is an artist and educator from Virginia, U.S. with over 20 years of experience in his field. He first discovered a love of art through making band posters and later studied for an MFA at the Graduate School of Figurative Art. Passionate about human anatomy and perspective, as well as educating others, he went on to found two art schools of his own in New York.
Dan currently serves as dean of fine arts at Studio Incamminati, as well as the faculty chair of the one-year certificate of fine arts program at the New York Academy of Art. He has been awarded two grants from the Elizabeth Greenshields Foundation and received the Ethel Lorraine Bernstein Memorial Award for Excellence in Painting on multiple occasions. In 2001, he also won Best of Show in the American Society of Portrait Artist’s International Portrait Competition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. His work can be found in both public and private collections throughout the United States, Canada, Europe, and the Middle East.
Content
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U1
Introduction
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About Me
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Influences
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U2
What You Will Need for the Course
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Materials and Tools
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What Is a Planar Portrait?
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U3
Warming Up
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Drawing a Simple Block: A Lesson in Structure
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Drawing the Head Block
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Drawing the Trapezoid: A Lesson in Taper
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U4
Portraits of the Head: Naturalistic versus Schematic
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Optical Information 1
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Optical Information 2
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Optical Information 3
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Optical Information 4
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Tonal Information 1
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Tonal Information 2
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Tonal Information 3
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Tonal Information 4
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The Schematic Drawing 1
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The Schematic Drawing 2
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The Schematic Drawing 3
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Interpretive Values 1
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Interpretive Values 2
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U5
Experimentation
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Experimenting within the Head 1
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Experimenting within the Head 2
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Experimenting within the Head 3
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Experimenting within the Head 4
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Experimenting within the Head 5
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Experimenting within the Head 6
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FP
Final project
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Graphite Drawing Techniques for Planar Portraiture
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What to expect from a Domestika course
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Learn at your own pace
Enjoy learning from home without a set schedule and with an easy-to-follow method. You set your own pace.
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Learn from the best professionals
Learn valuable methods and techniques explained by top experts in the creative sector.
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Meet expert teachers
Each expert teaches what they do best, with clear guidelines, true passion, and professional insight in every lesson.
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Certificates
PlusIf you're a Plus member, get a custom certificate signed by your teacher for every course. Share it on your portfolio, social media, or wherever you like.
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Get front-row seats
Videos of the highest quality, so you don't miss a single detail. With unlimited access, you can watch them as many times as you need to perfect your technique.
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Share knowledge and ideas
Ask questions, request feedback, or offer solutions. Share your learning experience with other students in the community who are as passionate about creativity as you are.
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Connect with a global creative community
The community is home to millions of people from around the world who are curious and passionate about exploring and expressing their creativity.
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Watch professionally produced courses
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FAQs
Domestika's courses are online classes that provide you with the tools and skills you need to complete a specific project. Every step of the project combines video lessons with complementary instructional material, so you can learn by doing. Domestika's courses also allow you to share your own projects with the teacher and with other students, creating a dynamic course community.
All courses are 100% online, so once they're published, courses start and finish whenever you want. You set the pace of the class. You can go back to review what interests you most and skip what you already know, ask questions, answer questions, share your projects, and more.
The courses are divided into different units. Each one includes lessons, informational text, tasks, and practice exercises to help you carry out your project step by step, with additional complementary resources and downloads. You'll also have access to an exclusive forum where you can interact with the teacher and with other students, as well as share your work and your course project, creating a community around the course.
You can redeem the course you received by accessing the redeeming page and entering your gift code.
suepaints2
Very thorough course, clear guidance and visuals, nothing hurried giving you time to take it in and understand the principles. Dan is a great communicator and gives in depth instruction whilst leaving room for your own interpretation and experimentation. One to go back to time and again as there is a lot to take in. Great value.
lulanavas
Un curso muy bueno.. Me encantó!!
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776ja
Absolutely fantastic. An Incredible opportunity!
lucbeeusaert
Plusthis is the ultimate course for portrait drawing, even for total beginners like me. I have had many tutorials in the past, but this is the best, very good explanation of ech step, and WHY . I think this course covers it all.
duibhe
Fabulous course. Though I usually avoid graphite pencils, this course helped me loosen up and try seriously to use them. I’m really impressed by how everything was broken down, and I made a lot of progress myself thanks to the details given.