Portrait Study: Stephen Resting.

Michael Whynot. Portrait Study: Stephen Resting, 2013. Red chalk.

I'm posting a short (30 minutes) portrait study from this morning. Capturing a likeness in a portrait is an elusive thing and, in some respects, more difficult than the figure. Many elements come into play. Being off a quarter of an inch in judging your measurements of the figure goes completely unnoticed, but being off the same distance in the spacing of the eyes or the length of the nose in a portrait will jump out immediately.

And, even once you have nailed the measurements, the more intangible elements of expression and gesture or attitude can elevate a portrait or hasten its slide into ruin.

We can continue to grow with each portrait attempted, but the learning curve is steep and the slope dangerously slippery, the path changing continually under foot with each new subject.