How to IMPROVE THE LIKENESS IN YOUR PORTRAITS - Charcoal Drawing Tutorial

If you ever struggle with portraits, if you sometimes spend hours wondering what is wrong with your drawing, be sure of one thing: you are not alone. Likeness is always a challenge, even for experienced artists. Believe it or not, beginners and experienced artists face the same difficulties, they face the same proportion issues, the same problems of eyes being too close or too far apart, too high or too low, incorrect nose angle etc. The only difference is that skilled artists know how to identify mistakes and fix them easily, almost instantly actually, so it looks as if they never had any difficulty in the first place. Well, this is not the case, a portrait is always a challenge, even for the greatest masters. It is said that Ingres once cried about a supposed failed portrait, yet his drawings are among the finest and most beloved in the history of art. Portraiture is always a challenge! For anyone…
In this video, we'll look at the main problems you may encounter in your portrait drawings and discuss how to identify and solve them.
A quick word about the demonstration you’ll be watching: this is a charcoal and white chalk drawing on 100% cotton watercolor paper that I tinted beforehand with acrylic, a mixture of blue, brown and black, washed with water. As you can see, I chose to use myself as a subject for practice but we'll come back to the specifics of self-portrait later in the video... I work from a photo for the video, because a mirror would not have allowed me to create this chiaroscuro effect and film the drawing at the same time. By the way, if you want to see the full, uncut version version of this drawing with commentary, you can become a member on Patreon and access the real time version of this drawing as well as many other drawing and painting videos.
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The material I use most of the time (not necessarily in this video) :
Drawing
Equipement
✓ Kneaded eraser
✓ Plumb line
✓ Small mirror
✓ An old synthetic brush
✓ Masking tape
✓ Cutter
✓ Sandpaper or sanding block
✓ Mahlstick or Hand rest (DIY)
✓ Level ruler
Graphite
✓ Pencils 2H, HB and 2B
Charcoal
✓ If available: Nitram charcoals (H, HB and B)
✓ Square charcoals
✓ Natural charcoal box
Black and white chalk
✓ Sketch pencil Conté white
✓ Square Conté noir : HB and 2B
✓ Chalk or pencil holder
✓ Pencil sketch Conté Pierre noire : H and HB
Sanguine
✓ Sketch pencil Conté : Blood and blood Medici
✓ Crayon Polychromos Faber-Castel : sanguine
✓ Sketch pencil Conté white
Oil painting
Palette
(Extra-fine paint, recommended brands depending on availability: Lefranc Bourgeois, Winsor and Newton, Royal Talens Rembrandt)
✓ Titanium white PW6
✓ Yellow ochre PY42
✓ Burnt Sienna PR101 or PBr7
✓ Venetian red or English red PR101
✓ Permanent Alizarin crimson (Attention: do not use the traditional pigment, which is not very light-fast) PV19 or PR177 or Quinacridone Rose PV19
✓ Cobalt teal blue PG50
✓ French ultramarine blue PB29
✓ Raw umber PBr7
✓ Burnt umber PBr7
✓ Ivory Black PBk9
Brushes
✓ About ten filbert hog bristle brushes sizes n° 4, 6, 8, 10 and 12
✓ Some flat brushes
✓ Round sable brush or round Kolinsky sable n° 4, 8, 10, 12 (from the size of the nail (about one inch) or synthetic imitation
Medium
✓ Linseed stand oil
✓ Odourless mineral spirits
✓ Safflower oil
Surface
✓ Linen canvas, fine grain universal coating
✓ For studies : Canson oil-acrylic oil paper Figueras
Others
✓ Palette
✓ Foam and spalter brushes
✓ Palette knife in the shape of a water drop, no souldering
✓ A few small pots, containers, jars...
✓ Paper towels
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#portrait #charcoal #drawing
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Thanks for watching !

[@racheld8233]

I’ve been watching your videos for years.. they are gold. I’ve had art lessons before, but I learned charcoal drawing and portraiture by myself from watching your videos and have progressed to the point that I take commissions for it now. I always recommend this channel to people when they ask for art advice :)

[@tommymeyer]

This is definitely one of the most helpful videos on portrait drawing i've been watching. I've been drawing for the bigger part of my life, and practicing portraits for years, but even though my work is getting better, i have a feeling that i constantly have to fake it to make it. I've been drawing for all this time, and i'm still not able to slap down a perfect portrait from the first line. Watching your video was a genuine eyeopener to me. The struggle to make each line 'click' is not because i'm eventually getting lucky,, but because that's how portraits are made. Thank you so much for sharing this video! Guess i'll be seeing you on Patreon.

[@bilal_ahmed1011]

The human face is such a fascinating creation, its crests and troughs, mounds and lowlands, and its beautiful texture all welcome light to carress it in astounding ways to produce enigmatic portraits. Its a tough job to use that to make your own art. Very well explained Florence. Your videos are sooo soothing and engaging, teaching us in the mildest and most articulate fashion. Thank you very much.

[@DanielPenn]

Superb! Merci mil fois pour toutes les videos!

[@YoshiMario69]

Thank you for sharing your very personal relationship to portraiture. I like knowing that it will never be easy per se, but there will always be challenges, and that is one of the main reasons that portraiture is valuable in the first place. It is an individualistic ideal, that cannot be made possible without a foundation of purely objective abstraction. the balance between the two aspects of geometric and gestural flow is so beautiful and yet so taxing. I would encourage anyone that is into representational art to draw a few portraits at least, to appreciate just how much they are worth.

[@FlorentFargesarts]

Thanks, exactly right, because they are so complex and challenging, it makes them valuable at the same time because you have to use all your resources and creativity as an artist.

[@elainemartin7141]

Thank you. This inspires me today. So long since I could turn off that subjective way of looking at my subject. Your narration helps so much.

[@B1ackDahlia767]

@Florent Farges - arts, wonderful video, Florent. I think, part of the reason I've always loved to do portraits is the difficulty level. I started to watch this directly after I woke up, & after initially watching you cover that surface in charcoal, I automatically put my face closer to my phone screen, & blew at it. You know, at the charcoal dust. I can't stop laughing at myself now. I need caffeine. 😂😂😂

[@FlorentFargesarts]

Haha ! So much charcoal dust that you get a nose full of it 😅 Only the real ones know !

[@B1ackDahlia767]

@@FlorentFargesarts 😂😂😂

[@TonySwaby]

I've been saying this for years, nice to come across someone who also understands. Never refer to the elements of the face by name. Draw with shapes and tone and Imply and suggest. We can recognise people upto 100 metres away, so the likness is not in the detail. Most importantly DO NOT draw what you know, draw what you SEE :)

[@LoveMuse222]

J'avais tellement besoin d'entendre ça! Merci Florent! Likeliness is very difficult but as you said it builds gradually

[@elleeo1495]

Thank you, Florent, for revealing these important truths about art. Your videos are very enlightening.

[@RatusMax]

Wow this was a great video.I said something similar to someone 2 days ago. I now know it's because I decided to go this route that my skills jumped faster than I expected. I am if this will help any beginner artist but on my journey so far, here's what I said. (Although the video covers most of it, this is a different perspective) When I was teaching myself how to digital paint (Which I still don't use undo, reshape, etc.) There were two ways I tried portrait painting. 1. Detailed drawing and painting in the sections 2. Starting with shapes and slowly getting the painting. The second one resonated with me so much. I felt free and alive. I didn't care about how close the likeness was. I was hitting 70% likeness, then 85%, then 88%. (I don't use undo, or reshape it to the likeness. I use strokes over it to correct it. Like an actual painter. I only use my eyes.). I once did get up to 91% likeness, but the mental toll and time it took on me, I'll revisit that later. The higher on likeness one tries to obtain, it becomes exponentially harder to do so. (Nobody in the world can achieve 100% likeness) You have to make compromises with your brain. Yes you have to have an inner dialogue to it and reason with your brain. First one has to make sure they have a great brush-brain connection before doing so to remove that problem from the equation. The last thing usually causing the inaccurate work is your brain wanting to take in the data and simplifying it in a way you don't want to. So while you are painting you must constantly intercept the brains natural ability to simplify the data it is receiving then interpreted yourself consciously. Then paint it on the canvas. If not you'll be painting the brains simplified representation of it. It is why I switch my eyes back and forth quickly from the subject to the canvas. It allows me to stream in the data constantly, giving me time to intercept it and not let the brain take it and process it. Every time your eyes stare at the canvas for more than 4 seconds, you are letting the brains simplified version be painted on to it. Many master artists know about the brains ability to trick them. So to combat this they learn/use many tools like anatomy, projectors, photoshop, paint multiple studies on things, etc. Constantly intercepting the data and interpreting it before the brain simplifies it is mentally taxing. Once these multiple tools are fleshed out, they reassure us about how things should be and allows us to let the brain super simplify the data. Only intercepting the most critical pieces of data. Then they later modify it with the knowledge we have. "I know that there are muscles here that link like this.", "The nose should have these structures here". I won't lie to you when I started painting landscapes and cityscapes, it was mentally taxing as I didn't know what was causing the 3D effect. The paintings came out great but it was mentally taxing and grueling. Then I started to learn about perspective. Everything now made sense. Horizon line/eye level, vanishing points, 1,2,3 point perspectives, etc. I didn't have to intercept the data from the brain and interpret it on the spot. Now I knew how to make a rough sketch of the 3D world and knew what to add and leave out to sell the feel of 3D. So what I think would be optimal is learn enough skills so that we know what to let the brain simplify and later modify with our knowledge. (Which we will do for most of the painting as it's not mentally taxing) Then knowing what data in the critical parts of the painting we need to intercept from the brain that should not be filtered. (I usually do this at the beginning to get the right form and proportions of the shapes. Then near the ending of the painting for the details) Hmm...I wanted to say what I wanted below but this thing about seeing what's truly in front of us and not a brain simplification took over. You can stop here if you ant lol. This type of painting style sargent has is easy to understand and the steps to getting to it. We all have done so and have the ability in us. So for some reason I remembered what I did to recognize people or things when I don't have my glasses on. People's faces are a blur to me after like 3 ft away and just alien even further away. However there was lights and shadows. I realized that everything without my glasses were objects and the way light reacted to those objects. They are not trees, people, books, tables, just alien objects that surround me. I put back on my glasses and went back thinking I was painting alien objects. I stopped drawing before painting. I use shapes to place features proportions etc. like how I saw it without my glasses. I use like two dark shapes for the eye sockets a dark shape for the nose and mouth. Mid tones of course. Then other shapes for the jawline, forehead, hair, etc. Once I get those right, All I have to do is put down strokes on top that form. Then slightly smaller strokes. Then even more smaller strokes. At a certain point the shapes start to become something that I recognize as a thing in life. THAT'S when I know it's time to start adding the details like eyes, nose, mouth, etc. Just know, I am placing shapes on the painting that is at the place and around the eyes, nose and mouth, etc. For example, The eye area, I place the upper lash shape, then a lower lash shape, then the side nose shape, then smaller shapes on those. Then I put the white(actually a grey) of the eye to give me some context later. I always do the eyes almost last. I put down shapes on an alien object until the whole thing is something or someone I recognize. If it's not, I just keep going down to smaller shapes. Then I barely have to do any type of drawing lol. I put the details in the areas that matter most. Like the eyes. I like doing this over placing a detailed drawing and painting into it. The reason is because it feels like I am pulling things into existence. Using my brains ability to pull up the bare minimum to make things recognizable. When painting like this, I can ignore areas that are not the focal point and it makes it look like it's out of focus. Then put the details in the areas of focus. It's a byproduct that gives it a certain feel to it that I can't explain. I am nowhere near sergent. I place down 50 strokes compared to his one that shouldn't even be needed because of my inexperience. I still linger around 85% likeness. However I do see and know how he lowered his stroke amount and why he made those strokes. I don't have the experience yet to do that. The likeness is won or lost at the very beginning of the painting when I make the foundation/(raw form) of the alien object in front of me. Also thinking about things as an alien object helped me get good at color matching as well. Now I have to develop my overall art skills to reduce my stroke amount. Once I know how things should be. Boy I hope that made sense. I know probably 2 people will read this but hopefully it gives them some sort of insight.

[@aidamarkiw]

I really love what this portrait looks like at 4:41, universal and emotive.

[@EdnaCloud]

I listened, really listened and you make so much sense. I have been looking at portraiture all wrong, from now onwards I will look at shapes before worrying about likeness. Thank you Florent

[@Ane_artdesigns]

The best tutorial and art advice on portraiture. It is my long search, finally found it here in your tutorial. I’m a self taught artist and each day I practice drawing portraiture realism by analyzing a drawing subject whether using a photo reference I see online or from a real person. I’m far from achieving the identical realism, but I enjoy it more when I capture the likeness and emotion of the subject in my drawing. Although, people’s critics was always saying, how come didn’t look identical on the photo reference and my constant answer is I captured the emotion of the subject and showing it in my drawing. Surely, my goal stays the same and that is the realism and correct symmetry, but I know in real life not all people come in one size and symmetrical proportions. I enjoy using my imagination laying it out in my artwork. My voice and originality shines through because if I draw as identical as the photo and leave out my inner voice is telling me then my artwork comes out incomplete. Hope that makes sense. Little by little I will achieve the realism and proportion. Patience is the key and enjoying the process.

[@pxxush]

Man i cant tell how much value and information you have provided in this single video really loved the video and it definitely changes my perspective of how to draw a portrait❤❤

[@jimmycricket7385]

Interesting. Your confidence in doing this on camera is very impressive in itself. Well done. And thanks for the upload.

[@zarreenart]

I really love the way how you convey all methods in such explanation. Thank for sharing.

[@mountainhabitat]

Thank you ❤so much!!! This video had so much value and "aha" moments for me. Thank you again

[@m.i.miller8008]

Thank you for this video... I just learned more in 16 minutes than the last 3 years that I have been taking art lessons (once a week) about faces and portraits... I have been continually torturing myself and doubting my ability because as a beginner learning how to paint the human figure I was discouraged that I was just not getting it... I have drawn over a 1000 Loomis heads and still I sucked when the live model showed... now I shall go forward in a more relaxed attitude and learn my craft with more confidence as I didn't realize that MOST artists struggle with the exact same challenges as I do...So again, THANK YOU SO MUCH for your generosity in sharing your knowledge and making this video. I am inspired to get back to work and keep at it. Feeling so Blessed..

[@chris-terrell-liveactive]

Another really excellent video, especially the points you make about looking/seeing the face as if you had never seen it before and as an object/appearance, rather than a face/eye/specific person etc.

[@yssimon9058]

This is really helpful for the mindset of portrait artists. Thank you very much. 🙏

[@nlopez44]

Beautiful technique, thank you for sharing your knowledge. 👍

[@jwray6150]

Florent I learn something from each of your video's. I look forward to each one. Thank you.

[@pchabanowich]

This is masterful. Thank you.💐

[@davidsilverhawk3732]

Thank you so very much for this gift!!!

[@Archetype73]

Very much appreciate you sharing your knowledge and experience....Awesome Video..

[@brianvanderspuy4514]

Always a joy to watch a master at work. But alas, drawing this kind of portrait requires absolutely photographic accuracy, something that I have given up on - I think it requires a particular kind of eye and mind, that you are born with.

[@brucetidwell7715]

Wow! That was very helpful but watching you draw that was incredible!

[@FlorentFargesarts]

Thank you so much 😀

[@irenee800]

Captivating commentary! Exquisite drawing.

[@urbanpioneer5326]

You're great thank you.

[@welcome1875]

Very effective idea appreciate it❤❤

[@zvinka6559]

Bravo! This is absolutely correct! It’s been a long time since I heard a classical training explanation like this! It costs thousands of dollars to get this training in college. Good for you for sharing it for free.

[@zvinka6559]

I also think that knowledge of human anatomy is extremely important

[@A_-.328]

@@zvinka6559 I don’t think so, you can be an incredible artist if you just draw in shapes and what you see, however drawing from your head would be easier with knowledge on anatomy

[@de.h1909]

you're a genius

[@latersonowandthen]

Very inspiring, thank you

[@raiaarushi7183]

Thank you for the video 😊📸

[@MegadoseTheOutsiderArtist]

Wow! So awhile back i made a video asking for help painting a portrait(of myself also) and your entire video seems to need answering everything i was asking help with. It's like you watched my video and made this in response! Lol. So your video will really help me! I still haven't finished my portrait painting because i didn't know how to move forward, but now..... Maybe! ❤️

[@dagoelius]

A great trick i picked up from Ceasar Santos that really helped me is to use a black mirror (or welding mask glass) to view the subject you are drawing. It cuts out all the hilight tones & mid tone variations, simplifying the image down to basic values and shapes.

[@BoysBarn]

Or squint

[@wolfgangtoeglhofer1710]

great tutorial thank you

[@pxxush]

Best❤

[@ElizabethBattle]

Portraits are still lifes.

[@terrierose5917]

beautiful portrait

[@benteborghill7233]

❤❤❤

[@isfandyar1372]

excellent

[@uncleatelier8495]

Wow, it's amazing and amazing drawing skills ~~^^👸👸💔💔👩👩

[@arte777_]

Excelent! thanks !!!

[@thiagodszsnts]

Great video, watching you drawing during explaination was really stimulating. I'd love to try and draw that portrait, if you could make the photo available...

[@FlorentFargesarts]

Thank you so much 😀I'll think about it.

[@barrymeldrum244]

Merci beaucoup !

[@leebaraza766]

Thank you so much.. I love drawing and I'm good but when it comes to portrait, my eyes just seem to not work with my hands.. Its so straineous but thank you very.. I'll follow your tips and advice

[@albert.art.quintana9195]

Thank you very much for the tips, with what carbon do you make the bottom?

[@joshuabigback1813]

Subscribed

[@fpatrocinio]

Great tutorial, but for me the drawing was over at minute 8. I really like the unfinished look and i can see it's you, but still have space for me to complete the drawing.

[@danartsjpg]

Amazing portrait✨ how long do you draw it?

[@hugoamorim7151]

The true problem, is when u see the mistakes but have no idea how to fix them.And when u try to fix them, it seems like the drawing looks worst then what it was with the mistakes💀

[@malanamarie5206]

I am currently making a 6'x4'6" self-portrait using charcoal before this I made a 18"x24" self portrait so the size different is A LOT

[@malanamarie5206]

I also can not emphasize enough how important it is that you totally erase the knowledge of the thing you are drawing from your mind and draw as you see. I am glad you spent a good portion of the video speaking about this. My drawings did not start to improve until I saw my subjects objectively. One time I was trying to draw a rock and that is when it clicked that I needed to stop trying to draw a rock and just draw what I saw. None of my instructors ever taught me this and I feel that it should be the first thing taught.

[@aldeletronica]

Show😊

[@kaizze8777]

It is possible to get the “essence” of the subject, their likeness and design with just ONE value, and only doing just a messy brush, off course this takes time to get, but if you get the essence first then the rest is bringing the portrait into focus

[@yangerlkr2460]

Sir, it's really amazing, the way you explain is to the point . You are really an amazing artist and a great teacher. But I have a small problem, while you display a charcoal or graphite potrait artwork in an exhibition even if the quality is as these of the coloured work , the painting look less attractive and less appealing infront of the viewers art as compare to the painting. I know that all people have their own taste in the artwork but i still feel the lack to captivate the viewers eyes when place infront of the potrait painting. So is there anyway to make your charcoal potrait more attractive and appealing coz graphite and charcoal work has its limitations.

[@sharonwright7932]

What was the surface you were working on here?

[@PANKAJKUMAR-rx3do]

Please make a beautiful indian girl painting

[@johnhunter3011]

I still cannot get a likeness 😢