Portrait Drawing - Things to think about...

Drawing portraits is easy!
So you can dive deep into anatomy and techniques, and if you want to make accurate replicas of a faces then that's what you should do.
But what if you just want to respond to another human, to capture their soul without all the fuss? That's cool too.
So just enjoy it, have fun. You might be surprised.
Tony :)
www.thejoyofportraiture.com/

[@jeffryan3370]

Since discovering your site and channel three days ago, I have watched several videos (I initially signed up to the Starting from Zero course) and have been inspired to complete six or seven drawings in three days. Normally I would do one or two every now and then and was never really satisfied with the results. So thank you for the inspiration and refreshing approach. I think I have learned so much simply from watching you draw as well as your engaging commentaries. My mindset has changed greatly and I am now really excited about developing a love of drawing.

[@TonySwaby]

Thanks for commenting Jeff. It's great to hear that I helped you to feel better about your portraits and that you are excited to to do it. It's how I feel and I really want to share what liberated me when I returned to making art in 2019. So again, thanks for commenting you have brought a little joy into my day :)

[@krishna_saadhu]

Uhu. Before scribbles. After that is portrait. What a mesmerizing form

[@andamiyiz]

Thanks Tony! ❤

[@paulglobus9999]

Bravo, Tony.

[@lspyderp]

The more I watch to what your imparting, the more I think that what your teaching is the philosophy of Drawing, no steadfast rules. Just general principles that we all have but need to develop. You have to understand from the outside as we listen to what seems to me as almost advance concepts can also on the surface sound as vague obscurites coming from a madman who creates wonderful works of art. You also mention about being quick about capturing the basic essence first because it is the framework for everything else. So when u mention this, can you elaborate more on what u mean ? Are we talking about the energy of the subject ? What their thinking ? The way their posing ? Try to capture who they are without even knowing them ? Are u saying that this is a skill that is transferable in all of us and that we all just need to let go and trust in the process? I believe in one of your videos u did mention that one has to almost forget everything they think they know about drawing to really start to know what drawing is. And who are we to even question a guy like yourself who has taken 30 years of traditional methods and thrown them out the window ! The proof seems to be in the pudding.

[@TonySwaby]

Thank you :) Firstly read "The Art Spirit" by Robert Henri it will help to understand some of what I say. Mostly I'm talking about creativity, philosophy is a bit too fancy for me. It's a simple concept "you see something, it moves you and you respond" What you see and how it moves you is down to you and different for all of us. In terms of portraiture it's a lot easier and more focused. You already have the skills to do it, its part of being human. Every time you meet someone you do it. This is more of an emotional connection than a visual one, but your emotions should drive your visual response. I don't trust my process, I have no process. I trust my response. As for forgetting everything, I was referring to preconceived ideas of what drawing is and how it should be done and not specifically and skills you have, although not all skills are good. I haven't really thrown anything out of the window I've just stripped away all the complication. My next video will be called "The ramblings of a madman" :)

[@lspyderp]

😂😉

[@lspyderp]

Thanks for the recommend book, I would also like to return the favour by mentioning the most powerful , brave, bold, compassionate artist I ever known because of the way he opened my eyes to how art can be used to move people, his name is AI wei, wei ! I strongly recommend you buy the DVD documentary of his life ! Super powerful, In the same league as John Lennon, Ghandi, even Da Vinci dare I say ! Art is the most powerful tool in the world , 2nd only to love. Whether u care for his art or not is irrelevant , but how he uses it as a powerful tool is Amazing! It literally changed my mind the way I think ! Almost religious . He is the new Tiannamin man.