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Three-quarter face schematics
The other most common position of the face is "three quarters",
which means there is a 3/4 displacement of the central axis of the
face. This type of depiction of a person changes some of the
proportions and modifies the shapes of the face. First of all, the
central vertical axis, being a straight line in full face, becomes
a curved line, due to the spherical shape of the head. This curved
axis divides the face into two unequal parts. All the parts of the
face (the brow, the eye) that are on the farther side of the face
are drawn at the same height as the parts on the closest side of
the face, but their width is reduced. All the shading (and
lighting) follows the same principle.
This is a geometric representation of the head and the axis of
symmetry. On the left, the head is represented by a sphere and the
vertical axis is the ABCD line. This axis divides the sphere into
two symmetrical, equal halves. On the right, the same axis is now
curved, as the sphere is turned 3/4. It optically divides the
sphere into two unequal parts.
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The both eye's placement does not change from what it is in the
full face, nor does the height of left eye (the distance from the
upper eyelid to the lower) differ much from that of the left eye.
The left eye, however, is wider than the left eye (from corner to
corner). A new element is introduced - the ocular indentation A;
its placement should be on the imaginary line that passes through
both lower eyelids.
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The axes of the face in three-quarters view The axis EFGI that
goes through the center of the face is a curved line. It runs
parallel to the outer curved line BC and both lines have the same
curvature. The distance from the central line EFGI to the AD (ear
line) is two and a half times greater than the distance between the
EFGI and the outer line BC. The mathematical relations are as
follows:
EF = FG = GI AE = 2EB + 1/2EB GH = 1/3 of GI
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Notice that the point E is not on the same line as the central
curved axis ABCD. The line of the nose BE does not coincide with
the direction of the vertical axis at three quarters view. (For
more information on this feature, see "Position of the nose in
relation to the nasal axis in 3/4 turn").
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In the three-quarters view, the central axis divides the mouth
into two unequal parts; AB is greater than BC.
SUGGESTED EXERCISES ON PAPER using a soft pencil (4B), an
eraser, and white Cont crayons on gray or brown paper
This is the best way to practice iconographic drawing. The
materials needed are not at all that expensive (for instance, you
can even use cheep brown paper bags), but they give excellent
results because it is easy to imitate both shades and light in the
same way we do in iconography with egg tempera. The paper must not
be white but medium-dark gray or light brown. One can purchase
multiple sheets or rolls of such paper cheaply from warehouses and
in large quantities. Cut these sheets into squares of about 50 x 50
cm and rectangles 50 x 25 cm (20 x 20 inches and 20 x 10 inches
respectively). The copies of the prototypes should be of the same
size as the intended drawing, or twice as large. Later in study we
will work on smaller or larger copies. It is essential to have a
hard cardboard 50x70 cm to attach the paper to with two clips or
painter's tape at the corners. The pencil used should be of medium
hardness (4B), which neither too hard nor too soft so that the tip
does not break off easily.
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Begin with sketching the general design with gestural lines.
Lightly mark the auxiliary points and the axes to determine the
position of the facial features. Then draw these features more
decisively. Then do more precise linework with darker lines - this
is done by pressing the pencil harder. The reason why we use dark
paper and not white paper is because the tint of the paper imitates
the proplasmos, that is, the "shadow" tone of the face. So when we
proceed with modeling, we will do so with white chalk (Cont crayon
sticks or white chalk pencils). First, we cover all the needed
areas with chalk, and then rub the surface with our fingers. The
lines of chalk will turn into a uniform smooth surface, and will
become much less light and bright. At the edges, the light color
will fade into the darker color of the background, thus achieving
smooth transitions. This first step is equal to the first light of
egg tempera. Going with chalk over the same surface will give us
the second and the third lights. The same goes for shadows. Just as
rubbing the light areas with your finger gives a diffuse and smooth
transition of light tone into the darker tone of the paper, we can
do the same with dark 4B pencil. When we want to put a shadow, pass
the area with pencil strokes, then smudge it with your finger,
achieving a uniform dark surface. For darker places and darker
lines, just press the pencil harder into the surface. It is much
easier to achieve nice results with chalk and pencil than with
other materials. If we do exercises on white paper, we should only
use pencil, no chalk. Mostly, this is useful to practice the
proportions of the face and body. Such sketches are prone to
smudging. If you like the results and want to keep it, spray it
with a special varnish or fixative, sold for that purpose at art
stores. You can also use an eraser to delete unnecessary strokes
and leftover chalk, and generally fix mistakes. We sometimes use
eraser to create the lightening effects instead of white chalk when
we work on the surface already covered with graphite. Just cut your
eraser diagonally, so that the wider part is for wide sweeps, and
the sharp side is for the thin lines. If you want to imitate the
color of the prototype, use pastel or colored chalk.
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This 3/4 turn is not random; there is a deep reason why we find
it so often in iconography. When an angel is shown to worship
Christ and venerate Him with a bow, his face is not painted in
profile as it probably should have been, but instead the head turn
is 3/4. In this manner, an angel's face is slightly directed at the
viewer, initiating contact. Some faces are indeed painted sideways,
in profile - usually the faces of people with whom the viewer is
unlikely to develop a relationship - Judas, the Pharisee etc. Very
occasionally in iconography, we find faces that turn more than 3/4.
In all these cases, the spatial positions and the shapes of the
nose, the mouth, and other parts of the face change significantly.
For your own study, acquire a selection of the best faces of saints
in the 3/4 head turn. Study each of them separately; they will
reveal the secrets of hidden harmony and expression. Then make some
basic design of the initial axes and boundary lines. Even though
studying the design of a face of various saints by making copies of
icons is a good method of learning, the knowledge and understanding
of harmonic proportion will allow you to paint these faces "from
inside" rather than from "outside", tracing prototypes. This way of
studying iconography is most enjoyable as we approach icons in the
way of a builder - with an architectural design, scaffolding,
measurements, proportions etc.
The sphere on the left has many meridians but only one
equatorial line (a horizontal diametrical section from C to D).
Let's think of this sphere as a schematic representation of a head.
If we look at a full frontal face, the straight vertical line AB is
the axis of the nose ("the nasal axis") However, if the head is
turned slightly to the left, the nasal axis is the curved line AEB.
When the face looks straight, the line on which the eyes are
positioned ("the ocular axis") is the straight horizontal line CD.
If the face looks slightly downward, the ocular axis becomes the
curved line of CFD. If the head is tilted slightly upward, then the
ocular axis is CGD.
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Panselinos (self-portrait)
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1. Designing the head with 3/4 turn, using intersecting axes
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1. First, we draw the nasal axis AB. Its slight, open curve
determines the tilt of the head. The points A and B determine the
size of the head, along with the hair.
2. Divide the AB curve into four equal parts, marking the points
ACDEB. The AC
segment is for hair, CD is the forehead, DE is the nose, and EB
is from the tip of the nose down to the edge of the chin. The DE
segment (the length of the nose) is your basic unit of measurements
for the rest of the face.
3. On the AB axis, mark the point F just below the point D, at
about 1/5th length of
the nose. Through this point, draw the line GH, perpendicular to
the nasal axis AB; this is the ocular axis.
4. The segment DE is the nose and therefore is our unit of
measure. On the GH line,
on each side of the point F, create two points I and J, at 1/2
length of the nose. The point J is the pupil of the larger eye, and
the point I is the outer corner of the smaller eye.
5. Put two more points on the ocular axis, K and L, both at the
distance of the nose
from J. These mark the boundaries for the hair. We should now
have the proportion: IJ = JK = KL.
6. Above the point F, located on the intersection of the ocular
and nasal axes, place
the point M on the nasal axis, at the distance of 1/2 nose above
the point F. This is the upper edge of the superciliary arches (the
protrusions above the eyebrow). Draw the line MN perpendicular to
the nasal axis and parallel to the ocular axis.
7. Build the three-segment structure of the forehead, CONI. The
indentation just
below the point I should be on the level of the lower eyelid. 8.
Mark another indentation, the point P at the level of the tip of
the nose. This is a
hollow of the cheek, a very slight indentation. 9. As it was
mentioned above, the points K and L are the boundaries of the
hair.
Draw the arches AL and CK. The point J is the pupil of the
larger eye, and it will also serve as the center for the halo as
well as the overall round shape of the head.
10. Extend the CK curve a bit slightly below the ocular axis, to
about 1/3 of the nose-
length, and mark it point Q. It is the middle of the ear. 11.
From the point B, extend a short line, perpendicular to the nasal
axis,
approximately at the same distance as FJ. Mark the point R.
Connect the points Q and R with a diagonal line. This diagonal line
is the boundary for the jaw line.
This is just one method. Here is another method of designing a
3/4 turn, with the use of circles.
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2. Designing the head with 3/4 turn, using circles
Fig. 1
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1. Draw a large circle which would define the size of the head;
find its center (J).
2. Draw a vertical line X-X1 through the center of the circle.
This line is not straight but is slightly convex, and its tilt
defines the desired tilt of the head. Next, draw another line Y-Y1,
perpendicular to X-X1.
3. Mark the intersection of these two lines as point J; this
will be the pupil of the
greater eye. Find the middle of the JY1 segment, and mark it K.
Using J as a center, draw another, smaller circle with the radius
JK, concentric with the larger circle. The outer circle is to
define the boundary of the hair, and the inner circle is to define
the face.
4. Mark the intersection of the Y-Y1 line with the inner circle
as point I. Divide the IJ
segment in the middle, and mark it F. Through the F point, draw
the vertical line AB, parallel to the X-X1 line and having the same
curvature. This is to be the nasal axis of the face.
5. Mark the points C and E on the intersections of the nasal
axis AB and the smaller
circle. Since the AB axis is now off center, the point F is not
the middle point between A and E but divides this segment into two
unequal parts. To rectify this, measure the distance between C and
E, and divide it evenly the middle. Mark it D.
6. We now have established the correct length of the nose, the
DE segment.
Remember, the length of the nose is the basic measurement unit
for the face. The distance CD defines the area of the forehead, the
AC defines the height of the hair; the EB defines the boundary of
the chin. All four segments should now be of equal length i.e., AC
= CD = DE = EB.
7. Finally, draw three short parallel lines OC, NM (the middle
of the forehead), and
BR.
This information is quite enough to build a face of any saint or
an angel, because these proportions and identifiable points are
essential for the face's correct structure. All the circles, curved
and straight lines, axes, and distances from one point to another
must be done without the aid of a compass and a ruler. Using these
props will only hamper the development of your skills, and it will
also dull your
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ability to observe and judge distances and shapes. This is how
we develop the synergy between the eye, the mind, and the hand. If
working freehand proves to be a frustrating experience, try it
first on graph paper, but then move to plain paper after acquiring
some confidence.
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The head of an Angel drawn with the circular method Even though
the ocular axis is curved, the corners of the eyes are placed on it
(outer as well as inner corners). The pupils touch the ocular axis
and are placed above it.
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Position of the nose in relation to the nasal axis in 3/4
turn
The nasal axis AB crosses the stem of the nose the middle
partdiagonally. The axis first touches the point C at the base of
the nose's triangle, and then intersects with the other side of the
nose, approximately in the middle, at the point D. The bulb of the
nose stays entirely on the left side of the axis. The nasal axis
also cuts the mouth right in the middle. Look at the sketch and
discern the size and the position of the mouth. The lower lip's
size and position are determined by the axes E and F. The axis E is
an extension of the line that comes through the left side of the
ridge. The axis F is parallel to E and it is extended from the
inner part of the nostril.
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This is not the only scheme for a head design. Many notable
icons were designed accordingly completely different key frame of
axes and points. The method we have offered is one of many.
However, using these guiding principles, the student of iconography
will undoubtedly discover other notable basic designs. The method
suggested here will help the student of iconography to develop a
sound foundation for further study and exploration.
The objective and the subjective
The given diagrams, schemes, proportions, and formulas provide
nothing more than a general sense of "how things should be." To an
icon, these circles, lines, and axes are no more that scaffolding
for a building. This all belongs in the area of the objective. That
is to say, all humans have heads, and all heads have two eyes, one
nose, one mouth, two ears etc. The "scaffolding" for St. John the
Baptist and an Angel will be exactly the same, but will these two
persons look the same in the end? Of course, not. The final result
is in the area of the subjective, and every iconographer, after
marking out the proportions and axes, will paint a person he or she
intends to paint. In your own study, take well-known and respected
prototypes, and using photocopies, do your own investigation of the
axes, distances, proportions, and relationships. Then, complete a
copy of that icon in pencil. This is how iconography was taught in
ancient times, and this is how it should be taught today.
The darkest lines on the drawing
(see Fig. 2) This is the checklist of the darkest areas on the
face. This drawing indicates what should be darkened in the face
and to which degree. The darkest lines should be:
1. The two ends of the lips 2. The two holes of the nostrils 3.
The pupil of the eyes 4. The upper eyelids and the round lines of
the irises (thicker at the bottom)
The less lines which should be medium dark:
1. The line between the upper lid and the eyebrow 2. The lower
eyelid
The eyebrows are darkest near the nose; they become less intense
and more pale towards the temples.
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Fig. 2
Three-quarter face schematicsThe axes of the face in
three-quarters viewThe nose in 3/4 viewThe mouth in 3/4
viewDesigning the head with 3/4 turn, using intersecting
axesDesigning the head with 3/4 turn, using circlesPosition of the
nose in relation to the nasal axis in 3/4 turn