[Dan]

Ok, I consider myself an ok artist, I like to sketch and draw still life or random stuff from my head a lot. But lately I've tried doing some portraits and I just can't seem to capture the likeness of people very well. For the most part the portraits I've done look pretty good I think, they just don't look entirely like the person I want them to look like. Can someone give me some tips for capturing someone's character?
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It's sad how entire families can be torn apart by something as simple as a pack of rabid wild dogs

[spline]

I don�t think there is a general rule. I think that each person can have something different that sets them apart more. Like one person has a bigger nose, the other a small mouth.

But some people does not have a particular atribute that sets them apart, its the relation between everything.

So I think you just have to practice drawing as perfect as you can, getting all the proportions correct, and try to understand what you draw .Then you will get a good likness.

Also allways draw the big first, then go into the detailes.

[Harmony Steel]

This site might help you - http://www.geocities.com/bearsclover/portraits/index.html
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www.harmonysteel.com
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[KGBman]

practice practice practice...

I have the same problem, so I've been practicing drawing random people in school when they arent looking. Try this: draw the same person 20 times over the course of a week (preferably from different angles), and see if the last drawing bears more resemblence than the first. I guarantee you that you will see an improvement. Also, you might consider getting a book that explains the anatomy of the face for artists.

[bearsclover]

Hey! Thanks for the link to my tutorial! (I have several tutorials, so it seems.)

My advice would be to take your time, analyze the person you want to draw by looking at them over the expanse of several days, or look at different photos of them.

If you are drawing a celebrity (like an actress or actor) view movies or clips with them in it and stop and look at their face. Not at just the general proportions but at the little things that make them "them."

Put the drawing aside for a few days (or a week or more) and pick it up look at it again, and see what bothers you most when you first look at it. Look at the drawing in the mirror (actually, you should be doing this all along) and see what weird wonky flaws you find. You will usually find some�I always do!

And most importantly, find a reference photo that LOOKS like the person that you are drawing. It does no good to copy exactly a photo that doesn't look like the person in the first place, or has an "offbeat" look to it! And if you are drawing from life, make sure that you get them to pose in a way that looks most like them�no weird lighting or weird poses, at least not at first.

Take your time and be patient with yourself. Getting that fleeting likeness takes a while. Sometimes you just have to take a deep breath and let it go for a while, or open your mind and get a "feel" for what the best likeness is. A good likeness is often a subtle thing. A few stray lines off, and the likeness is not...quite...there. It's funny that way sometimes.

Good luck to you!
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Madness takes its toll - please have exact change.

[tbone28]

I would recommend reading the book, "Drawing on the right side of the brain." They have techniques that will help you see what you want to drawing helping you draw what you are seeing. Very good book.
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Consciousness: That annoying time between naps.

[Drew]