Renaissance Head Drawing

In week one, Glenn will begin with an in-depth lecture on the proportions of the human head. You will watch him break down the planes of the head using the watermelon metaphor.

In week two, Glenn will analyze the human skull and show you how to apply the basic head construction to your drawings. You will study the structure of every facial feature like the nose, the eyes, the mouth, and the ear.

In week three, instructor Glenn Vilppu will give you an introduction to the planes of the face. You will learn how to analyze the model’s features and break them into planes; this enables you to achieve accurate likeness, light and shadow, and a greater understanding of facial structure.

In week four, you will examine how the Old Masters approach head drawing. Glenn will draw over and analyze several masterworks by Leonardo da Vinci, Gian Lorenzo Bernini, Anthony van Dyck, etc.

In week five, Glenn will teach you how to draw the head, focusing on value control through various pencil techniques. You will watch Glenn analyze the use of values in masterworks, then apply that to capture a live model.

In week six, you will learn to draw the head on toned paper. Glenn will teach you how to control the values in your drawings while utilizing the paper as mid-tone and working with a white pencil.

In week seven, Glenn will demonstrate drawing the head utilizing overlapping forms to achieve three-dimensionality. You will look closely at a skull to explore the relationship between every facial part, especially around the mouth area.

In week eight, you will focus on developing contrast in your head drawings. Glenn will do a master copy to show you how to emphasize the core shadows, cast shadows, and reflected lights in your work for better depth.