In this class, we will explore two techniques related to portrait drawing: Chiaroscuro and Notan.
Chiaroscuro, made famous by Rembrandt, emphasizes strong contrasts between light and dark. The light areas are very bright, with a short value range, while the dark areas are intensely deep. There isn’t a full range of values within the shadows—just stark contrast.
Notan is a Japanese concept that involves seeing your subject in only black and white. While I personally prefer working with three values instead of two, training your eye to see just two values is a great way to simplify your subject and improve your visual judgment.
Today, we’ll be drawing two small portraits. I recommend using a soft pencil for this exercise. For the Notan drawing you can try a black marker.
