3/4 Back and Other Stuff

3/4 Back is a view that I don't think people take enough photos of. In drawing, it's used all the time but not so much for photos. I like it especially when people are grinning because it makes the volume of the cheek more pronounced, plus you get a nice squish in the bridge of the nose. Also, I like the way the mouth looks from this view, just peeking out from behind the jaw. Lots of overlaps.

She's not grinning, but I think you still get my point...



Oh yeah, and another thing this does is make the chin more pronounced. There are all sorts of interesting chins.





This guy is flatter than the others because of his front view, but sometimes this view makes it easier to make up new faces because you can see the whole.





You probably know all this stuff already, but these are things I like to think about when I draw. You know what's funny is I've been reading the new Drawn to Life books and Walt talks about "talking to yourself" as you're drawing. It's totally important. But strangely, I assumed everyone did. Apparently not! How is this possible???

There are so many things to think about when drawing, sometimes it's overwhelming. But it's also a puzzle. Especially when making a nice clean finished drawing. The puzzle is part of the fun and also the satisfaction at the end. Walt talks about this too.

Anyhow, you should go out and read these books. I'm about 1/3 through the first one (each is 400 pages long) and I've been reading it on my lunch break. They just came out. $30 each at the Labyrinth across from the BMV books on Bloor near Spadina.