How to Draw Pencil Portrait Tutorial with Artist Dryden Goodwin | Hospital Rooms Digital Art School

Summary

Artist Dryden Goodwin invites viewers to join him in a digital art school session where he explores the art of drawing people. He discusses the process of capturing a person's likeness with pencil and paper, emphasizing the importance of light, conversation, and the connection formed between artist and subject. Goodwin shares insights on the challenges and privileges of drawing 'on the fly' and how drawing can be both an intimate and abstract experience, reflecting on the dynamic between the subject's physical presence and the artist's interpretation.

Takeaways

• 🎨 The artist, Dryden Goodwin, is leading a digital art school session focused on drawing people, encouraging participants to use pencil and paper to capture the essence of a person.
• 🤝 Goodwin often engages in conversation with his subjects while drawing, creating a connection that enhances the drawing experience, but this session is unique as it involves discussing the drawing process itself.
• 🌟 He emphasizes the importance of light in creating drama and highlighting features in a portrait, suggesting that the choice of light source and direction can significantly impact the artwork.
• 👀 Goodwin typically starts a drawing with the eyes, as they are often the first point of connection when looking at someone, and then moves on to other facial features.
• 🔍 The artist discusses the challenge of capturing the abstract and unseen parts of the head, such as the back of it, and how this requires an imaginative and spatial understanding.
• 🏞️ Goodwin appreciates the contrast between positive and negative space in a drawing, noting how the environment behind the subject can define the shape of the head.
• 🤔 He finds the process of drawing both subjective and objective, oscillating between capturing personal presence and focusing on shapes and forms.
• 📝 Goodwin suggests that drawing from life can be both intimate and distancing, depending on the relationship with the subject, and that each drawing is a unique attempt to render the person in space.
• ✏️ The choice of pencil hardness can affect the drawing experience, with softer pencils providing more 'torque' against the paper, and harder pencils offering a different interaction.
• 🕒 Drawing duration can vary from quick sketches to more sustained and layered studies, each capturing a different aspect of the encounter with the subject.
• 🖼️ Goodwin references historical artists like Rembrandt and Giacometti to illustrate different approaches to drawing and the impact of time on the artwork.

Q & A

Who is the speaker in the video script and what is their name?

The speaker in the video script is an artist named Dryden Goodwin.

What activity is Dryden Goodwin inviting the audience to participate in?

Dryden Goodwin is inviting the audience to participate in drawing, specifically drawing a person.

What materials does Dryden suggest for the drawing activity?

Dryden suggests using a piece of paper, a pencil, and an eraser for the drawing activity.

What is the significance of capturing people through drawing, photography, and sound recording according to Dryden?

According to Dryden, capturing people through these mediums allows for a deeper understanding and connection with the subject, as well as the experience of the encounter.

How does Dryden describe his usual drawing environment?

Dryden describes his usual drawing environment as being on the move, often in different cities or countries, drawing people in their own environments such as homes or workplaces.

What is the role of light in Dryden's drawing process?

Light plays a crucial role in Dryden's drawing process as it creates drama across the face, highlighting features and shaping the form of the subject in space.

What does Dryden find intriguing about the experience of drawing someone?

Dryden finds the experience of drawing someone intriguing due to the challenge, the privilege of sitting and drawing someone, and the connection that can be made through the process.

How does Dryden approach the process of drawing a face?

Dryden approaches the process of drawing a face by starting with certain features, such as the eyes, and then navigating to the rest of the face, looking for shapes and forms that define the subject's presence in space.

What does Dryden suggest about the relationship between the subject and the artist during the drawing process?

Dryden suggests that there is a sense of exchange and connection between the subject and the artist during the drawing process, which can lead to discoveries about both parties.

How does Dryden differentiate between drawing from life and drawing from photographs?

Dryden differentiates between the two by stating that drawing from life offers a direct engagement and conversation with the subject, while drawing from photographs allows for a sense of intimacy to be built up through focused observation.

What does Dryden consider when choosing a pencil for drawing?

Dryden considers the hardness of the pencil and its torque against the page, as well as the quality of the paper, as these factors affect the drawing's line quality and the artist's interaction with the surface.

What is the impact of changing light conditions on Dryden's drawing process?

Changing light conditions impact Dryden's drawing process by requiring him to constantly review and re-question the form and tonality of the subject's face in space.

How does Dryden perceive the difference between drawing strangers versus people he already knows?

Dryden perceives that drawing a stranger can lead to a deep familiarity, while drawing someone known well can sometimes result in a distancing experience, as the perception of the person changes through the drawing process.

What insights does Dryden provide on the duration and stopping point of a drawing?

Dryden provides insights that the duration of a drawing can vary greatly, from quick studies to sustained looking over time. The stopping point is often determined by the artist's sense of when the drawing has captured the desired essence of the encounter.

Outlines

00:00

🎨 The Art of Drawing People

Dryden Goodwin introduces a digital art school session where he will make a drawing and invites viewers to join him. He discusses his interest in capturing people through various mediums and the challenge of drawing someone while in conversation. He emphasizes the connection and experience of drawing someone on the fly, in different environments, and the importance of light in creating drama and highlighting features.

05:01

👀 The Intimate Process of Drawing

Goodwin delves into the experience of drawing someone, discussing the initial awkwardness of intense observation and the power of engaging with another person's presence. He talks about the balance between subjective and objective perspectives, the process of identifying shapes and features, and the abstract nature of translating what is seen onto paper. He also mentions the influence of artists like Rembrandt and Giacometti on his approach to capturing form and space.

10:04

🌟 The Dynamics of Live vs. Photographic Drawing

The artist explores the differences between drawing live subjects and from photographs, highlighting the unique challenges and opportunities each presents. He discusses the intimacy possible through photographs and the value of engaging with people from different life experiences. Goodwin also touches on the importance of the subject's presentation and the artist's choices in rendering the subject's likeness.

15:04

✏️ The Nuances of Drawing Tools and Techniques

Goodwin considers the impact of different pencils and paper qualities on the drawing process, discussing how these elements affect the interaction between the artist and the medium. He talks about the importance of observing changes in light and form, and the strategic use of positive and negative shapes in defining the subject's features. He encourages viewers to consider a checklist of questions to guide their drawing process, emphasizing the iterative nature of reviewing and adjusting the work.

⏳ The Duration and Decisions in Drawing

In the final paragraph, Goodwin reflects on the duration of drawing sessions and the decisions artists make regarding when to stop. He contrasts quick, immediate studies with longer, more sustained efforts to capture a subject. He uses examples from Rembrandt and Giacometti to illustrate different approaches to drawing and the unique experiences they record. Goodwin concludes by expressing his pleasure in the drawing session and encourages viewers to continue their own artistic explorations.

Keywords

💡Drawing

Drawing is a form of visual art that involves making marks on a surface, typically paper, with a tool such as a pencil, pen, or charcoal. In the video, drawing is the central activity, used to capture the essence of a person. The artist, Dryden Goodwin, discusses the process of drawing people in various settings and the connection it creates between the artist and the subject, as seen when he says, 'I'm really kind of interested in how you capture people.'

💡Lighting

Lighting refers to the arrangement and control of natural or artificial light in a setting. In the context of the video, lighting is a crucial element in creating dramatic effects and highlighting features in a drawing. Goodwin talks about the importance of light, mentioning how 'light creates a kind of drama across the face and sort of draws out features.'

💡Connection

Connection, in this video, refers to the bond or link established between the artist and the subject during the drawing process. It is about the emotional and psychological engagement that occurs when one person draws another. Goodwin emphasizes this when he says, 'there's something about the focus of sitting with someone and to create a connection, and somehow the drawing enables you to hold that experience.'

💡Subject

A subject in the context of drawing is the person or object being depicted in the artwork. In the video, the subject is the person whom Goodwin is drawing. He discusses the experience of drawing a subject and the unique challenges and privileges it presents, such as when he mentions, 'the challenge, and the intrigue, and also the privilege of sitting, and drawing someone.'

💡Conversation

Conversation in the video refers to the interactive dialogue between the artist and the subject during the drawing process. It is a key part of Goodwin's approach to drawing, as he often engages in conversation with people as he draws them. He talks about this dynamic when he says, 'I'm in conversation with people as I draw but very rarely am I, in a studio context.'

💡Pencil

A pencil is a writing and drawing tool made from a graphite or clay/graphite composition encased in wood. In the video, the pencil is the primary tool used by Goodwin for drawing. He discusses the different effects and pressures that can be achieved with various types of pencils, as he says, 'there's a there's a you know with very, soft pencils there's a very different torque between the pencil, and the and the page.'

💡Abstract

Abstract, in the context of art, refers to a departure from realistic representation to a more conceptual or non-representational approach. In the video, Goodwin describes the abstract nature of the drawing process, where he oscillates between subjective and objective views, as he mentions, 'that I'm sort of oscillating between, something very subjective but also very, objective.'

💡Shape

Shape refers to the form or outline of something as distinct from its color, texture, or other properties. In the video, Goodwin frequently discusses identifying and capturing shapes in the subject's face to create a likeness, such as when he says, 'I'm starting to look for certain shapes, within within your face.'

💡Negative Space

Negative space in art is the space around and between the subject of an image that helps to define the positive space (the subject itself). Goodwin talks about the importance of negative space in defining the shape of the head, as he notes, 'how the head is defined by both the positive shape but also the negative, space.'

💡Live Drawing

Live drawing is the act of creating an artwork in real-time, often in front of an audience or subject. In the video, Goodwin contrasts live drawing with drawing from photographs, discussing the different experiences and the sense of immediacy and connection that live drawing can provide, as he mentions, 'I make a lot of work and directly in, front of people.'

Highlights

Dryden Goodwin introduces the concept of a digital art school in a hospital room, emphasizing the importance of drawing people as a means to connect and capture their essence.

The artist discusses the challenge and privilege of drawing people in various environments, such as homes or workplaces, and the uncontrollable nature of natural light in these settings.

Goodwin shares his interest in using drawing, photography, video, and sound recording to capture a person, highlighting the multisensory approach to art.

The idea of making quick sketches or more sustained drawings is presented, showcasing the range of time investment in art.

The artist describes his experience of drawing on the move in different cities, emphasizing the dynamic and spontaneous nature of his work.

Goodwin talks about the focus required when drawing someone and how it enables the artist to hold onto the experience of the encounter.

He introduces the concept of not being overly prescriptive in the drawing process, encouraging freedom and exploration of ideas.

The artist discusses the importance of light in creating drama and highlighting features in a portrait, referencing Rembrandt's etchings of his wife Saskia.

Goodwin describes the abstract process of drawing, oscillating between subjective and objective perspectives to capture the essence of the subject.

The artist mentions the intriguing aspect of drawing someone you've just met, and the unique experience of intense observation and study.

The transcript explores the idea of drawing from photographs as a portal into a person's life, offering a different kind of intimacy.

Goodwin reflects on the differences between drawing live and from photographs, and the unique insights each method provides.

The artist discusses the importance of considering the negative space in a drawing and how it defines the shape of the head.

Goodwin talks about the speculative nature of drawing and the freedom it offers in attempting to render someone in space.

The artist considers the experience of being drawn and how it can be both intimate and revealing of the subject's life and experiences.

Goodwin shares his thoughts on the value of engaging with different life experiences through the act of drawing.

The transcript delves into the artist's preference for different pencils and the impact of their hardness on the drawing process.

The artist discusses the importance of considering the duration of a drawing and how it can affect the final outcome and the recorded experience.

Goodwin concludes by reflecting on the pleasure of drawing and the unique insights gained from the encounter with the subject, Nike.

Transcripts

so

it's a great pleasure to be taking part

in a hospital room's digital art school

my name is dryden goodwin

and um i'm sitting here with nikkei um

and i'm going to be um

making a drawing and i'm inviting you

uh to do the same i've kind of

provisionally called

today uh draw someone

a kind of invitation to sit down with a

piece of paper

a pencil and an eraser and and to

sit and draw someone and it's something

that i do a lot in my own work i'm

really kind of interested in

how you capture people how you might use

drawing but also photography and

video and also recording sound um

to to capture someone and that might be

a i might make a lightning sketch very

quick sketch or

a more sustained drawing but i'm

cleverly intrigued by the challenge

and the the intrigue and also the

privilege of sitting

and drawing someone um often i'm

i'm in conversation with people as i

draw but very rarely am i

in in a studio context so this is quite

a new experience for me i'm i'm

moving around the city maybe in london

maybe in a project another country

but um kind of drawing on the fly

and on the move um

and i think there's something about

making a drawing the sort of sense that

when you're among

people it can be it can be overwhelming

but

there's something about the focus of

sitting with someone

and to create a connection

and somehow the drawing enables you to

hold

hold that experience so i don't want to

be prescriptive

overly prescriptive with what i'm

proposing but i want to sort of throw

out some notions and ideas as i draw

and hopefully some of those are things

you might latch on to as you're making

your drawing and you might be drawing

from someone in front of you you might

be drawing um

maybe from a photograph or you might be

drawing from a picture in a magazine

but so i'm very interested in you know

the potential connection that can be

made there

so um

so let's begin so um yeah

uh nikki so um

that's great where you're sitting and

i'll um i'll just i'll just begin the

drawing now let's

it's interesting this experience of

drawing and often i'm kind of talking

with with people as i draw but the idea

of

talking about the process of drawing as

you're drawing is a kind of a new

new kind of experience so uh i'm uh

this feels very kind of i like the

experimental aspects of that kind of

reflecting on the process as you're

as you're making it it's probably quite

counter-intuitive

yeah in you know in a way yeah it's

interesting because you're kind of i

suppose you've got these

different processes going through your

head and and kind of a key thing is

a kind of interesting starting point i

think is to think about is to think

about the light

and uh you know often in circumstances

you're in you

you you can't really control that you're

kind of um you know i'm drawing people

where i'm going into their

environments whether that's home or work

and drawing them and

that can't be controlled but what's kind

of interesting is that if you've got an

opportunity to sit with someone

or um you could you could decide to sit

next to a window as

as as you're doing or you might sit with

light that's

directly on you on the on the subject

you know it might be artificial light

and directional light and all those kind

of decisions are kind of really

interesting because

light creates a kind of drama across the

across the face and sort of

draws out features you know

and so there's something really kind of

uh exciting about kind of thinking about

um about those possibilities

there's a lovely drawing by

uh well it's an etching by rembrandt

um these studies that he's made of

saskia his his wife um these are from

um 18 sorry 16

16 37 and uh

what's just sort of really really

wonderful how the kind of light kind of

shapes the face and the kind of drama

and here where

she's sort of sitting half away from the

lights of the shadow and the kind of

using the cross hatching to build that

sense of form sitting sitting in space

and here's beautiful kind of where the

hand

comes across and this shadow that's

played on the forms of the space between

the hand and the

and the face

but it's uh i think kind of really um

sort of fascinating this sense of

sitting

sitting with someone and and drawing

them and that you're kind of

kind of you know there's a you know you

know we haven't met before

and you're sitting here you're drawing

and i'm

and you're okay i'm looking peering at

you intensely and

kind of starting to study your face and

so there's something really fascinating

about

that experience isn't there of um

uh encountering another human being and

uh there's something very um powerful i

think

within that and that you know that you

you know as we're talking you know we

exchanged conversation i'm asking you

questions you're asking me questions

um but as i'm drawing as well i'm kind

of

collating other other sorts of knowledge

too a kind of a sense of your presence

within space and

um and that sort of sense of exchange

but then at the same time there's

something very kind of abstract about

the kind of process that i'm going

through and

that i'm sort of oscillating between

something very subjective but also very

objective and um you know starting to

look for certain shapes

within within your face and i'm

seem to be kind of starting i seem to

start with the eyes i suppose

often i can see that with drawings that

i've i've documented

i suppose that sort of relates to to

looking um

but then i'm starting to kind of from

there and then navigate to the rest of

your

face where i'm sort of seeing certain

certain shapes maybe

that aren't the features themselves but

kind of across your eyes and across

the brow of your nose and your and then

your hair

giacometti said something really

interesting about the kind of the space

between the nose and the eye and somehow

it's like a desert and how you kind of

can map your way across that using using

drawing there's something very um

you know there's not there's not things

you can name but there's there's this

there's a plane that sits in in space of

your face and it falls away in space and

how you can

how you can document that so it's

interesting this kind of

oscillation between the kind of

subjective and the objective and

sometimes i kind of feel like a bit

uh a bit like a kind of a bit

dysfunctional 3d scanner where i'm kind

of

thinking you know trying to work again

and again

reviewing and drawing as i go along um

and trying to trying to map in space

but also this sort of sense of the

imagination that as you're drawing you

know a kind of a sense of what you're

seeing but also the sense of the

the head which is which is out of sight

which is unseen and how and how you can

kind of

plot that you know through maybe through

this kind of area which is your

your hair but um

how we can kind of draw that out

what's interesting too how you use the

sort of positive shapes that you might

you know you might be drawing the uh

the forehead but um and the hair but

then when we look

behind you there's this kind of piece of

architecture and that creates a negative

space behind you

and how how the head

is defined by both the posit it's

positive shape but also the negative

space and how they kind of bolt together

and

how you draw them together and that

helps you

define its shape

do you find it intimidating starting a

new drawing

um

i don't know i don't i mean it's kind of

interesting that sort of sense of

the this the sort of speculative nature

of drawing that you're

if you're making a drawing it's just

it's an attempt to kind of

of someone of trying to render them in

space but of course

the number of times that you do them the

number of drawings that you do they'll

always be different and so

each and i think that sense of um that

sense of freedom

and um you know sort of taking taking a

risk and trying to

draw someone in in space i think the

thing that's great to kind of fuel you

as you start to make a drawing

now it's interesting what you're saying

about um

um they're being drawn and and they're

kind of

you know the experience of being drawn

or drawing someone and

i mean what excites me is that you're

kind of

you're drawing someone's physical

likeness but you're also kind of

engaging

with um someone who could have had a

very

different life experience to you and you

know with a

very different outlook on on the world a

very different point in their life and

uh there's something kind of there's

something about

there seems to be value in that of kind

of looking and engaging

with people and um and what can be

discovered

you know also about about who you're

looking at but also about

yourself as you're making the drawing

so do you find it easier to do live

drawings than

drawings from photographs i i work in

different ways i mean i i make a lot of

work in front of it's great the lights

lovely coming in

um i make a lot of work and directly in

front of people and and you know

um

in difference in different situ in

different situations

sometimes engaging directly in

conversation sometimes drawing them as

they're engrossed in something

that they're working or they're making

something and i draw them but

also kind of interested in you know how

if you draw from a photograph

it's still a kind of portal into that

person's person's life and

um that kind of sense of intimacy that's

that's that's possible that that's

that's built up from that focused time

and of course you've got a different

sorts of information there but

somehow you're remote from them

but through the photograph there's a

kind of um

a sense of intimacy that can be built up

so i think they're different i think

they're i'm intrigued because i've

worked a lot sometimes i've

scratched directly into photographs with

drawing or i've worked from drawings

um or i've worked from drawings where

people are kind of really small and made

tiny drawings as a way to kind of

draw into their their world but um

so i like those differences between

drawing in different ways

it's great how with the with the cloud

cover we got the light is changing

a lot this is kind of interesting that

you're kind of looking directly

into my eyes i mean there's a pretty

beautiful drawing by um claudette

johnson

this is a drawing of a a friend and a

friend who's also an

artist and she's made lots of drawings

of

of her but what what's kind of really

intriguing is this

kind of focus on on the face um and how

that sort of in

in monochrome and how the colors

introduce but it creates this focus

and that she's kind of looking she's

looking away

um from the camera she's sort of her

eyes are

kind of pointing down you know and we

don't know if she's asleep or she's

kind of resting or her eyes are shut

there's something about

a sense of of that kind of holds

something back there's a kind of

quietness to that drawing which i think

is really kind of beautiful are those

decisions about

um how you might draw someone but also

how someone chooses to present

themselves to you i think is really kind

of interesting and

both in in the making but also within

the viewing of a drawing of someone

since things i draw here that's there

there seems to be

it seems to be too kind of heavy the

lower part of your face and it's going

to kind of strip that

strip that back

in the drawing

do you find it easier to draw strangers

or people you already

know yeah that's really that's really

interesting i think

what's quite interesting is that um by

drawing a stranger somehow you can

become incredibly familiar with them

but then by drawing a someone that you

know very well that can be quite

a distancing experience too you know

you're kind of you're

and so your sense of someone through the

experience of drawing i think

changes changes and uh

there's there's a great kind of pleasure

and an intrigue in that i think

it's interesting with like different

choices of pencil because

there's a there's a you know with very

soft pencils there's a very different

torque between the pencil

and the and the and the page

uh and also the quality of paper and i

think that that you know this idea that

you're kind of pressing into the surface

of the

of the paper but you're also kind of

projecting across space you know like

you're over there

and somehow i'm drawing you here but

somehow there's a kind of

contact between you you and i these kind

of lines that are being kind of sent out

but the choice of pencil if you choose a

very hard pencil of course

that gives you a very different sense of

torque from the surface so that's maybe

something to

kind of interesting to think about when

when choosing a pencil and you might

make a drawing where you just use the

same pencil

wear to pencil or you might make a

drawing where you

um you know you combine lots of

different pencils

sometimes you kind of it's kind of

helpful if someone's

you know if you're you're still and

you're still draw you're still drawing

and you're still but sometimes it's kind

of interesting when

uh when you're you're moving or or

they're moving

um because somehow you sort of it kind

of makes you look again and

and also with the changing of the light

it's kind of interesting because the

light's just

very active here uh and keeps on

changing but that kind of

is useful because you're kind of you

have a sense of

of your the form of your face in space

and that the changing light make helps

you review that and uh

re-question that

i think it's kind of you know it's kind

of interesting that

you could be thinking about you know

internal shapes of the space you know

the shape of your

your forehead the shape of your eye

socket and how that

interrelates to interrelates to your

hair but

um or your different tonal space you

know where's the lightest area where's

the darkest area and how that

interrelates and

and as i'm drawing i can i find myself

doing that really kind of quickly and

the frequency of that change really

quickly but maybe if you're

you're not so used to drawing you might

kind of think of a kind of checklist of

things that you

you might want to certain questions you

might want to ask yourself you know

sort of saying you know where what are

the kind of primary shapes

and the proportion of those primary

shapes within within

within the face itself or um

you know where are the the lightest

parts of the

of the of the tone you know is that the

forehead or is that the

the side of the face you know and you're

going through this sort of checklist

um or you know what about the negative

shapes how the kind of the

the hair makes con how that relates to

the

face the shapes within the face itself

and that you're constantly asking

those questions as you're going through

so it's almost like it might be like a

kind of game

a game you're playing where you you keep

on

having these questions come up as you as

you make the drawing

great i'm going to leave it there i

could keep going for the the rest of the

day but

he might pass out uh

but um now it's kind of interesting to

think about about duration of drawings

you know

when you stop or when you how you

negotiate that and uh

i i mean going back to rembrandt

and um this is a this is a beautiful

silver point again of saskia his wife

uh this one a few years earlier 1633

um but there's something so kind of

fantastic and direct about

the kind of the the way that lines have

been used more intensely on the face but

this kind of very kind of

provisional way that the dress has been

sort of penciled in and the way that our

hand has been made and how the light has

been

put in so something kind of very kind of

quick and immediate

and you know maybe many maybe many of

these studies could be done in quite a

short amount of time

or if you look at something like this

which is a

study that um i i took from my son's

wall this morning

but this giacometti it's a painting but

there's something kind of very kind of

drawing about the sensibility and how he

uses paint but here he's sitting in

front of

someone and drawing them over time and

making mark on top of mark on top of

mark and

this sort of sustained looking and this

sort of accumulation of attempts to

find a way of rendering someone's head

and figure within space

that that might take a much longer time

to do because i think these are really

interesting things to think about when

you're making studies of people and um

how that defines and records the

experience of the encounter in in

in different ways uh but um it's been a

pleasure

to to to draw you nike thank you very

much and also to draw in front of you

and hopefully you're

you're making some some fantastic

drawings too which i'm sure you're doing

you