🧑🎨 3 tips to level up your portraits
#44 or how to improve in drawing
Hey my demon 👋
Welcome to the edition #44 of the Art Missive! We are 5,236 😈 in this newsletter. Whether you have been here from the beginning or you have just arrived, thank you so much for reading ❤.
Two weeks to go before the big day: the release of my first drawing course! To celebrate that, I created a free tutorial video. In this 20-minute guide, we hang out in my studio and draw a poetic portrait together. So what are you wanting for? Get your free portrait tutorial (not available anymore)!
In this Art Missive
1/ Introduction.
2/ Prepare.
3/ General to detail.
4/ Forget what you know.
5/ Conclusion.
1/ Introduction.
Wow, everything's moving so fast since I've been in Thailand!
Apologies for the newsletter hitting your inbox a day late, but last night I was on the overnight train to Chiang Mai and, let me tell you, the internet connection was very bad. Anyway…
In edition #44 of the Art Missive, I share with you my top 3 tips to improve my portraits.
2/ Prepare.
"Léa, how do you create such unique characters every week?"
That's the kind of message I get almost every day. And here's my answer:
I spend a lot of time prepping my drawings.
The myth that artists can instantly whip up fantastic and original portraits is just that—a myth (or at least, not without several years of dedicated practice). In fact, drawing and creativity are much more about research and hard work than they are about talent.
Sometimes, the prep takes me longer than the drawing itself.
But over time, I've developed a super clear and precise four-step prep process that saves me a ton of time. Here it is:
1️⃣ Brainstorming
2️⃣ Storytelling
3️⃣ Exploring
4️⃣ Drafting
For those of you interested in this process and keep to learn more, I invite you to check out my free portrait tutorial video (no longer available). In the video, I walk you through my preparation process in more detail.
3/ From general to details.
If you're familiar with permaculture, this advice might resonate with you: "Design from pattern to detail."
This simple yet profound rule is the cornerstone of my drawing process.
Here's how it goes: I often start with the contour of the head.
Then, I use ovals and basic shapes to place the features.
Once it's looking good, I gradually turn straight lines and ovals into more complex shapes and delve into intricate details of the facial features, the hair, the accessories…
It's like putting together a puzzle – you start with the border and work your way in. That's my strategy to make sure everything fits just right.
4/ Forget what you know.
This last tip might seem a bit counterintuitive, but it's the one that has revolutionized the way I see and practice art.
When you're a beginner, drawing from a reference, there's a common trap of not observing enough. For example, we tend to draw what we think of a nose, instead of drawing what we actually see. And that's why some artists draw the same face over and over again.
To avoid that, I try to forget that what I see is a nose, a mouth or an ear. I’m focusing on the shapes, lines and angles I actually see and I try to break them down and make it simple.
5/ Conclusion
These three principles are just a tiny bit of what I want to pass on.
If you're hungry for more tips and tricks on how I draw memorable characters, check out my free tutorial video 👇
Click here to watch my portrait tutorial. (no longer available)
That's all for me. See you next Monday!
Léa, Mama demon for those in the know.
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