Members face up to the challenge of drawing a head

Demonstrating again at the Gateway to Seaton Art Society ever popular Dee Cowell showed her audience how the idea of dividing the face into four equal horizontal bands just complicates matters.

Instead, she advocates three equal bands: chin to base of nose, base of nose to eyebrows, eyebrows to top of head. You can try it yourself on a full-face photograph. It is so much easier. Any of the slight variations which we all have can be checked by holding a pencil vertically and comparing the one-third proportions with the subject’s.

It is then easy to start your portrait with a reference framework for detailing nose, mouth, eyes, ears and hair in their right positions.

Dee’s two hour demonstration included sketches of several volunteers from an audience of around 50 of the members and their guests.

She particularly loves portraiture and teaches art privately from her home studio, as well as demonstrating at various local art societies.