Figure Drawing Portrait and Head Drawing 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is the 'Asaro head' used for in figure drawing study?
- A reference for body proportions
- A faceted plaster cast that simplifies the head into flat planes for understanding form and light (Correct answer)
- A sketching technique
- A type of portrait format
Correct answer: A faceted plaster cast that simplifies the head into flat planes for understanding form and light
The Asaro head is a faceted geometric model of the human head designed to show flat planar faces that make it easier to understand how light breaks across the head's forms.
Question 2: In three-quarter view portrait drawing, the farther eye appears:
- Larger than the near eye
- The same width as the near eye
- Narrower than the near eye due to perspective foreshortening (Correct answer)
- Completely hidden
Correct answer: Narrower than the near eye due to perspective foreshortening
In a three-quarter view, the far eye recedes in perspective and appears narrower (foreshortened) compared to the near eye.
Question 3: What plane describes the large flat front surface of the forehead above the brow?
- Temporal plane
- Frontal plane of the forehead (Correct answer)
- Orbital plane
- Nasal plane
Correct answer: Frontal plane of the forehead
The frontal plane of the forehead is the broad flat face-forward surface of the forehead that catches direct front light.
Question 4: The philtrum is the small groove running from the nose to the upper lip. Where does it create a shadow?
- Above the upper lip in most lighting (Correct answer)
- Below the lower lip
- Beside the nose only
- On the chin
Correct answer: Above the upper lip in most lighting
The philtrum creates a gentle cast shadow on the upper lip area in most overhead lighting conditions.
Question 5: What is the 'jaw plane' and why is it important in portrait drawing?
- The upper surface of the forehead
- The underside of the jaw that turns away from above-source light and typically falls in shadow (Correct answer)
- The side of the cheek
- The area under the eyes
Correct answer: The underside of the jaw that turns away from above-source light and typically falls in shadow
The jaw plane is the downward-facing underside of the jawbone, which turns away from typical overhead light sources and thus appears in shadow.
Question 6: What does the term 'likeness' mean in the context of portraiture?
- Making the painting look like a photograph
- Capturing the specific individual proportions and features that make a person recognizable (Correct answer)
- Drawing all faces the same way
- Using photorealistic detail only
Correct answer: Capturing the specific individual proportions and features that make a person recognizable
Likeness refers to the accuracy of capturing the unique proportional relationships and features that make a specific individual recognizable from the drawing.
Figure Drawing Portrait and Head Drawing 2
What is the 'Asaro head' used for in figure drawing study?