Portraits & Caricatures Portraits & Caricatures Techniques & Materials 2

Question 1

When constructing a portrait from imagination or reference, artists often establish the 'eye line' first because it does what?

Accepted Answer

Divides the face in half vertically and anchors all other feature placements

Answer

The eye line at the midpoint of the head is the primary horizontal axis from which all other facial proportions radiate.

Question 2

The 'lost and found' edge technique in portrait painting refers to what practice?

Accepted Answer

Alternating between sharp defined edges and soft blended ones to create depth and visual interest

Answer

Lost edges (soft, blended) and found edges (crisp, defined) used together give a portrait naturalistic depth and guide the viewer's eye.

Question 3

In traditional caricature exaggeration, which approach involves identifying the subject's neutral proportions first and then intentionally distorting them?

Accepted Answer

Comparative distortion

Answer

Comparative distortion uses the subject's own proportions as the baseline, making exaggerations feel personal and recognizable rather than generic.

Question 4

Watercolor portrait artists typically work from light to dark because watercolor does what?

Accepted Answer

Cannot be lightened easily once it has been applied to paper

Answer

Watercolor is a transparent medium — lights and whites come from the paper itself, so you must preserve them rather than paint over them.

Question 5

The 'sight-size' method used in academic portrait painting requires the artist to do what?

Accepted Answer

Position the canvas beside the subject so the image appears the same size as life when viewed from a set distance

Answer

In sight-size, the artist steps back to a fixed point where the painted image and the live subject appear the same apparent size, enabling direct comparison.

Portraits & Caricatures Practice Test

Portraits & Caricatures Practice Test

Portraits & Caricatures Portraits & Caricatures Techniques & Materials 2