Portraits & Caricatures Portraits & Caricatures Techniques & Materials 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: In portrait drawing, the 'three-quarter view' refers to the subject's face positioned at approximately what angle to the picture plane?
- 45 degrees (Correct answer)
- 90 degrees (full profile)
- Straight on (frontal)
- Tilted downward at 30 degrees
Correct answer: 45 degrees
The three-quarter view, showing one eye fully and one partially, is considered the most flattering and dynamic angle for portraiture.
Question 2: Which pencil grade produces the darkest, softest lines most suitable for shading in a charcoal-style portrait drawing?
- 6B (Correct answer)
- HB
- 4H
- 2H
Correct answer: 6B
Higher B (black) grades contain more graphite and clay ratio favoring graphite, producing soft, dark marks ideal for deep shadows.
Question 3: The technique of 'sfumato,' used famously by Leonardo da Vinci in portrait painting, refers to what?
- Blending edges so subtly that outlines seem to dissolve in haze (Correct answer)
- Applying thick impasto paint strokes
- Using only black and white pigments
- Building up glazes of pure transparent color
Correct answer: Blending edges so subtly that outlines seem to dissolve in haze
Sfumato (from Italian 'sfumare,' to vanish like smoke) creates imperceptibly soft transitions between tones and edges.
Question 4: In caricature, the principle of 'design hierarchy' means the artist should do what first?
- Identify and exaggerate the subject's most distinctive single feature before adding others (Correct answer)
- Draw the full body outline before the face
- Match all proportions to a standard grid
- Photograph the subject from multiple angles
Correct answer: Identify and exaggerate the subject's most distinctive single feature before adding others
Effective caricature depends on finding the one dominant feature that encodes the subject's identity and leading with its exaggeration.
Question 5: When using oil paint for portrait work, 'fat over lean' refers to which practice?
- Applying paint layers with progressively more oil medium to prevent cracking (Correct answer)
- Using only thick impasto on the first layer
- Mixing cadmium pigments with turpentine in equal parts
- Applying varnish before the final layer is dry
Correct answer: Applying paint layers with progressively more oil medium to prevent cracking
Each successive oil paint layer must contain more oil than the one below to ensure uniform drying and prevent cracking.
Question 6: In digital caricature illustration, a stylus with pressure sensitivity is preferred over a mouse primarily because it allows the artist to do what?
- Vary line weight and opacity naturally through hand pressure (Correct answer)
- Work at higher screen resolution
- Undo strokes automatically
- Access more color swatches
Correct answer: Vary line weight and opacity naturally through hand pressure
Pressure-sensitive styli replicate the natural variation of traditional media, giving artists intuitive control over line character.
Portraits & Caricatures Portraits & Caricatures Techniques & Materials 1
In portrait drawing, the 'three-quarter view' refers to the subject's face positioned at approximately what angle to the picture plane?