Bargue II

My second Bargue drawing:

Steps:

1) Outer construct(Plotting the points for the outline):

Whenever there is a change in direction, plot that point. Join the plotted points with straight ghosty lines in order to understand the structure of the form. To check the correctness of your bargue in between, just measure the distance between farthest two points. Check multiple points to make sure that points are not off.

2) Construct of the shadow shape (Plotting the points of shadow(black) shape)

3) Articulation of the construct.

4) Articulation of the shadow shape(make sure that you are articulating the shadow shape and not the half tone. Also, must always use straight lines for this)

5) Fill in the shadow shape construct with value 2 or 3. When you put in this value 2 or 3 in your shadow shapes, you can see the shapes more clearly. Correct/articulate if required.

Check the shapes and make adjustments, refine it, fix it. 

6)Fill it with value 7. This value of my darkest shadow shape DECIDES the value of the half tones. If shadow shape is lighter then half tones will be even lighter. And so it will be difficult to make the form turn. So spend time in getting the shadow shape value right. 

Understanding the values is very important. They say painting is nothing but mastering the values and colors. Colors are second thing. Your values must be correct. So you take any colored painting by old masters and then make it black and white, it still has that three dimensional form. Big form modeling is extremely important when you need to show an object turn. Body is nothing but the masses and shapes. You need to make these shapes turn in order to create illusion of three dimension.  The dark layer has to be as even as possible without any dots.

7) Big Form Modeling:

At this stage, we need to work on the lights. 

Remember that you are just concentrating on making the form turn at this stage. So forget that it is a head or a face or eyes. Just think of it as simple geometric shape like cylinder or sphere. In my case, it is an egg. I have to make it look like an egg. Dark values are already in place and I should apply lighter values to turn this form. Go from dark to light. Turning should happen both ways: First left to right(horizontal modeling) and then top to bottom(vertical modeling). ONLY work on the lights. Do not touch the shadow shapes at this stage. You have to create an illusion of 3D form. With the 2B graphite dust, start shading from dark shape to the light, using a flat brush.

8) Variations of the darks (value 7,8,9) :

At this stage, work on the shadow shapes. Identify the subtle variations in the darker values of the shadow shape, and articulate it at this stage.

Identify the Bed bug line - It is the dark line that turns dark just before the shadow shape ends.  Redo it. Smudge - make it dark. It is part of the shadow shape.

Wherever there is a turning of form, make it darker.

15) Variation of the lights.(0,1,2,3,4,5,6)

Big form modeling establishes the darkest tone which helps in establishing the half tones(based on the darkest values of big forms)

After that medium form modeling starts(like nose, forehead) after this, small form modeling(like hair, beard) smaller details are modeled for three dimensionality on top of the big form that looks like an egg or cylinder. Value of the small forms and medium forms (which are on top of the big form) should be adjusted to that of the big form. For example, on the beard, from right to left, it should gradually fade out. Center area of the beard can not be dark. Keep everything in context of big form.(such that the darkest values that you put in at this stage should not break the big form which is already modeled)

When you come across halftones, make sure that you don't make it too dark. It should be a part of big form and not break the big form into two medium or small forms. Hence the value is important to give an illusion of smaller changes in direction of planes of that big form. Never break it by putting in wrong values.

16) Rendering: Choose a section and bring it to finish.
Start with the area that needs most attention.

And that's it!