How to Draw President Polk's Face
In office from 1845 to 1849, James K. Polk is recognized as the last of the Jacksonian presidents. The Jacksonians followed the principles of Andrew Jackson, including Manifest Destiny, the belief that Americans were destined to settle the American West. As with many public figures of the time, Polk was often portrayed in a black waistcoat and suit over a white shirt with a high collar. This stance is represented by the famous portrait by Boston painter George Healy.
- Difficulty:
- Moderately Challenging
Instructions
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Drawing President Polk
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1
Make sure your drawing area is clear of obstruction and clutter and set up your drawing implements. Place a picture of President Polk nearby for reference.
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2
Begin by drawing a basic, freehand oval. President Polk had a slightly narrow, tall face so reflect this in the oval. The base oval should be neat but needn't be completely symmetrical, as faces generally aren't.
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3
Draw faint construction lines in pencil. Start in the middle of the top edge of the oval and draw a faint curved line to the middle of the bottom edge of the oval. The line should be curved in the direction you want Polk to be looking in.
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4
Examine the distance between the bottom of Polk's chin and the middle of his mouth and mark this on the curved line. Gauge the distance between his mouth and nose and mark this too on the faint line. Then examine the distance between the bottom of his nose and between his eyes, and mark this on the faint line.
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5
Draw three curved construction lines from the left edge of the oval to the right edge. These three lines should curve upward and touch of the three marks from Step 4 at their highest points. This gives you a basic grid for drawing Polk's face.
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6
Examine the reference picture of Polk and draw the outline of his lips over the area where the mouth mark is. Do the same for Polk's nose and draw the basic outline of this also, noting the man's rounded nostrils and tip of the nose and his flatter nose bridge.
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7
Examine the position of Polk's eyes and draw them either side of the top mark of the nose. Polk's eyes were slightly closely set and he had a dominant brow.
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8
Imagine placing a light at one side of Polk and imagine the shadows the light would cast across his face. If necessary, have someone sit in front of a light and model the way shadows are formed on a human face. Add these shadows by lightly shading with the side of a pencil. Always be sure to graduate very dark areas into very light or else risk creating abrupt and unnatural shadows. These shadows will give an extra dimension to the drawing.
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9
Examine the reference picture and draw in the hair, paying close attention to the former president's high rounded hairline and long, flowing white hair, pushed behind his ears and extending to the nape of his neck.
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