If this is the case, the first thing you will do is to produce a line-drawing. And the very first part of your line-drawing will consist of sketching the so-called arabesque.



In pencil portrait sketching, the arabesque is defined as the entire positive form of your subject's skull. In other words the arabesque is the outer contour of the skull.

The arabesque includes the proportions, the form, and the symmetry of the skull. This means that the arabesque communicates pretty much an overall likeness of your subject and often much expressive content.

In trying to realize the arabesque we meet our first challenge as a draftsperson. That is, the challenge of "seeing the reality". Indeed, when we note an object a complex mental process is initiated which in part falls short of the level of accuracy necessary to produce an suitable portrait.

The mind, for good reasons (one is to maintain our sanity), instantly replace the very complex subject with the an icon it has stored since childhood. For example, we all know how a child draws a house. It really is more like an icon of a house. But this is what the mind tends to bring up and often even grown-ups sketch a house like they did as a child.

Plainly, it is these symbolic preconceptions (a left brain occurrence) that are the enemy of the artist. You must train yourself to ignore those icons and really see what the reality of, for example, a house is.

In general, learning to sketch involves the reprogramming of the mind's eye. To this end, there is a skill-set that has been developed over the centuries since the Renaissance.

Applying this new found skill to the arabesque is particularly important. "Drawing" the arabesque is maybe the most important step in the creation of a good likeness. Once you have this skill down path all the rest will follow fairly easily.

The first step in striking a correct arabesque is to force your eyes a bit out-of-focus. This condition is called observing with a "soft eye". With a soft eye proportions and form are more easily seen. It also helps you to avoid the invocation of the iconic preconceptions we mentioned.

To train your eye to better your powers of seeing you must always sketch first and correct second. There is very little to gain from pre-measuring. The habit of pre-measuring of the size of your subject's head will hold you back later.

When striking the original arabesque at all times use short straight, i.e., architectonic lines. This will impart a sense of the skull's structure and the form of the underlying bones and tissues. Note that round or curving lines are iconic preconceptions.

Also pay attention to the symmetry of the skull. The term "symmetry" in the context of sketching

and painting does not so much refer to the correspondence of two parts but more to the attractiveness that results from correct proportioning and rhythm.

After striking the arabesque (without doing any sizing) you can correct the proportions. Take a measure of the primary

width (i.e., the width of the arabesque along the brow line) and set it off vertically beginning at the bottom of the chin. The end point of the width almost always ends up somewhere close to the middle of the hair.

The idea is to determine exactly where that end point is situated. Best is to judge the smallest of the following two lengths: (1) the vertical length from the brow line up to the end point of the measure; (2) the vertical length from the end point of the measure up to the arabesque. The shortest length is likely to be the most accurate. Do not forget, the arabesque includes the entirety of the skull including the hair.

With practice your eyes will develop this critical skill. Then, once the proportion and form of the arabesque have been found you are prepared to proceed with placing the so-called landmarks.