I think Harley is one of the two best pastel portraitists living. Daniel Greene would be the other ..
Bruce, I am LOVING this book you recommended! Not only is he a wonderful writer, he knows the pencil measuring tricks!
I was shown some of these pencil measurements when I was 8 years old by a professional drawer who was the father of (my aunt) the young woman my Uncle married. He saw me drawing people on a piece of scrap paper and said, "Oh! I see you are an artist!" I can draw too! Would you like to see the pencil tricks I use that makes it easier? I of course said, Yes even though I rarely talked because I was so shy.
So, he showed me the pencil tricks, as he called it. How to tilt the head and angle it. Making the head and eyes look like they are looking in different directions. Getting proportions correct. As a child, calling them pencil tricks made sense to me. LOL!
I was only able to absorb some of it but what I did I went crazy with it. My school tablet was full of nothing but drawn people instead of my school work. Much to the dismay of my teacher.
This book helped bring most of these vague memories back. It helped me see how and why I could draw people well. I almost forgot why! I could never use graphs because after being so used to using simply a pencil, it just confused me to much. My pencil worked fine. Simple measurements without all the complicated numbers and mathematics. I was unconsciously using some of these methods already. Always looking at my pencil and tilting it and measuring with it with my finger. Seeing past the pencil to the paper. Some things I almost forgot so thanks so much for recommending this book. Those memory's were rushing back!
What a wonderful way with words Harley has!
And I have only just begun to get through this book. I still have allot to read and learn.
