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The light should come from the side, so that the various minor movements in the illuminated side of the face can be shown by gentle half-tones. It’s preferable that the shaded side receives some light; if the head were illuminated in such a way that one half was completely deprived of light, this position would not be favorable: it would result in a figure offering only black and white and abrupt effects. This issue can be corrected by placing, in front of the side lacking light, and at a distance of six to eight inches, a half-sheet of white paper, to form an angle with the bust whose apex is at the top. Position this paper so that it is illuminated. Then the light that falls on the paper bounces and casts a reflection on the dark side of the figure; this little light softens and uniformly distributes the shadows. But this paper or reflection should not be placed arbitrarily; it should be positioned lower than the eyes of the figure, in such a way that it does not completely negate the shadows, only the salient parts are slightly illuminated. The hollow parts remain more or less deprived of light: which makes it possible to perfectly distinguish all the shapes, and at the same time, there are vigorous shadows that make the highlights brilliant, and reflections that incorporate harmony between these two sides of the face. A similar effect can be obtained, but more brilliantly, with a mirror.

If the paper were positioned to cast a reflection on the entire side of the figure, the shadows would be destroyed and the forms would not be perceived. Likewise, if the figure were illuminated directly from the front, there would hardly be any shadow, barely some half-tones; the figure would be denatured. The light should come from the side, so that one side is more illuminated than the other and this same light falls from a slightly higher position. If the figure is illuminated by a window with an aperture lower than the ground level, one can, with a dark drapery attached to the window, intercept the light coming from below, to ensure the head is lit only by the upper light. By this means, the light is cast on the top of the head and face: because a face illuminated from below is not graceful; equally illuminated from top to bottom, it is too uniform. One should not reverse nature as it presents itself: there are effects that are not received well and choices must be made.

It is observed that it is difficult to obtain sharp effects and bright highlights without a background to set off the head. In nature, the air mass behind your model serves as a background to detach it: also in a room where the model stands out against the walls, care is taken to paint them in olive gray or bluish. If drawing in a room with walls painted black, white, yellow, etc., it is easy to hang a drape, a few feet of a gray-green fabric, to provide a suitable background for the model.

Method for Shading a Head from Nature or a Bust

With your model advantageously lit, position yourself in the spot where you want to work, and after sketching your head or bust lightly, you must study the shadows as follows. With a first glance, observe the general mass: see which side is illuminated and which is deprived of light. A second examination shows you the darkest shadows and their locations. These are usually the shadow of the forehead, cheek, side of the nose, and often below the chin, then the neck shadow. A third observation ensures the form of these shadows. They always retain the shape of the objects on which they’re cast. Being sure of your shadows’ shapes, compare them with the background. Generally, the side of the head deprived of light, by its strength, makes the background appear lighter, where it detaches itself in black, while the illuminated side makes the background appear darker: this background side should nonetheless be less dark than the major shadows of the head, and the side where it detaches in black, should hold the middle between the major shadows and the light. Start with the background; then use the greatest black of your pencil or stump (1) to...