Tuto Illustrator : draw a close-up portrait (1/2)

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Introduction

Here is a very nice close-up portrait of Beyoncé (photo found on the internet) that I intend to reproduce with the Adobe Illustrator (CS5).

Face

As you probably noticed, the face is tilted, and in this case, if you have read my previous posts, I recommend straightening the image horizontally before starting to work with objects as gradient meshes. For a more detailed description of the method read the post "draw a face".

As advised in that post, I tilt the face photo before starting drawing. I find the correct angle by successive adjustments with the Object-Transform-Rotate tool (here I drew a horizontal guide to facilitate adjustment and the result is a 27° angle).

 

To draw the face I'll use a gradient mesh and first, I draw an ellipse with the Ellipse tool (L) that I filled with a color taken in the middle of the face (here RGB = 244, 198, 166):

Then I draw more precisely the outline of the face as shown below:

I usually start with a gradient mesh of 10 x 10 points (100 points) and the density of the net will be increased thereafter gradually when required.

Then simply use the picture to reproduce colors in each point of the net to give a first result shown below:

Neck

The neck is also a combination of a gradient mesh and color gradients placed behind the face of course (feather 4 pixels):

Linear gradient of 2 colors (angle = 23.5 °) as described below (green arrow):

•          Location 53%, RGB = 33, 12, 5
•          Location 100%, RGB = 69, 36, 17 (Distribution: 25-75%)

For more information read the post "Notation for color gradients".

The neck muscle is highlighted with this track RGB color = 46, 18, 8 and Gaussian Blur 3 pixels:

Linear gradient of 3 colors (angle = 15 °), described below:

•          Location 12%, RGB = 182, 123, 91
•          Location 31%, RGB = 187, 125, 96 (Distribution: 50-50%)
•          Location 100%, RGB = 133, 71, 44 (Distribution: 52-48%)

The result is as follows:

Ear

I continue by drawing the ear very roughly on the upper part because I will not need more details. It starts with a gradient mesh as below:

Then, without detailing all the objects in the drawing of the ear, I describe below that of the orifice of the ear canal with a blend (8 steps) with the following two paths:

·         path #1 of color RGB = 35, 3, 0 :

·         path #2 (green arrow) of color RGB = 97, 50, 37 and Gaussian Blur 3 pixels (red arrow shows the dark side will be clipped later):

Clearest lobes (green arrow) are also blends and the dark spot is a linear gradient of 3 colors:

Mouth

The next step is the drawing of the mouth (at this stage, I often draw the nose, but here mouth seems to me more useful). If you want to see details of my technique for drawing the mouth see the post "draw a mouth".

Lips

To draw the lips I use a blend (here option: 15 steps), starting with the upper lip, with the following two paths:

Path #1: a linear gradient of 5 colors (angle = 15 °, Feather 3 pixels), described below:

•          Location 0%, RGB = 115, 57, 44
•          Location 45%, RGB = 153, 67, 61 (Distribution: 69-31%)
•          Location 70%, RGB = 151, 63, 55 (Distribution: 52-48%)
•          Location 88%, RGB = 193, 105, 87 (Distribution: 57-43%)
•          Location 100%, RGB = 161, 89, 67 (Distribution: 50-50%)

Path #2:  a linear gradient of 4 colors (angle = 15 °, Feather 3 pixels), described below:

•          Location 0%, RGB = 114, 65, 50
•          Location 38%, RGB = 186, 103, 83 (Distribution: 50-50%)
•          Location 70%, RGB = 193, 105, 87 (Distribution: 52-48%)
•          Location 100%, RGB = 208, 123, 97 (Distribution: 57-43%)

For the lower lip (under the upper lip), I also used two paths to create a blend (option: 15 steps).

Path #1: a linear gradient of 5 colors (angle = 15 °, Feather 3 pixels), described below:

•          Location 0%, RGB = 116, 54, 52
•          Location 31%, RGB = 194, 117, 108 (Distribution: 50-50%)
•          Location 55%, RGB = 210, 110, 106 (Distribution: 52-48%)
•          Location 88%, RGB = 194, 117, 108 (Distribution: 50-50%)
•          Location 100%, RGB = 77, 30, 20 (Distribution: 57-43%)

Path #2:  a linear gradient of 5 colors (angle = 15 °, Feather 3 pixels), described below:

•          Location 0%, RGB = 135, 55, 55
•          Location 31%, RGB = 158, 83, 70 (Distribution: 50-50%)
•          Location 55%, RGB = 184, 87, 82 (Distribution: 52-48%)
•          Location 87%, RGB = 198, 108, 92 (Distribution: 50-50%)
•          Location 100%, RGB = 77, 30, 20 (Distribution: 65-35%)

The area between the lips (the bottom of the mouth) is a linear gradient of 4 colors (angle = 15 °) as described below:

•          Location 0%, RGB = 82, 11, 9
•          Location 24%, RGB = 26, 1, 0 (Distribution: 50-50%)
•          Location 63%, RGB = 123, 36, 19 (Distribution: 35-65%)
•          Location 100%, RGB = 26, 1, 0 (Distribution: 50-50%)

Teeth

The upper part of the gum is a linear gradient of 5 colors (angle = 15 °, feather 3 pixels), described below:

•          Location 0%, RGB = 64, 15, 10
•          Location 13%, RGB = 138, 58, 51 (Distribution: 50-50%)
•          Location 47%, RGB = 185, 104, 91 (Distribution: 67-33%)
•          Location 72%, RGB = 152, 67, 54 (Distribution: 50-50%)
•          Location 100%, RGB = 185, 104, 91 (Distribution: 50-50%)

Each of the upper teeth is made with 2 paths (only one example is described below):

The first is a linear gradient of 3 colors (angle = 5 °, feather 3 pixels), described below:

•          Location 7%, RGB = 201, 173, 154
•          Location 37%, RGB = 233, 212, 200 (Distribution: 40-60%)
•          Location 98%, RGB = 244, 227, 219 (Distribution: 47-53%)

The second is a linear gradient of 3 colors (angle = -88 °, Feather 3 pixels and transparency "Darken") described below:

•          Location 0%, RGB = 201, 173, 154
•          Location 33%, RGB = 233, 212, 200 (Distribution: 40-60%)
•          Location 98%, RGB = 255, 255, 255 (Distribution: 30-70%)

The lower part of the gum (near the teeth) is a path of color RGB = 205, 148, 130 and Gaussian blur 2 pixels:

The part at the bottom is a plot of color RGB = 162, 93, 75 and 2 pixels Gaussian Blur:

The lower teeth are drawn with simple paths, for the example chosen, a linear gradient of 3 colors (angle = 0 °, feather 2 pixel), as described below:

•          Location 11%, RGB = 162, 106, 91
•          Location 64%, RGB = 200, 147, 140 (Distribution: 46-54%)
•          Location 100%, RGB = 183, 132, 136 (Distribution: 68-32%)

A first result for the mouth is given below, but it lacks the reflections that will highlight the relief of light.

Reflections on the lips

For light reflections on the lower lip I use different paths.

The first path is filled with color RGB = 216, 124, 115, Gaussian Blur 4 pixels.

The second path is filled with color RGB = 254, 204, 201, Gaussian Blur 4 pixels.

Horizontal light streaks on the lip are paths (here 2 times x 5 lines), thickness 0.5 pt., and same color as before, brush "Charcoal - Thin" and feather 2 pixels:

Vertical dark streaks are paths of RGB color = 216, 124, 115 (green arrow), thickness 0.25 pt.:

The different light reflections are made with paths of color RGB = 254, 204, 201 (green arrow), thickness 0.25 pt., transparency "Soft Light", Opacity 50% and brush "Chalk":

Another clear reflection is made with a path of color RGB = 254, 210, 208 (green arrow) transparency "Soft Light" and Gaussian Blur 4.2 pixels:

The back of the mouth is made darker with a path filled with a linear gradient of 2 colors (angle = 15°, transparency "Darken" and Gaussian blur 2 pixels):

•          Location 36%, RGB = 74, 19, 14
•          Location 100%, RGB = 132, 66, 63 (Distribution: 48-52%)

For light reflections on the upper lip I use the same technique.

In order to light the upper part of the upper lip, I use the same path that was used for the blend previously and I apply a linear gradient of 4 colors (angle = 15 °, Gaussian Blur of 2 pixels), describe below:

•          Location 0%, RGB = 192, 126, 98
•          Location 31%, RGB = 192, 126, 98 (Distribution: 50-50%)
•          Location 70%, RGB = 240, 184, 162 (Distribution: 52-48%)
•          Location 100%, RGB = 240, 184, 162 (Distribution: 57-43%)

The light reflection is enhanced with a path filled with color RGB = 254, 204, 201 (green arrow) and Gaussian blur 2 pixels:

The bright traces are made with the same technique for the lower lip (green arrow) and lights on the gums are paths with color RGB = 254, 204, 201 (red arrow), brush "Ink Spatter #3 "and opacity 40%:

The bottom of the lower lip is also cleared with a linear gradient of 4 colors (angle = 15 °, Gaussian Blur 2 pixels and Feather 3 pixels), described below:

•          Location 0%, RGB = 178, 122, 94
•          Location 31%, RGB = 173, 82, 68 (Distribution: 50-50%)
•          Location 55%, RGB = 193, 92, 79 (Distribution: 52-48%)
•          Location 100%, RGB = 219, 166, 139 (Distribution: 50-50%)

And here is the final result for the mouth:

In order to better integrate the mouth on the face, the density of the net was increased (see arrows) and the face is with feather 4 pixels:

Nose

As usual, I draw the face with another gradient mesh and in order to have a net of good quality I start by drawing an Ellipse (green arrow) with the Ellipse tool (L):

Then, I add points on the ellipse to better match the path with the contours of the nose (green arrows):

The mesh gradient is made as usual with a mesh density which is increased subsequently as necessary:

I often materialize the future locations of the mouth, eyes and eyebrows that are coming to cover the nose and hide some connections with the face.

The drawing of the nose is finalized with the right nostril (green arrow) with a linear gradient of 2 colors (angle = 81 °, 1 pixel Gaussian blur and feather 4 pixels), as described below:

•          Location 0%, RGB = 154, 94, 66
•          Location 100%, RGB = 124, 64, 48 (Distribution: 85-15%)

The lobe of the right nostril is reinforced with a linear gradient of 2 colors (angle = 63 °, transparency "Darken" and Feather 3 pixels), described below:

•          Location 0%, RGB = 121, 63, 43
•          Location 100%, RGB = 237, 177, 149 (Distribution: 25-75%)

The left nostril path (green arrow) is a linear gradient of 2 colors (angle = 81 °, 1 pixel Gaussian blur and feather 7 pixels), as described below:

•          Location 0%, RGB = 154, 94, 66
•          Location 100%, RGB = 124, 64, 48 (Distribution: 85-15%)

The path of the nose is "cut" with a clipping mask as shown below:

If we overlay the 2 nets (see below), we can see that the integration will not be given a satisfactory result (red and green arrows).

This problem is solved with tightening the net of the 2 gradient meshes (face and nose).

Part 2 of this post is here...