The document provides instructions for tracing an image in Photoshop using a pen tablet. It describes two methods: 1) using the pen tool to trace paths and then stroking the path, and 2) lowering the opacity of the background image and using the paintbrush tool to trace over it while viewing the reference photo. Additional tips include turning the photo grayscale before tracing to simplify it, duplicating and inverting the layer for contrast, and applying a Gaussian blur to aid the tracing process. The document demonstrates how to utilize pen pressure sensitivity and paths in Photoshop when tracing an image digitally with a pen tablet.

1. digitalillustration+design
plainfield central – mr. lawler art + design
project 2: portraiture
1

2. digitalillustration+design
plainfield central – mr. lawler art + design
Drawing Facial Features from Basic Forms
UNIT 2
:: life drawing: portrait
STEP 1: Drawing the EYE from a SPHERE
The eye is actually a ball which sits inside the socket of the skull. Muscles
wrap around this ball allowing it to move, while tissues form the lid which
rests on the top and the bottom. To draw an eye, begin with a sphere.
Draw the sphere as shown below. Keep your shading very light!
STEP 2: Drawing the Lid
You are going to draw a slightly angled oval shape over your original
sphere. Be sure to not draw a FOOTBALL, look at the examples to the
left. From the lid you can go ahead and draw the pupil and iris. Again
look to the examples to the right.
STEP 3: Adding Value & Texture
Note the lightsource before beginning to add value. Place the highlight in
the appropriate area. Add deeper shades around the lid and at the
corner. Look at the examples to the left. Eyelashes are the last portion to
be drawn. These are curved lines that extend from UNDER the lid and
narrow as the move up and out. They SHOULD NOT be spikes.
STEP 4: Practice
Practice drawing eyes looking in different directions. Use the examples
to help you.

3. digitalillustration+design
plainfield central – mr. lawler art + design
UNIT 2
:: life drawing: portrait
STEP 1: Drawing the NOSE from a CYLINDER
The nose is a cylindrical form, with angular features and three spheres
sitting at the end. Begin with a cylinder. Then add three spheres to the
bottom as shown to the left. NOTE: for a nose in profile a wedge is
sometimes more appropriate.
STEP 2: Anatomy of the Nose
Muscles and tissues form much of the angular shapes surrounding the
nose. Use your cylinders and spheres to guide you when placing the
various tissues over your forms.
Some artists find it easier to add angular lines to the cylinder and sphere
to act as guidelines for the muscles and tissues. The angular form
pictured left is quite similar to the anatomical drawing at the bottom.
The nostrils are two ellipses (ovals) that form near the base of the two
nostrils (the two side spheres).
Once you’ve drawn in the anatomy of a nose, go back now and clean up
your lines. You may need to do a lot of erasing to get something shown
at the bottom of the page.
STEP 3: Adding Value & Texture
Note the lightsource before beginning to add value. Place the highlight in
the appropriate area. Add deeper shades around the sides and nostrils.
Remember the nostrils are holes and should be shaded darker at the top
and fade to lighter grays towards the bottom. See bottom diagram for
help.
STEP 4: Practice
Practice drawing different noses from different angles. Use the
examples to help you.
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4. digitalillustration+design
plainfield central – mr. lawler art + design
UNIT 2
:: life drawing: portrait
STEP 1: Drawing the LIPS from OVOIDS
Ovoids are simply spheres that have been stretched along a horizontal
axis. They are based on the two-dimensional figure known as an ellipse (a
curved figure with two foci). Drawing three ovoids, and shading them
according to a lightsource will help you create lips.
STEP 2: Anatomy of the Lips
It can be helpful to divide the lips into more ovoids as seen to the left.
Once you’ve drawn your ovoids, connect them using “u” shapes and “v”
shapes. If you note the diagram to the left, notice how the contours of
then lips follow the muscles near the cheeks, the chin and under the
nose.
STEP 3: Adding Value & Texture
Note the lightsource before beginning to add value. Place the highlight in
the appropriate area. Note how cast shadows fall near the partition
between the bottom and upper lip. Also note that the cracks and textures
follow “spreading-out pattern” from the center of the mouth to the
corners and top.
STEP 4: Practice
Practice drawing lips from different angles. Use the examples to help
you.

5. digitalillustration+design
plainfield central – mr. lawler art + design
UNIT 2
:: life drawing: portrait
STEP 1: Drawing EARS from LINES & SHAPES
Unlike the other facial features ears are less easily broken down into
basic forms. Rather a series of curved lines helps in creating a basis.
Started with a “lowercase g” –like curve, and from that build spiraling lines
outward. Note the overlapping lines. It can be easier to start from a more
geometric shape as seen below.
STEP 2: Placement & Size of Ears
The ear is made up of a series of folds and curves. Use the anatomy to
help ensure that your drawings are accurate. Also remember that ears
are proportionate to the placement of the eyes, the nose and the mouth.
STEP 3: Adding Value & Texture
Note the lightsource before beginning to add value. Place the highlight in
the appropriate area. The ear is shaded by a series of cast shadows.
These are created by the different folds. Note the diagram below to help
you build value.
STEP 4: Practice
Practice drawing ears from different angles. Use the examples to help
you.

6. digitalillustration+design
plainfield central – mr. lawler art + design
Pen Tablet Basics
A pen tablet is a computer input device
that allows one to draw images and
graphics using a pen in the same way we
draw with a pen on a paper and is used by
computer artists to create stunning digital
artworks directly on the computer. This
tutorial will teach you how to setup a
newly purchased pen tablet using
Windows Vista and then configure it to run
well on Photoshop.
1. Before getting using the tablet on
programs, you are going to need to
setup some setting to use the tablet's
pen more conveniently. A new folder is
usually created in your Programs Menu
that contains tablet preferences
programs installed in the previous step.
For Wacom Tablet users, open up the
program which brings up the Tablet's
Properties and the pen tablet's settings
window should appear.
2. Configuration settings will differ from
one tablet to another, however, the
most important feature that you need
to play around with is the Tip Feel or
what is occasionally called the
Firmness. You will need to configure
this property to determine how hard
you have to press to make a thick line
when you draw. The higher the firm the
feel the more harder you have to press
to make your lines thicker, the lower
the firmness (more softness) the easier
it is for you to get a thicker line when
you draw.

7. digitalillustration+design
plainfield central – mr. lawler art + design
Adjusting Settings in PSD
Even if you do configure the global settings
of your pen tablet, Photoshop will have to
be configured personally to actually make
use it. To do so, open up Adobe Photoshop
and then create a New Document of any
size by going through File>New. Go
through Window>Brushes to open up the
Brushes Panel and click on Shape
Dynamics. You will then have to change the
Control under Size Jitter to Pen Pressure
and that should do it!
1. If you now try to draw using any of the
brushes you will notice that the line
gets thicker the harder you press the
pen against the tablet. The screenshot
below explains how the lines thicken
when more pressure is applied using an
Air Brush of 20px diameter.
2. Here is an example of how is this
technique differs from normal brush
settings using the same 20px Air Brush.
3. These were the essentials for getting
your tablet working with Photoshop.
Always remember that mastering the
pen table will require plenty of practice
and like any other skill, so do keep on
drawing regularly to shape up your
talent!

8. digitalillustration+design
plainfield central – mr. lawler art + design
Trace an Image in PSD
Tracing Using Pen Tablet (Method 1)
1. Place the image on top of the tablet.
2. Create a new file on which to create your tracing.
3. Select the Pen tool from the Tools palette, and then select the
Freeform Pen tool from the fly-out menu options. Ensure the
Paths option is selected in the Options Bar as opposed to the
Shape Layers option.
4. Use your pen to trace the lines of your chosen image. Notice the
new Path appear in the Paths palette. To open the Paths palette,
go to Window, and ensure the Paths option is checked.
5. When you have finished tracing the image. Select the image path
by clicking on it in the Paths palette. Click the *Load Path as a
Selections* to create marching ants around the image path.
6. Create a New Layer and then, stroke the path. Edit>Stroke.
Tracing Using Pen Tablet (Method 2)
1. Open a PHOTO in PHOTOSHOP
2. change BACKGROUND LAYER to LAYER 0 by unlocking the image
3. lower the OPACITY to 50%
4. make a NEW BLANK LAYER
5. using the PAINTBRUSH TOOL to trace over the image while using
the PEN TABLET
Tracing Using PhotoShop
1. Open a PHOTO in PHOTOSHOP
2. Turn image GRAYSCALE (IMAGE  MODE  GRAYSCALE)
3. DUPLICATE LAYER
4. CTR+I (IMAGE  ADJUST  INVERT)
5. Change LAYER BLENDING MODE to COLOR DODGE
6. FILTER  BLUR  GAUSSIAN BLUR