329. Cheeks Appear Puffed

Cheeks Appear Puffed. This may be caused by entirely removing the lines under the eyes and those running down from the nose toward the corners of the mouth. If these lines are extremely deep it will be necessary to soften them somewhat, but never remove them entirely. The highest point of light on the cheek should not be built up except in cases of extremely flat lightings. Over-working the cheeks will give them a puffed appearance; building up the half-tones beyond their relative values to the high-lights will result in a puffed cheek appearance. A careful study of the profile illustrations Nos. 14, 16 and 19 will show exactly how the face should be retouched in order to secure proper modeling.

330. Building Up Bridge Of Nose

Building Up Bridge Of Nose. If the bridge of the nose needs building up you will find that the whole lighting has been very flat. By accentuating or slightly building up the high-light on the nose you give more roundness to the face. When building up the high-light on the nose, you work in a straight line as you approach the shadow side, gradually blending into the high-light side of the nose. This will give the bridge of the nose more prominence, and result in more clearly defining the nose itself.

331. Occasionally you will find a slight half-tone between two high-lights on the nose. In other words, the high-lights are broken by a curve or indent in the nose. This may be improved, without affecting the likeness, but care must be taken, when correcting these defects, that you do not destroy the shape of the nose, for, by filling in too much between the two high-lights, you will produce the effect of a flat nose. The direction in which you make your pencil strokes should be the longest way of the nose - never cross-ways. The lines which you use will, in the majority of cases, have

to be almost straight, but use enough of a curve to avoid each individual line showing.

332. Shortening The Mouth

Shortening The Mouth. Deep shadows very often will be formed where the lips protrude a little at the corners of the mouth, and give the appearance of an exceptionally long mouth. To do away with this effect and shorten the mouth you will have to fill in the corners, softening down the lines that run from the mouth. It is best to use a medium pencil for this - an HH is usually the best. Take care not to overwork these corners, as to do so will give the ends of the mouth a puffed appearance. Begin the work at the end of the line, gradually working toward the mouth, and as you approach the point where you expect to leave off, blend lightly and work the line somewhat to a point. This gives a neater shape to the mouth.

333. Modeling The Lips

Modeling The Lips. There will be times when the lips have a rough appearance, caused by little natural cracks in the skin, or by their being chapped. These cracks, if from chapped lips, are objectionable and must be removed, as they are unnatural in any subject. In removing them, exercise care that you do not overwork the lines, as that would give the lip a puffed appearance. Each stroke should be made to conform to the cracks in the lips, and the strokes should follow the line of the crack. When the lips contain natural lines, which are not from chapped lips, such lines must not be eliminated entirely, but may be somewhat modified. Always work with the line, never crossways; rather do too little work than too much.

334. Preserving Roundness

Preserving Roundness. It is by gradation of touch that roundness is produced, and gradation of touch is the secret of modeling. Always begin to work in the highest light, or in the highest point of the curve, and reduce the weight of your stroke as you gradually work down into the shadows. Endeavor to accomplish your results with as little work as possible. The least the amount of lead applied the better the results obtained. It is always advisable, for final modeling, to lean back from the easel, taking a general observation of the plate, when the uneven parts may be detected more readily, and when modeling them do so by viewing the face from as great a distance as possible. In this way you have a constant, general observation of the face, and you will naturally apply a longer stroke of the pencil, with the result that more even modeling throughout will be produced.