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Clemaiz

@clemaizacademy

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Here to teach
From Rough Practice to Real Portraits
250M+ views on portrait drawing videos @clemaiz

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A drawing can look flat when the color range is too limited, reducing shadows and depth.

Knowing where shadows belong, and capturing their exact tone, is what really creates depth.

Too many people place a shadow just because they’ve seen one there.
But the real questions are:
- What is the color of that shadow?
- How far does it extend?
- How does it blend with the surrounding tones?

👉🏻 Save this post for your next portrait by @clemaizacademy

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4 months ago

In short: bald skulls shouldn’t all be represented with the same tone, and traces of hair can remain on shaved heads.

Skin folds don’t all have the same value and they don’t deform the skin in the same way.

Beards can be drawn more easily using layers: the more there are, the better, but be careful not to overdo it and end up overloading the drawing

👉🏻 Save this post for your future portrait drawing by @clemaizacademy

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5 months ago

Strong expressions come from strong tension: when a face pushes into an emotion, the surface doesn’t stay smooth, it compresses, folds, stretches.

And those tensions create wrinkles -> those wrinkles create depth -> that depth lives in shadow.

Here it’s not about changing the features but clearly reinforcing the tensions by pushing the shadow into the folds.

Remember that expression isn’t drawn in the eyes or the mouth… it’s drawn in the pressure of the face itself by @clemaizacademy

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5 months ago

A strong portrait isn’t about the eyes, nose, or mouth… it’s about what happens between them : The soft transitions, the subtle shifts in value, the edges that aren’t really edges.

The eyes alone don’t create expression. It’s the tension in the eyelids, the slight asymmetry / the micro-expressions that bring a face to life.

Start paying attention to how the features connect, that’s where the likeness really lives by @clemaizacademy

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5 months ago

Drawing skin texture can be done in layers:

1. Shadows: Never black. Use dark brown / warm gray or navy / cool gray depending on light.

2. Darker skin tones: Transition between shadows and skin. Dark beige, richer browns, muted purples and burgundy.

3. Lighter skin tones: Beige, light brown, orangey brown, vivid purples and burgundy.

4. Add color variation: Sometimes subtle blues or greens add depth. Place carefully to balance tones.
I explain exactly how to do this in my course (more info in bio).

5. Final details: Highlights with white or Posca, darker touches for shadows and reliefs like folds, spots, wrinkles… all skin irregularities.

👉🏻 Save this post for your next drawing by @clemaizacademy

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5 months ago

The hair looks great: strong contrast, deep blacks, and bright highlights.

But the face feels flat and slightly disconnected.
The problem? A lack of shadows.
Good structure is important, but without solid shading, the drawing loses its depth and its full potential.

👉🏻 Save this post for your next portrait by @clemaizacademy

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5 months ago

Tattoos, skin imperfections, beard… these are details you rarely see in a portrait.
It gave me the chance to talk about something other than structure and shading for once.

But don’t worry, those fundamentals will be back very soon.
Btw are there any features that you would like me to talk about? by @clemaizacademy

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5 months ago

A successful portrait often comes from strong structure and consistent shading.
The real difficulty is not to understand this… it’s knowing how to actually apply it in your drawings.
👉🏻 So save this article: it’s because of this difficulty that most artists get stuck. by @clemaizacademy

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5 months ago

Sometimes drawing too symmetrically isn’t the answer, and forcing asymmetry isn’t either.
Good likeness comes from balance:
a harmonious structure with subtle asymmetries from real micro-expressions.

And remember: shadows don’t just add volume:
they define position, thickness, then the real shape of the face and features.

Is there a specific topic you’d like me to cover? Tell me your thoughts. by @clemaizacademy

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6 months ago

Part 2/2 DON’Ts VS DOs

Here we dive in color variations, pressure consistency of pencil strokes…

Save this post for your future portraits with colors! by @clemaizacademy

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6 months ago

Part 1/2 DON’Ts VS DOs
Understanding paper’s absorption, order in which the colors are built, transition areas…

Part 2 goes deeper with color variations, consistency in the pressure of the pencil strokes…

👉🏻 Save this post for your future portraits by @clemaizacademy

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6 months ago

If you had to remember just one thing:
When a drawing doesn’t work, it’s almost never a lack of details. One or two adjustments in structure or shading are enough in MOST cases.

The real challenge is knowing when to step back and identify them before they get locked into the drawing. by @clemaizacademy

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6 months ago