5
BRINGING LIFE INTO PORTRAITS
BEYOND BASIC POSES: CONTRAPPOSTO OF THE HEAD & NECK
The position of the head and the neck establishes the attitude of the portrait and hints at the emotion of the sitter. Besides the angle of the head, look for stretch and compression in the neck that reinforces the gesture. The word contrapposto describes the twisting action of the torso. When a figure twists the torso, it often stretches and compresses, as does the neck. Train your mind to recognize contrapposto and its effect on the neck.
As she thrusts her ...
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