Chris Pratt Head Sculpt

pangarang

(May 11th, 2015 Update)

Added his Jurassic World shirt and vest and started sculpting the initial wrinkles and textures of the clothing. Also tweaked his face for more likeness and added some subtle skin texture. Next step - buttons and pockets.



And after some self-work analysis:




(April 26th, 2015 Update)



(Original Message Below)

Been a few years since I sculpted anything so it took me an embaressingly long time to get this far. But I think I've reached the point in the head shape that I'm ready for some helpful critiques. I've been staring at this so long that I think it looks like him, but not sure if I'm seeing what it actually is, or what I want to see.

I need a couple extra pairs of eyes on this mother trucker!

Maxilator

I don't have time to do a too in depth analysis here but the things that looks off to me are the eyes, chin, and mouth. I'd say try taking a closer look at his features on reference pictures in general.

pangarang

Thanks for your feedback, Maxilator. It helps to know where to focus my efforts. Spent the last couple of days visiting the proportions and shapes of the facial features in relation to each other, and threw in some WIP hair. But I've hit another hurdle tonight.

Whatever likeness I've worked to achieve seems to fade drastically as I rotate his head from front to quarter view, and completely vanishes in side view. In quarter view, I am instantly reminded of Bruce Croxon from Dragon's Den. I love the guy, but this isn't supposed to be him!

I predict next week will involve lots of tweaking!

skodone

heard of the magic faceplanes yet if not google it!
also go back in subdivisions your surface is getting lumpy and uneven
(on the cheeks) also a profile would be cool to see

pangarang

skodone wrote: »

heard of the magic faceplanes yet if not google it!
also go back in subdivisions your surface is getting lumpy and uneven
(on the cheeks) also a profile would be cool to see

You weren't kidding using the word "magic".
This will definitely help in the challenge to achieve likeness.
Thanks for this, and the feedback of course!

pangarang

Added his Jurassic World shirt and vest and started sculpting the initial wrinkles and textures of the clothing. Also tweaked his face for more likeness and added some subtle skin texture. Next step - buttons and pockets. And finish off the hair, of course.

Lloth

I'd say refrain from adding skin texture yet. You are getting close, but you can push the likeness more. Right now I don't instantly recognize him yet. See if you can nail his likeness first?

Having a place holder for hair is really good. I would suggest doing the same for his eyebrows. Just stick in a bit of mesh there and shape them like his eyebrows. It will look a little odd as they look like slugs laying on his face, but they do wonders when trying to nail someones likeness ^^

Corner someone who's never seen your sculpt before and see if they recognise him without saying anything

pangarang

Lloth wrote: »

I'd say refrain from adding skin texture yet. You are getting close, but you can push the likeness more. Right now I don't instantly recognize him yet. See if you can nail his likeness first?

Having a place holder for hair is really good. I would suggest doing the same for his eyebrows. Just stick in a bit of mesh there and shape them like his eyebrows. It will look a little odd as they look like slugs laying on his face, but they do wonders when trying to nail someones likeness ^^

Corner someone who's never seen your sculpt before and see if they recognise him without saying anything

Thanks for the suggestions, Lloth! The placeholder eyebrows sound like a great idea will definitely try that in the next update.

It's probably my lack of ability, but really struggling with his likeness. I have had people recognize him in earlier iterations but it was more of a "... That's him, isn't it?" as opposed to "That's him!"

Anyway, in an effort to pick out what really needs to change, I've done to my own work what I've done to others - a side by side comparison, lol. See attached.

SuperFranky

You concentrate too much on little things. 50% of the likeness is proportions and the next 25 is big shapes. If you nail them, the start of the likeness will be there, even if there are no details at all.

Start by analyzing proportions and sculpting out all bones of the face so you could place them correctly. You need to find the widest point of the face in relation to the height of the face. Widest point is usually the zygomatic arch.

Better yet, scrap this and practice nothing but skulls for a while. For a good portrait, you have to know your bones and muscles. You have to understand forms of the face and their relationships. It's all takes a lot of practice, so start small. Skulls, proportions, practicing separate features of the face - it's all a good start. Learn how muscles work and where they sit, learn how an eyeball should lay in the socket and be covered with muscles etc. Learn not only proportions of the face, but also of the skull. When you learn anatomy you will start to recognize shapes and bones in the faces you see and your sculpts will be much better. You can't know too much anatomy, so absorb everything you can get your hands on.

Recommended reading:

Drawing the Head & Hands : Loomis, Andrew

The Artist's Complete Guide to Facial Expression by Gary Faigin

Stephen Rogers Peck - Atlas of Human Anatomy For The Artist

pangarang

Thanks for the feedback and advice, SuperFranky! I've visited your likeness thread before so there's definitely some merit to your approach. Your words have my attention.