Lesson 13: Journey to 3/4 View of Human Skull - Part 1

We have mastered the side view and the front view. Now, in Lesson 13, we combine these principles to tackle the holy grail of artistic portraits: the three-quarter (3/4) view. This is where most un-trained artists fail heavily because it requires true 3D spatial thinking.

The Complex Rotation

The 3/4 view is a miraculous process for the mind. You must simultaneously compress the far side of the face in perspective while expanding the near side. This cannot be drawn flatly. We must return to the concept of basic volumetric shapes to push through this illusion.

Putting Theory into Practice

We begin executing our 3D theories onto the paper. Expect a little bit of mental frustration here—this is completely natural. Your brain is actively rewiring itself to process the skull not as an outline, but as a rotating sculpture in space.