Why?
Michael Grine
Fine Art Drawings - 30.5 x 22.9 x 0 cm Fine Art Drawings - 12 x 9 x 0.01 inch
€282
Portrait Drawing for Sale
Portraiture has existed for many centuries. The Greeks produced portraits for funeral and religious rituals; they aimed to “bring back to life those who have passed away." In the Roman era, portraits were often reserved for the ruling figures of society; for example, a warrior would have his portrait painted to illustrate his bravery during a battle. In Europe, it is only during the late Middle Ages and Renaissance that Italian and Flemish painters started to practice the art of portraiture.
In the 14th and 15th centuries, painters created works commissioned by wealthy patrons. Painters sketched out preliminary freehand drawings, which were often then approved by the patron, before beginning to work on their oil paint or, later, watercolor. Facial features were sometimes improved to the detriment of realism, although some painters were known for their ability to reproduce their models' expressions. Some artists worked in great detail while others focussed more heavily on trying to capture the real personality of their model.
For much of its history, portrait not only told a story but it also conveyed a message of power, promoting a well-controlled image to the wider population and establishing the sitter's authority through its circulation. For example, Florentine elites would use paintings and drawings as a mean of controlling their image and establishing their authority. Portraits were a way for someone to live on long after their death. Today we find the faces of aristocracies and the European bourgeoisie in many museums, immortalized by artists such as Leonardo da Vinci or Rembrandt.
The results obtained through drawing depended largely on the tools and materials used. Red chalk was very popular (especially at the beginning of the 16th century) to represent the facial features and the warmth of the skin, while charcoal produced harder lines and pastel created a softer, colorful touch. Artists adapted their technique depending on the subject and the emotion they wanted to convey. The commercialisation of pencils in the nineteenth century made it a popular medium for artists and amateurs alike. Pencil art became more popular and the tool was often used for sketching portraits.
One thing is certain; capturing facial expressions is a demanding art form and the art of portraiture requires a lot of practice. Drawing a face down to its finest details may take hours to obtain the desired result: a protruding jaw, the shape of a skull, thick brows, smiling eyes, dilated pupils… Even more difficult, are children's portraits? It can be difficult to get them to stay still for long. The artist has to be skilled enough to immortalise these men, women and children full of life.
Gradually, sketched portraits became less and less realistic but increasingly daring and experimental in terms of colour. On Artsper, discover drawings by Jean Cocteau, Julien Calot, Alice de Miramon, Philippe Pasqua, Sabine Danzé, Bahareh Navabi and Stéphanie Stindel.
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Luchador
Michael Grine
Fine Art Drawings - 30.5 x 22.9 x 0 cm Fine Art Drawings - 12 x 9 x 0.01 inch
€282
Horn Boy
Michael Grine
Fine Art Drawings - 30.5 x 22.9 x 0 cm Fine Art Drawings - 12 x 9 x 0.01 inch
€282
Future
Michael Grine
Fine Art Drawings - 30.5 x 22.9 x 0 cm Fine Art Drawings - 12 x 9 x 0.01 inch
€282
Attablée au bar
Henri Fehr
Fine Art Drawings - 60 x 50 x 0.2 cm Fine Art Drawings - 23.6 x 19.7 x 0.1 inch
€633
Mohamed Ali
Stikki Peaches
Fine Art Drawings - 127 x 92 x 0.05 cm Fine Art Drawings - 50 x 36.2 x 0 inch
€4,800
Étude d'homme au chapeau
Henri Fehr
Fine Art Drawings - 59 x 40 x 0.3 cm Fine Art Drawings - 23.2 x 15.7 x 0.1 inch
€611
La moue
Henri Fehr
Fine Art Drawings - 62 x 45 x 0.3 cm Fine Art Drawings - 24.4 x 17.7 x 0.1 inch
€567
Jeune femme à moitié allongée
Maurice Barraud
Fine Art Drawings - 13 x 19 x 0.3 cm Fine Art Drawings - 5.1 x 7.5 x 0.1 inch
€778
Homegirls Part 4
Dani André Skogfelt
Fine Art Drawings - 42 x 59 x 0.1 cm Fine Art Drawings - 16.5 x 23.2 x 0 inch
€1,200
Homegirls Part 2
Dani André Skogfelt
Fine Art Drawings - 42 x 59 x 0.1 cm Fine Art Drawings - 16.5 x 23.2 x 0 inch
€1,200
Homegirls Part 1
Dani André Skogfelt
Fine Art Drawings - 59 x 42 x 0.1 cm Fine Art Drawings - 23.2 x 16.5 x 0 inch
€1,200
Swimming Part 2
Dani André Skogfelt
Fine Art Drawings - 59 x 42 x 0.1 cm Fine Art Drawings - 23.2 x 16.5 x 0 inch
€1,200
City Blue
Dani André Skogfelt
Fine Art Drawings - 59 x 42 x 0.1 cm Fine Art Drawings - 23.2 x 16.5 x 0 inch
€1,700
EMI (Spirit): Divinity
Abisola Kuburat Gbadamosi (AKG)
Fine Art Drawings - 61 x 53.3 x 2.5 cm Fine Art Drawings - 24 x 21 x 1 inch
€1,080
Think on your sins
Alexandre Granger
Fine Art Drawings - 40 x 30 x 0.1 cm Fine Art Drawings - 15.7 x 11.8 x 0 inch
€1,900
Masseuses avec touriste
Rosario Heins
Fine Art Drawings - 150 x 125 x 0.3 cm Fine Art Drawings - 59.1 x 49.2 x 0.1 inch
€7,000
Serenity II
Karim Benchebra
Fine Art Drawings - 30 x 20 x 0.1 cm Fine Art Drawings - 11.8 x 7.9 x 0 inch
€1,020
Debbie
Monika Nowak
Fine Art Drawings - 140 x 100 x 3 cm Fine Art Drawings - 55.1 x 39.4 x 1.2 inch
€8,200
Cover Girl
Monika Nowak
Fine Art Drawings - 140 x 100 x 3 cm Fine Art Drawings - 55.1 x 39.4 x 1.2 inch
€8,200
Portrait
Gilbert Pastor
Fine Art Drawings - 29.5 x 27 x 0.1 cm Fine Art Drawings - 11.6 x 10.6 x 0 inch
€500
Portrait
Gilbert Pastor
Fine Art Drawings - 25 x 22 x 0.1 cm Fine Art Drawings - 9.8 x 8.7 x 0 inch
€500
Portrait
Gilbert Pastor
Fine Art Drawings - 28.5 x 22 x 0.1 cm Fine Art Drawings - 11.2 x 8.7 x 0 inch
€500
Portrait
Gilbert Pastor
Fine Art Drawings - 24 x 21 x 0.1 cm Fine Art Drawings - 9.4 x 8.3 x 0 inch
€500
Sanguine - Maki
André Ferrand
Fine Art Drawings - 76 x 57 x 1 cm Fine Art Drawings - 29.9 x 22.4 x 0.4 inch
€790
Fritz en tenue de Général
Erte Tirtoff
Fine Art Drawings - 37.5 x 26 x 1 cm Fine Art Drawings - 14.8 x 10.2 x 0.4 inch
€4,000
Neighbours
Shota Imerlishvili
Fine Art Drawings - 60 x 90 x 0.1 cm Fine Art Drawings - 23.6 x 35.4 x 0 inch
€3,000
Portrait with a beard
Barbara Kroll
Fine Art Drawings - 33 x 22.9 x 2.5 cm Fine Art Drawings - 13 x 9 x 1 inch
€300
Kiss
Nina Narimanishvili
Fine Art Drawings - 29 x 42 x 0.1 cm Fine Art Drawings - 11.4 x 16.5 x 0 inch
€950
Woman from Metro
Nina Narimanishvili
Fine Art Drawings - 43 x 41 x 0.1 cm Fine Art Drawings - 16.9 x 16.1 x 0 inch
€900
Loneliness
Nina Narimanishvili
Fine Art Drawings - 26 x 24 x 0.1 cm Fine Art Drawings - 10.2 x 9.4 x 0 inch
€1,250
Thought about you
Nina Narimanishvili
Fine Art Drawings - 23 x 32 x 0.1 cm Fine Art Drawings - 9.1 x 12.6 x 0 inch
€2,500
Healer 2
Federica Frati
Fine Art Drawings - 70 x 50 x 0.1 cm Fine Art Drawings - 27.6 x 19.7 x 0 inch
€1,000
Healer
Federica Frati
Fine Art Drawings - 70 x 50 x 0.1 cm Fine Art Drawings - 27.6 x 19.7 x 0 inch
€1,000
Untitled (06)
Mansour El Habre
Fine Art Drawings - 30 x 42 x 1 cm Fine Art Drawings - 11.8 x 16.5 x 0.4 inch
€1,784
Untitled (52)
Mansour El Habre
Fine Art Drawings - 42 x 30 x 1 cm Fine Art Drawings - 16.5 x 11.8 x 0.4 inch
€1,784
La Paix
Hom Nguyen
Fine Art Drawings - 80 x 60 x 1 cm Fine Art Drawings - 31.5 x 23.6 x 0.4 inch
€11,900
Untitled XXVI
Julieta Intergalactica
Fine Art Drawings - 21 x 14.8 x 0.2 cm Fine Art Drawings - 8.3 x 5.8 x 0.1 inch
€355
A very interesting face
Rossella Mercedes
Fine Art Drawings - 23 x 15.3 x 0.2 cm Fine Art Drawings - 9.1 x 6 x 0.1 inch
€280
Allow Me - 21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative Portrait, Black and White, Love
Sayeed Momoh
Fine Art Drawings - 61 x 50.8 x 2.5 cm Fine Art Drawings - 24 x 20 x 1 inch
€1,774 €1,331
Unity in Love
Kristina Mallen
Fine Art Drawings - 31 x 23 x 0.1 cm Fine Art Drawings - 12.2 x 9.1 x 0 inch
€550
Sans titre #1
Zahra Zeinali
Fine Art Drawings - 70 x 50 cm Fine Art Drawings - 27.6 x 19.7 inch
€2,500
Self-Portrait 24.129
Arthur Hent
Fine Art Drawings - 30 x 21 x 0.2 cm Fine Art Drawings - 11.8 x 8.3 x 0.1 inch
€160
Go Figure
Joe Lasker
Fine Art Drawings - 20.3 x 27.9 x 5.1 cm Fine Art Drawings - 8 x 11 x 2 inch
€1,126
Ladder III
Joe Lasker
Fine Art Drawings - 39.4 x 29.2 x 5.1 cm Fine Art Drawings - 15.511 x 11.5 x 2 inch
€939
Ladder II
Joe Lasker
Fine Art Drawings - 27.9 x 25.4 x 5.1 cm Fine Art Drawings - 11 x 10 x 2 inch
€939
Two Girls
Joe Lasker
Fine Art Drawings - 35.6 x 43.2 x 5.1 cm Fine Art Drawings - 14 x 17 x 2 inch
€1,314
Ladder
Joe Lasker
Fine Art Drawings - 29.2 x 17.8 x 5.1 cm Fine Art Drawings - 11.5 x 7 x 2 inch
€939
La Fuerza
Sandra Vásquez de la Horra
Fine Art Drawings - 39 x 27 x 0.2 cm Fine Art Drawings - 15.4 x 10.6 x 0.1 inch
€6,500
Untitled
Duván López
Fine Art Drawings - 85 x 75 x 0.1 cm Fine Art Drawings - 33.5 x 29.5 x 0 inch
€2,250
The encounter
Reinaldo Chavez
Fine Art Drawings - 19 x 13.5 cm Fine Art Drawings - 7.5 x 5.3 inch
€340
Ray Charles and the Band
Jay Russell
Fine Art Drawings - 35.6 x 27.9 x 5.1 cm Fine Art Drawings - 14 x 11 x 2 inch
€2,253
The Blues Boss
Jay Russell
Fine Art Drawings - 35.6 x 27.9 x 5.1 cm Fine Art Drawings - 14 x 11 x 2 inch
€2,253
Okinawo
Fred Borghesi
Fine Art Drawings - 21 x 18 x 0.3 cm Fine Art Drawings - 8.3 x 7.1 x 0.1 inch
€2,200
Sans titre
Menachem Gueffen
Fine Art Drawings - 40 x 28 x 1 cm Fine Art Drawings - 15.7 x 11 x 0.4 inch
€780
Sans titre
Menachem Gueffen
Fine Art Drawings - 40 x 28 x 1 cm Fine Art Drawings - 15.7 x 11 x 0.4 inch
€780
Sans titre
Menachem Gueffen
Fine Art Drawings - 40 x 28 x 1 cm Fine Art Drawings - 15.7 x 11 x 0.4 inch
€580
Sans titre
Menachem Gueffen
Fine Art Drawings - 40 x 28 x 1 cm Fine Art Drawings - 15.7 x 11 x 0.4 inch
€780
Sans titre
Menachem Gueffen
Fine Art Drawings - 40 x 28 x 1 cm Fine Art Drawings - 15.7 x 11 x 0.4 inch
€580
Sans titre
Menachem Gueffen
Fine Art Drawings - 40 x 28 x 1 cm Fine Art Drawings - 15.7 x 11 x 0.4 inch
€780
Sans titre
Menachem Gueffen
Fine Art Drawings - 40 x 28 x 1 cm Fine Art Drawings - 15.7 x 11 x 0.4 inch
€780
Reciprocity
Agathe Wagner
Fine Art Drawings - 50 x 65 x 3 cm Fine Art Drawings - 19.7 x 25.6 x 1.2 inch
€950
Reciprocity2
Agathe Wagner
Fine Art Drawings - 50 x 65 x 2 cm Fine Art Drawings - 19.7 x 25.6 x 0.8 inch
€1,500
Sans titre
Bazooka Joe
Fine Art Drawings - 21 x 12 x 0.1 cm Fine Art Drawings - 8.3 x 4.7 x 0 inch
€1,500
Sans titre (1)
Bazooka Joe
Fine Art Drawings - 15 x 21 x 0.1 cm Fine Art Drawings - 5.9 x 8.3 x 0 inch
€1,500
Sans titre
Bazooka Joe
Fine Art Drawings - 22 x 41 x 0.1 cm Fine Art Drawings - 8.7 x 16.1 x 0 inch
€1,500
Sans titre
Bazooka Joe
Fine Art Drawings - 32 x 40 x 0.1 cm Fine Art Drawings - 12.6 x 15.7 x 0 inch
Sold
Sans titre
Bazooka Joe
Fine Art Drawings - 32 x 40 x 0.1 cm Fine Art Drawings - 12.6 x 15.7 x 0 inch
€1,500
Sans titre (1)
Bazooka Joe
Fine Art Drawings - 32 x 40 x 0.1 cm Fine Art Drawings - 12.6 x 15.7 x 0 inch
€1,500
Personnage au discours fumeux
Georges Bru
Fine Art Drawings - 19 x 24 cm Fine Art Drawings - 7.5 x 9.4 inch
€1,250
Silent Soul (01)
Richard Laillier
Fine Art Drawings - 18 x 10 x 1 cm Fine Art Drawings - 7.1 x 3.9 x 0.4 inch
€600
Aesthetic encounter III
Silvia Cuello
Fine Art Drawings - 44 x 22 cm Fine Art Drawings - 17.3 x 8.7 inch
€460
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Shepard Fairey (Obey)
Print - 61 x 46 x 0.2 cm Print - 24 x 18.1 x 0.1 inch
€550
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Martín Duque
Sculpture - 44 x 16 x 20 cm Sculpture - 17.3 x 6.3 x 7.9 inch
€980
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Taiwo Odejinmi
Painting - 91.4 x 61 x 2.5 cm Painting - 36 x 24 x 1 inch
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Print - 50 x 50 x 0.1 cm Print - 19.7 x 19.7 x 0 inch
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Need help with Portrait Drawing ?
What are some tips for drawing a realistic portrait?
To draw a realistic portrait, start with a good reference photo, pay attention to proportions, use shading to create depth, and focus on capturing the subject's unique features. Practice regularly and don't be afraid to make mistakes.
How do you choose the right materials for portrait drawing?
When choosing materials for portrait drawing, consider the surface texture, color, and weight of the paper, as well as the type and quality of the pencils or charcoal. Opt for high-quality materials that allow for precision and detail, and experiment with different combinations to find what works best for your style and technique.
What are some common mistakes to avoid when drawing a portrait?
When drawing a portrait, it's important to avoid common mistakes such as not paying attention to proportions, neglecting to capture the subject's unique features, and using too much or too little shading. Additionally, it's important to take breaks and step back to assess the overall composition.