Form Before Detail: A Dynamic Approach to Graphite Portraiture with Zac Rybacki

"I was the kid who wanted to draw on the placemats at restaurants and never really stopped," says Chicago-based artist Zac Rybacki, who eventually got his BFA from the Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design.

"I’m drawn to the simplicity of graphite pencil drawing," he says. "I can’t seem to stop drawing portraits. I really love spending time with different faces and trying to capture a likeness while also trying to create something that’s aesthetically interesting . I lean toward more traditional poses and lighting that allow me to focus on structure, value, and edge quality."

This lesson (91 mins) centers on establishing big ideas of form, proportion, and feature placement early on through loose, adaptable block-ins, giving you the freedom to evaluate, measure, erase, blend, and adjust as your piece evolves.

Rather than relying on rigid grids that can flatten a subject, you will explore a modified Loomis-inspired approach to build underlying structural volumes. Along the way, you will discover how to work with graphite dynamically:

• Loose Structural Block-Ins: Establish primary planes and anatomical landmarks quickly to capture mass and posture without getting too precious early in the drawing.
• Value Hierarchies & Layering: Work with light-to-dark graphite passes, tissue dabs, and blending stumps to map out dramatic chiaroscuro without over-softening your edges.

• Push-Pull Tone Manipulation: Use hard-grade pencils over softer layers to push graphite into the paper’s tooth, creating even tones and pulling out highlights using negative erasing.
• Edge Control & Wayfinding Marks: Balance crisp, soft, and lost edges to convey dimensional form and leave room for the visible "thinking" of your artistic discovery.

Every mark is simply a step in navigating the form. Embrace the shifts, celebrate the missteps, and enjoy the rich discovery of building a portrait from the ground up. Let's get started!