About stipple portraits, hedcut portraits, and ink dot portraits
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Portraits and general subject drawings made out of many ink dots laid carefully side by side are often called pointillism or stipple. Pointillism is the color version of a stipple portrait. As colored dots are placed adjacent to each other, when the viewer moves further away, the colors seem to blend to the eye, creating a new color.
A "Hedcut" is a black ink on white paper stipple portrait that usually includes bold lines and dashes to create a portrait that has a similar look to the engraving on currency. The Hedcut style is famous as the Wall Street Journal style of portrait featured in the newspaper. What is even more stunning about Hedcut portraits is that they are slightly smaller than the size of an index card.
Whether called pointillism, stipple, or hedcut, they all take a great deal of time and attention to produce.
Mistakes cannot be erased. A small error will mean that the entire portrait must be begun again.The artist must maintain patience and strong concentration while working on stipple portraits.
A "Hedcut" is a black ink on white paper stipple portrait that usually includes bold lines and dashes to create a portrait that has a similar look to the engraving on currency. The Hedcut style is famous as the Wall Street Journal style of portrait featured in the newspaper. What is even more stunning about Hedcut portraits is that they are slightly smaller than the size of an index card.
Whether called pointillism, stipple, or hedcut, they all take a great deal of time and attention to produce.
Mistakes cannot be erased. A small error will mean that the entire portrait must be begun again.The artist must maintain patience and strong concentration while working on stipple portraits.
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Stipple Man
A really neat advertisement that shows a Wall Street Journal Hedcut-Stipple portrait coming to life.
curated content from YouTube
History of the Hedcut Portrait
- Picturing Business in America
- The Hedcut portrait was originally created by artist Kevin Sprouls. Here's the story of the Hedcut portrait's origins.
How it's done - Creation of Hedcut style portrait art
- How It's Done
- Hedcuts are working drawings of approximately three by five inches (or exactly 18 x 31 picas-a typographical unit), intended for reproduction at one-third scale. A close examination of the surface of these images occasionally reveals faint pencil lines laid down to guide the artist or gouache...
- Picturing Business in America
- First invented in 1979, The Wall Street Journal's distinctive portrait heads, known as hedcuts or dot-drawings have attained the status of an American icon, readily identifiable...
- Atlanta Artist Examiner: Interview with professional hedcut artist Noli Novak
- Atlanta Article: Interview with professional hedcut artist Noli Novak by local Atlanta Artist Examiner expert, Darla Dixon.
Important!
Visit my art website
While I no longer offer stipple/Hedcut portraits (I decided to concentrate on my love of pencil portraits), please check out my pencil portraits.
Books About Stipple - Pointillism - Hedcut Portraits
Related Items on Amazon.com
Stipple Portraits in the News
- Milton library to host workshop with artist Maichack March 5
- The workshop will cover pointillism, a technique that combines the science of color with the ?poetry of pastels,? according to a news release about the event. Maichack is a faculty member at the Quadrangle Museum School at the Museum of Fine Arts in ...
- 'George' Comes to Kensington
- Courtesy Kensington Arts Theatre If you're looking for a dash of pointillism with your evening entertainment, the Kensington Arts Theatre may have just the thing. The troupe is performing Stephen Sondheim's "Sunday in the Park with George," a Pulitzer- ...
- Recreation programs available for Tewksbury residents
- Painting Pointillism, which begins on March 5 will teach students to use dots of color to create form, shape and blend colors. CPR for the Healthcare Provider is scheduled for Feb. 20. Regularly scheduled fitness programs offered on weeknights and ...
- Prisoners find freedom through art projects
- Using the technique of pointillism, Taniskishayinew applies tiny dots in a pattern to form images in his art. "I appreciate the talent and time it would have taken to create such a detailed image using the technique of pointillism.
Wall Street Journal Hedcut Portraits
The Buzz in Blogs
- Wall Street Journal's Portrait of the Young Climate Scientist
- Here it is only the end of January and I am breaking my New Year's resolution to ignore the Wall Street Journal. The paper's coverage of climate science in its editorial pages has been appalling for quite some time, but the straw that broke the camel's ...
Hedcut Blog
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Stipple Artists & More
- Stipple, Pointillism, Hedcut Portraits in Ink
- Stipple, Pointillism, "Hedcut" Portraits in Ink
- Pointillism/Stippling: I love it and you should too
- This page discusses a smidgeon of history, a few pointers, and the reasons I love turning dots into art. Here you might get ideas for your own art, join the debate on whether and why the terms matter, post links to your fave examples, and maybe even find a print for that lonely wall you're thinking ...
- Stipple Portraits - Hedcut Pen and Ink Drawings - Hedcuts - Stipple Illustration by Wall Street Journal Hedcut portrait artist Noli Novak
- Wall Street Journal Stipple portraits, Wall Street Journal hedcuts, Wall Street Journal portrait, hedcut pen and ink drawings, and black and white hedcut illustration by Wall Street Journal portrait artist Noli Novak, using the stipple, line art style.
- Kevin Sprouls Fine Illustration-Original, Wall Street Journal, stipple, portrait, hedcut, artist
- Kevin Sprouls, Original Wall Street Journal Stipple Portrait Artist, creates executive headcuts, pen and ink, and color Illustrations for Marketing, Advertising, Editorial applications.
- KEITH WITMER ILLUSTRATIONS | Keith Witmer - Line Art, Digital Art, Pen and Ink, Scratchboard, Engraving, Traditional Black & White and Color Illustration
- Keith Witmer Illustrations specializes in Line Art, Digital Art, Traditional Art, Pen and Ink,
- Stipple by Design - Artist Pam Palmer
- Looking for that perfect gift for that certain someone who has everything already,Looking for something JUST FOR YOU: stipple by design,pets,animals,pet services,pet products,wildlife,pet portraits,stipple,dots,personalized gifts,custom drawings,tattoo drawings,glass etching,red hook,NY
Software To Create Stipple Effect?
A lot of people would like to be able to recreate the Wall Street Journal stippling look with a computer program.
It seems like something like that would be available, but it's not easy. I guess that is another special thing about the ink dot portraits - they are handmade, they do take time, but the results are pretty special.
Here are some links I found that relate to how to get the "Hedcut" pointellism look with computers.
About.com - What Software Program Can Create the Wall Street Journal Portrait Look from a Photo?
If you have PhotoShop, you could try this technique, outlined in Andrew Dela Serna's Blog: Hedcut effect by PhotoShop. It's probably the closest I've seen done by a computer program, but in my opinion, it still lacks something that hand drawn art supplies.
Here is a website where you can create a hedcut/stipple type portrait of yourself by putting similar elements of your features together: LINK
It seems like something like that would be available, but it's not easy. I guess that is another special thing about the ink dot portraits - they are handmade, they do take time, but the results are pretty special.
Here are some links I found that relate to how to get the "Hedcut" pointellism look with computers.
About.com - What Software Program Can Create the Wall Street Journal Portrait Look from a Photo?
If you have PhotoShop, you could try this technique, outlined in Andrew Dela Serna's Blog: Hedcut effect by PhotoShop. It's probably the closest I've seen done by a computer program, but in my opinion, it still lacks something that hand drawn art supplies.
Here is a website where you can create a hedcut/stipple type portrait of yourself by putting similar elements of your features together: LINK
Hedcut Portraits of Animals
Yes, you can get hedcut/stipple portraits of pets! The results can be amazing.
- Hedcut of a Dog
- A Very Hairy Hedcut - Drawings and Illustration, a hedcut style portrait of a dog by Nancy Januzzi.
Drop me a line about Stipple Portraits
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robsimson
Jul 26, 2011 @ 9:21 pm | delete
- There was a guy in one of my classes at art school who was brilliant at stipple portraits. For some reason I've never tried it, but I love the results when it's done well.
Great lens!
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BevsPaper
Jan 9, 2011 @ 5:32 pm | delete
- You taught me something today. I really like the stipple portraits...I just didn't know that was what they were called. That video was really cool!
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Chinajoy
Jan 1, 2011 @ 9:27 am | delete
- I learned something new today...thanks. great lens.
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jonart
Nov 28, 2010 @ 4:35 pm | delete
- I've been an artist all my life and had never heard the term "Stipple Portrait". You are never too old to learn. Thanks for sharing your lens.
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sharpturn
Nov 20, 2010 @ 9:17 am | delete
- I had never heard of Stipple Portraits till now.
I have been searching for a new hobby to get started in. This may be it!
Thanks.
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Twitter Users Talk About Hedcuts
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- NoliNovak
- Today's WSJ color #hedcut Susan Sarandon http://t.co/oqpiHg9g
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- chancerubbage
- @lynchcartoons Hedcut is the guy that drew that one. There is more than one artist doing those now.
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- chancerubbage
- @lynchcartoons severinesque but not John, Hedcut for wsj http://t.co/lGTuCy5X
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- chancerubbage
- @lynchcartoons it's this Hedcut WSJ illo of Steve Jobs I keep seeing in varying contexts that conjures up John Severin
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- tom_may
- Just learned a new word, courtesy of @snookca – ‘hedcut’ http://t.co/xAtngyXa Am I the only one who didn’t know it?
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ddixonart
My name is Darla Dixon. I am a . My artwork has been published several times and has sold internationally. more »
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