<p>The first two examples I would define as <em>portrait sketches</em>. And I would gauge that they are to be finished pieces.</p>

<p>The third example I would describe as a <em>preliminary sketch</em> possibly with <em>pushed values</em>. The reasoning stems from the lack of care around boundaries and the heavy contrast between shading. </p>

<blockquote>
  <p><strong>Pushed Values</strong>: build a preliminary piece from black and white values to help create shape and depth for the final piece</p>
  
  <p>See this previous answer on <a href="https://crafts.stackexchange.com/questions/629/what-does-it-mean-to-push-your-values">push your values</a> for further detail &amp; links.</p>
</blockquote>

<p>There could be a counter argument against the <em>pushed values</em>, due to the detail around eyes, lips, and nose. But as these are normally the aspects of a portrait that have the highest detail, getting the shading right requires the greater focus, and therefore there greater care in a preliminary sketch.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-06-13T12:40:21.330Z
2016-06-13T16:03:19.410Z
2017-04-13T12:52:58.053Z
BeaglesEnd
<p>In architecture school, we termed it freehand sketching - i.e., no drawing tools other than the pencil are permitted.  We practiced by drawing while looking at the subject(s), and NOT looking at the paper, to practice improving the hand-eye coordination.  We learned that it is important to know what is important to be able to be left out, to give a particular impression or emphasis, or intentional lack of emphasis, that the viewer's imagination fills in. often a mere hint of shadow in the nose area gives a person the sense of the nose, with almost no detail at all.  Subtle differences in line weight with different pressures are also important.  There's a lot of art in this kind of sketching, and the presentation of light and shadow can gives a real sense of three dimensional form to a simple 2-D drawing.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-06-13T16:06:24.530Z
Do you know of any online resources or even just good samples in the specific style you're talking about?
TheEnvironmentalist
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-06-13T04:35:36.853Z
2016-06-13T04:35:36.853Z
J Johnson
<p>Hyperrealism is a very 'tightly' drawn 'finished' drawing (or painting).  The nearest term I can think of that would be the opposite of that would be 'Loose' drawing or painting.  The drawings you have there are not really loose sketches but I suspect that is what you need to research in order to take your drawings in the right direction.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-07-22T22:26:56.117Z
2016-07-22T22:26:56.117Z
Artemesia
<p>Yeah, the base of this answer would be what @jackwise said. There is no exact opposite of any kind of art to another. I would say that some styles of art that oppose hyperrealism would be modern art, contemporary art, modernism, and abstract expressionism. The only reason I say these things is because hyperrealism is trying to re-create a picture as closely as possible. In the ones I listed (and many others), there isnt a specific subject that its supposed to resemble. They are more of an expression or idea that the artist is showing/sharing. So hyperrealism is realistic whereas the others are expressions or ideas.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-06-16T20:27:11.570Z
2020-06-16T20:27:11.570Z
DripKracken
<p>Hyper<em>minimalism</em>, hyperconceptual...</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-11-12T23:04:16.790Z
Welcome! Can you add some more details to this answer, some definitions of the term that help explain the contrast? (I think you're right, but we like to have answers with explanation to help anybody reading the question understand and learn.)
Erica
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-11-10T07:21:22.653Z
2019-11-10T11:57:27.780Z
2019-11-10T11:57:27.780Z
Bogdan Imu sculptor
<p>I'm learning how to draw, and I'm trying to find the name of my favorite style so I can find more resources about it. The style is reasonably minimalistic, using only the necessary detail to make recognizable portraits (as opposed to hyperrealism) and largely ignoring physical flaws in a way that basically makes anyone attractive. However, the eyes and other areas are allowed additional detail to make the subject as attractive as possible. It's sort of an extension on sketching with relatively little shading.</p>

<p>Can you name the style, and maybe even provide some resources for working on it?</p>

<p>Here are a few examples, the first one by far the closest to what I'm looking for:</p>

<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/rUbFP.jpg" rel="noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/rUbFP.jpg" alt="Girl facing left"></a>
<a href="https://i.sstatic.net/QP2pn.jpg" rel="noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/QP2pn.jpg" alt="Girl facing camera"></a><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/DbOxf.jpg" rel="noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/DbOxf.jpg" alt="enter image description here"></a></p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-06-23T20:32:27.483Z
This is a tricky question, as there isn't an 'opposite' to any given art style per se. The answers below do have it right that these are portrait sketches, however.
jackwise
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-10-22T21:12:53.957Z
The opposite to hyper-realism would be pure abstraction.
rebusB
<drawing><portrait-drawing><sketching><style-identification>
What's the term for the opposite drawing style to hyperrealism?
TheEnvironmentalist
# What's the term for the opposite drawing style to hyperrealism?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2016-06-13)

I'm learning how to draw, and I'm trying to find the name of my favorite style so I can find more resources about it. The style is reasonably minimalistic, using only the necessary detail to make recognizable portraits (as opposed to hyperrealism) and largely ignoring physical flaws in a way that basically makes anyone attractive. However, the eyes and other areas are allowed additional detail to make the subject as attractive as possible. It's sort of an extension on sketching with relatively little shading.

Can you name the style, and maybe even provide some resources for working on it?

Here are a few examples, the first one by far the closest to what I'm looking for:

[![Girl facing left](https://i.sstatic.net/rUbFP.jpg)](https://i.sstatic.net/rUbFP.jpg)
[![Girl facing camera](https://i.sstatic.net/QP2pn.jpg)](https://i.sstatic.net/QP2pn.jpg)[![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/DbOxf.jpg)](https://i.sstatic.net/DbOxf.jpg)

**Tags:** drawing, portrait-drawing, sketching, style-identification

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: This is a tricky question, as there isn't an 'opposite' to any given art style per se. The answers below do have it right that these are portrait sketches, however.  
> **username_2**: The opposite to hyper-realism would be pure abstraction.  

---

## 5 answers

### Answer by username_3 on 2016-06-13. Score: 1

The first two examples I would define as *portrait sketches*. And I would gauge that they are to be finished pieces.

The third example I would describe as a *preliminary sketch* possibly with *pushed values*. The reasoning stems from the lack of care around boundaries and the heavy contrast between shading.

> **Pushed Values**: build a preliminary piece from black and white values to help create shape and depth for the final piece
>
> See this previous answer on [push your values](https://crafts.stackexchange.com/questions/629/what-does-it-mean-to-push-your-values) for further detail & links.

There could be a counter argument against the *pushed values*, due to the detail around eyes, lips, and nose. But as these are normally the aspects of a portrait that have the highest detail, getting the shading right requires the greater focus, and therefore there greater care in a preliminary sketch.


---

### Answer by username_4 on 2016-06-13. Score: 1

In architecture school, we termed it freehand sketching - i.e., no drawing tools other than the pencil are permitted. We practiced by drawing while looking at the subject(s), and NOT looking at the paper, to practice improving the hand-eye coordination. We learned that it is important to know what is important to be able to be left out, to give a particular impression or emphasis, or intentional lack of emphasis, that the viewer's imagination fills in. often a mere hint of shadow in the nose area gives a person the sense of the nose, with almost no detail at all. Subtle differences in line weight with different pressures are also important. There's a lot of art in this kind of sketching, and the presentation of light and shadow can gives a real sense of three dimensional form to a simple 2-D drawing.

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: Do you know of any online resources or even just good samples in the specific style you're talking about?  

---

### Answer by username_5 on 2016-07-22. Score: 0

Hyperrealism is a very 'tightly' drawn 'finished' drawing (or painting). The nearest term I can think of that would be the opposite of that would be 'Loose' drawing or painting. The drawings you have there are not really loose sketches but I suspect that is what you need to research in order to take your drawings in the right direction.


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### Answer by username_6 on 2020-06-16. Score: -1

Yeah, the base of this answer would be what @username_1 said. There is no exact opposite of any kind of art to another. I would say that some styles of art that oppose hyperrealism would be modern art, contemporary art, modernism, and abstract expressionism. The only reason I say these things is because hyperrealism is trying to re-create a picture as closely as possible. In the ones I listed (and many others), there isnt a specific subject that its supposed to resemble. They are more of an expression or idea that the artist is showing/sharing. So hyperrealism is realistic whereas the others are expressions or ideas.


---

### Answer by username_7 on 2019-11-10. Score: -1

Hyper*minimalism*, hyperconceptual...

> **Comments:**
> **username_8**: Welcome! Can you add some more details to this answer, some definitions of the term that help explain the contrast? (I think you're right, but we like to have answers with explanation to help anybody reading the question understand and learn.)  

---

