Buzz
The face is a fundamental part of the human body and can express a wide array of emotions. It is the focal point in portraits or human figure drawings, so every line drawn significantly influences the emotion conveyed in the portrait. Mastering the art of drawing a face correctly is a major step towards becoming an outstanding artist. This article will guide you through techniques for drawing various face shapes.
Steps
Adult Female Face
Sketch a faint outline for the face. The human head is never perfectly round but rather oval-shaped, similar to an egg, so start by sketching an elongated oval that tapers towards the bottom.
Draw proportional guide lines. The easiest method when starting to draw is to use guide lines to sketch the proportions of the face. Begin by drawing a vertical line down the center of the oval, then add another horizontal line to divide the oval in half.
Draw the nose. Draw a horizontal line to divide the lower half of the face. The intersection of the horizontal and vertical lines marks the point for the tip of the nose. Sketch the tip of the nose and the nostrils on either side.
Draw the mouth. Divide the remaining quarter into two equal parts. The outline of the lower lip will be placed along the horizontal guide line you just drew. Sketch the division between the upper and lower lips, then complete the upper lip and finalize the lower lip.
Draw the eyes.
Shade beneath the eyes. Now, you can add a bit of shading below the eyes as well as in the area between the eyes and nose to create the appearance of eye sockets. To depict tired eyes, apply shading and draw a few curving lines with sharper angles on the lower eyelid.
Drawing the ears. The bottom of the ear should align with the tip of the nose, while the top of the ear will align with the eyebrows. Keep in mind that ears typically sit close to the sides of the head.
Drawing the hair. Start by sketching the hair from the parting, extending outward.
Drawing the neck. The neck is usually wider than we expect. Draw two vertical lines from the point where the face outline intersects with the final horizontal line.
Adding details. Lightly shade under the nose and define the chin. Add expressive lines around the mouth and refine the edges, then sketch the nose bridge. The more you emphasize these features, the older the face will appear.
You can draw the clothing with styles such as parallel diagonal lines.
Erase unnecessary lines. Use an eraser to remove all sketch lines.
Young girl's face
Sketch the shape of the head you want to create.
Draw guidelines to mark the center of the face and the placement of the eyes.
Sketch the outline to define the width, height, and positions of the eyes, nose, mouth, and ears.
Outline the shape and features of the eyes, nose, mouth, ears, and eyebrows.
Sketch the shape of the hair and neck.
Use a fine line tool to add more details to the face.
Draw the lines following the sketch outline.
Erase and remove the sketch lines to create a clean and beautiful drawing.
Color and shade the drawing.
Male face
Lightly sketch a circle.
Draw a straight line down the middle, stopping where the chin will be drawn. (This line indicates that the face is facing towards you.)
Sketch the defining lines for the shape of the cheeks, jaw, and chin.
Phác thảo các nét để xác định chiều rộng, chiều cao và vị trí của mắt, mũi, miệng và tai.
Phác thảo hình dạng và các đường nét của mắt, mũi, miệng, tai và chân mày.
Vẽ hình dạng của tóc và cổ.
Dùng dụng cụ vẽ đầu nhọn để thêm vào các chi tiết tinh tế hơn của gương mặt.
Vẽ các đường nét theo hình phác thảo.
Erase and remove the sketch lines to achieve a clean and polished drawing.
Fill in the colors of the drawing.
Optional: Add shading to the drawing if needed.
Suggestions
- It’s not necessary to replicate the face exactly as shown in this tutorial. Create your own portrait, as this guide simply provides the basics on how to draw a face.
- Pencils are an artist’s best companion. They come in various shades, which is fantastic for artists. Plus, pencils are easy to erase, so make the most of this feature.
- Avoid spending too much time on details like symmetry and exact proportions.
- If you want your drawing to look more lifelike, add a touch of shading to the eyes to enhance their realism.
- Start by drawing an oval shape, and then follow the steps to refine the features as described in the guide.
Things You Will Need
- Pencil
- Paper
- Ruler
- Rubber
- Ink pen (for tracing over the pencil lines)
