So you think learning how to draw faces is difficult?
Wrong!
All faces are made up of simple shapeslike anything else. Have a look at the article on using just five basic shapes to draw anything by clicking here.
In the basic steps that follow, you'll be able to draw believable faces from any angle or position, in no time at all.
When learning how to draw faces, you'll find that you can get the face to 'look right' from the start if you're aware of some standard measurements that apply to most people's faces.
Once you realise this and practice using them, your sketches of faces will improve no end. Indeed, this is a vital first step if you want to move onto doing portraits.
Remember, practice is everything when learning how to draw faces. Copy examples from photos, newspapers and magazines or of course, you can use the examples in this tutorial.
Get as wide a range of sketches as you can of men, women, young adults, the elderly, children, racial and ethnic backgrounds and so on.
Draw faces from as many different angles and lighting conditions as possible. It's surprising how the same face can look quite different in contrasting lighting conditions.
However, one step at a time. Let's get used to drawing a 'general' face that has all the relevant bits in the right place!
Oh yes. And one other point.
The 'standard measurements' I've just mentioned are only a guideline, not an absolutely rigid formula that must be adhered to. So use them as a valuable tool. Don't become a slave to them!
How to Draw Faces - Stage 1
All we start with is a basic oval in Sketch A. Draw this in lightly and don't worry if it's not perfectly symmetrical.
Few people have a head shape or features that are identical on both sides of their face.
And here's the first standard measurement - I'll call these SM from now on to save space.
The centre of the eyes are placed halfway down the oval - not about a third of the way as you may think. Also, the ears are attached to the head on line with the eyes.
The bottom half of the oval can now be split in two again to fix the position of the tip of the nose. The remaining space below this is also divided in two and the imaginary line here positions the mouth.
Even though Sketch B shows this with the eyes & ears, nose and mouth only very simply defined, you can see how everything 'looks right' already
How to Draw Faces - Stage 2
Now another couple of SM's to help you. In Sketch C, the distance between the centre of the eyes and the tip of the nose invariably works out an equal-sided (equilateral) triangle.
In fact many portrait artists start with this triangle to position the eyes and nose on the canvas or paper before even constructing the head shape. Now look closely at the dotted lines that drop down from the centre of the eyes. Notice that they meet the outer edges of the mouth.
How to Draw Faces - Stage 3
Moving onto the side view of the face, you can see that in Sketch D the oval shape is still there, except that it has been tilted slightly to the right, with one side, (the jaw area) being slightly flattened.
In Sketch E another SM comes into play. People's ears tend to be further back on their head than may at first appear.
So the distance from the outer edge of eye to the back of the ear is usually the same as the distance from the eye to the chin.
How to Draw Faces - Stage 4
Right, you now have the basic shape of your face from both the front and side views. Now comes my favorite bit when we make the head three-dimensional. Let's go back to the basic oval for a minute (Sketch F).
The dotted lines are still there but the big difference is that they have been slightly rounded.
Compare this to Sketch A to see what I mean. See what happens in Sketch F?
Even though there are no features on the face, the dotted lines on a curve give the clear impression of a rounded solid object. In this case, it's a head, but it could be a ball, an egg, a cushion or whatever.
Now add some basic features following the curved dotted lines as in Sketch Gand suddenly, with no effort, you have a 3D head. It's that easy!
Again, compare Sketch G to Sketch B. Remember, the features must follow the curved lines to achieve this effect.
How to Draw Faces - Stage 2
Now another couple of SM's to help you. In Sketch C, the distance between the centre of the eyes and the tip of the nose invariably works out an equal-sided (equilateral) triangle.
In fact many portrait artists start with this triangle to position the eyes and nose on the canvas or paper before even constructing the head shape. Now look closely at the dotted lines that drop down from the centre of the eyes. Notice that they meet the outer edges of the mouth.
How to Draw Faces - Stage 3
Moving onto the side view of the face, you can see that in Sketch D the oval shape is still there, except that it has been tilted slightly to the right, with one side, (the jaw area) being slightly flattened.
In Sketch E another SM comes into play. People's ears tend to be further back on their head than may at first appear.
So the distance from the outer edge of eye to the back of the ear is usually the same as the distance from the eye to the chin.
How to Draw Faces - Stage 4
Right, you now have the basic shape of your face from both the front and side views. Now comes my favorite bit when we make the head three-dimensional. Let's go back to the basic oval for a minute (Sketch F).
The dotted lines are still there but the big difference is that they have been slightly rounded.
Compare this to Sketch A to see what I mean. See what happens in Sketch F?
Even though there are no features on the face, the dotted lines on a curve give the clear impression of a rounded solid object. In this case, it's a head, but it could be a ball, an egg, a cushion or whatever.
Now add some basic features following the curved dotted lines as in Sketch Gand suddenly, with no effort, you have a 3D head. It's that easy!
Again, compare Sketch G to Sketch B. Remember, the features must follow the curved lines to achieve this effect.
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