Drawing a face can be intimidating, but with some practice and intent, you can craft a beautiful and unique representation of the face you’re imagining in your mind. To get you started, follow these steps and you’ll be creating expressive masterpieces in no time.
First, get your supplies. Before you can recreate a face on the page, you’ll need some materials. Get yourself some paper, either standard printer paper or sketch paper, some pencils, and some Erasers. If you’ve got any colored pencils, those can come in handy later if you want to add some painterly touches.
Next, begin planning. Before you begin sketching, decide if you’re drawing someone you know or an imaginary face. If you’re tackling a portrait of someone you know, study them closely and commit their expressions and characteristics to memory. To start, it may be beneficial to draw their face in profile for your first few attempts to make sure you’re capturing the person accurately.
Now you’re ready to begin. Start by sketching out the facial features with light strokes. The head, eyes, nose, mouth, and chin are the key parts of the face. From here, you can begin to add in details such as the eyebrows, hair, and facial folds. When exploring different features and expressions, try drawing with both your dominant and non-dominant hand. This can help you vary your lines and loosen up your sketching.
From there, work up to more complex forms. If you’re attempting to capture a realistic face, add dimensions by indicating the contours and angles of their face. Create lines and shapes to suggest depth, movement and expression. If you’re comfortable with a pencil and paper, then you can move onto adding color with colored pencils and markers. By attending to the details, you can create a face that looks distinct and memorable.
Finally, don’t be afraid to erase. No one goes from line to masterpiece in one try – there’s always room to adjust and amend. Erasing is not only totally normal, but it can be an essential part of creating a good drawing. If you’re feeling intimidated, aim for a doodle and see where it takes you.
Don’t be afraid to study faces closely and learn from them. Take your time and pay close attention to how the eyes, nose and mouth interact with the rest of the face to create the expression you’re looking for. Use a light hand – the most delicate of lines can give the face character. If a sketch isn’t quite turning out the way you want, be willing to erase and start from scratch.
When you’re shaping the features, create layers that indicate the dimensions of the face. Your experience as an artist and understanding of basic shapes will guide these efforts. As you construct the face, pay extra attention to the eyes – adding in the smaller details such as the inner corner and lash line.
Additionally, facial expressions play an important role in drawing the face. A smile, frown, or shrug of the eyebrows requires the placement of certain features in specific ways. To capture movement, focus on the distance between features and add gradients to indicate light and shadow. The subtle variations will create a realistic and alive face.
Finally, once you’ve gotten the basics down, it’s time to add texture. Contours of the skin depict age and can bring a more authentic look to your drawing. The eyes can be made more alive with subtle shadowing, and the lips can be given life with their own patches of darkness and light.Have fun and experiment, and know that eventually you’ll get the hang of it.
To create a finished state, sign your piece. Add on backgrounds if you like – a shadow or a misty scene can enhance your work. Whether you’re adding a background or not, outlining your drawing can give it a sense of completion. With a few strokes of the pencil, you can transform your piece from a sketch to a completed work.
With your trusty tools and mental checklist, you can start your journey into drawing faces. Knowing the basic parts of the face and practice doodling to perfect your skills. Understand that erasing is a part of the process and don’t forget to have fun and experiment. And the most important part – give your face a soul. Use shading, contouring and details to make the face emotive and alive. Draw away, and who knows what masterpieces you can create.
First, get your supplies. Before you can recreate a face on the page, you’ll need some materials. Get yourself some paper, either standard printer paper or sketch paper, some pencils, and some Erasers. If you’ve got any colored pencils, those can come in handy later if you want to add some painterly touches.
Next, begin planning. Before you begin sketching, decide if you’re drawing someone you know or an imaginary face. If you’re tackling a portrait of someone you know, study them closely and commit their expressions and characteristics to memory. To start, it may be beneficial to draw their face in profile for your first few attempts to make sure you’re capturing the person accurately.
Now you’re ready to begin. Start by sketching out the facial features with light strokes. The head, eyes, nose, mouth, and chin are the key parts of the face. From here, you can begin to add in details such as the eyebrows, hair, and facial folds. When exploring different features and expressions, try drawing with both your dominant and non-dominant hand. This can help you vary your lines and loosen up your sketching.
From there, work up to more complex forms. If you’re attempting to capture a realistic face, add dimensions by indicating the contours and angles of their face. Create lines and shapes to suggest depth, movement and expression. If you’re comfortable with a pencil and paper, then you can move onto adding color with colored pencils and markers. By attending to the details, you can create a face that looks distinct and memorable.
Finally, don’t be afraid to erase. No one goes from line to masterpiece in one try – there’s always room to adjust and amend. Erasing is not only totally normal, but it can be an essential part of creating a good drawing. If you’re feeling intimidated, aim for a doodle and see where it takes you.
Don’t be afraid to study faces closely and learn from them. Take your time and pay close attention to how the eyes, nose and mouth interact with the rest of the face to create the expression you’re looking for. Use a light hand – the most delicate of lines can give the face character. If a sketch isn’t quite turning out the way you want, be willing to erase and start from scratch.
When you’re shaping the features, create layers that indicate the dimensions of the face. Your experience as an artist and understanding of basic shapes will guide these efforts. As you construct the face, pay extra attention to the eyes – adding in the smaller details such as the inner corner and lash line.
Additionally, facial expressions play an important role in drawing the face. A smile, frown, or shrug of the eyebrows requires the placement of certain features in specific ways. To capture movement, focus on the distance between features and add gradients to indicate light and shadow. The subtle variations will create a realistic and alive face.
Finally, once you’ve gotten the basics down, it’s time to add texture. Contours of the skin depict age and can bring a more authentic look to your drawing. The eyes can be made more alive with subtle shadowing, and the lips can be given life with their own patches of darkness and light.Have fun and experiment, and know that eventually you’ll get the hang of it.
To create a finished state, sign your piece. Add on backgrounds if you like – a shadow or a misty scene can enhance your work. Whether you’re adding a background or not, outlining your drawing can give it a sense of completion. With a few strokes of the pencil, you can transform your piece from a sketch to a completed work.
With your trusty tools and mental checklist, you can start your journey into drawing faces. Knowing the basic parts of the face and practice doodling to perfect your skills. Understand that erasing is a part of the process and don’t forget to have fun and experiment. And the most important part – give your face a soul. Use shading, contouring and details to make the face emotive and alive. Draw away, and who knows what masterpieces you can create.
