How to Draw People Realistically
Drawing people realistically can seem daunting, but it doesn’t have to be. With a few simple tips, you can easily become a master at drawing lifelike faces and figures. Before you begin, make sure you have a few essential supplies, like top-quality drawing paper, various drawing pencils, drawing erasers and smudge sticks. Most importantly, you’ll need a good reference photo to use as a guide. With the basic supplies in choose, let’s dive into the world of realistic people drawing!
Use Guidelines to Draw Faces and Figures
To help you create a realistic look, draw a few guidelines to give your drawing structure. Try breaking the head down into five equal sections, with three sections across the forehead, temples and chin. Then add the eyes and nose sections, as well as the jawline. Draw two curved lines on the sides of the head to indicate the ears. With these guidelines in place, you can start filling in the details. When drawing figures, draw circles and lines to make the basic body shape. From there, you can draw the dress, shirt or suit on them.
Paying Attention to Proportions and Angles
When drawing people realistically, proportions and angles are important. To create a realistic look, make sure the facial features are in their correct places relative to the guidelines you have drawn. For example, the nose should generally be placed in the center between the eyes, and the eyes should be at the same level with one another. Similarly, the ears usually start at the sides of the eyes. Paying attention to angles is also crucial for getting realistic proportions. Make sure the eyes, nose and jawline follow angles that you see in real life.
Use Shadow and Light
When drawing people realistically, use shadows and light to emphasize the contours of a face. Don’t be afraid to add extra shading in areas like the crease of an eye, the arch of a nose, or the curve of an eyebrow. By doing this, you can give your drawing more depth and texture. You can also use lighter shading around the eyes to accentuate the eye shape. And if you want your drawing to look extra realistic, use white or off-white pencils to capture the brightness of a face.
Be Patient and Have Fun
Drawing realistically takes time, patience and practice. Don’t be discouraged if your drawing doesn’t look perfect the first time—chances are it won’t! The more you practice, the better you’ll become. So have fun with your drawing and enjoy the process! As with anything, taking drawing seriously doesn’t mean you can’t have a good time with it. Keep your lines loose, sketch a few versions and experiment with different drawing mediums—you may be surprised at the results.
