Drawing wrinkles may seem daunting, but with the right techniques, you can create realistic and vibrant wrinkles. Whether you’re working in HTML, hand with a pencil or using digital software, you can create wrinkles to lend an aged, real-world feel to any character you design. Let’s dive in and learn the secrets of drawing lines that look like they’ve been around the block a few times!
Simple Lines
Admittedly, simple lines can be the most difficult to get right. You really want to convey the curves, bumps and furrows of wrinkles without making it look overdone — more like elaborate crayon scribbles than realistic wrinkles. The key is balance — neither over-emphasis, nor too little — and to treat wrinkles as if they’re pressing into the skin. Draw two slightly curved lines and then quickly tapering off. Add a few lines for texture and it’s all about the balance to make your line look real.
Slight Shading
Once you’ve got your line in place, it’s all about the shading to make it look lifelike. By adding just a touch of tonal differences, you’ll lighten one side of the line slightly, as if the light is going along with the crease and bouncing off. This isn’t too technical, just be subtle and don’t worry too much if you can’t get it perfect. Experiment and erasing and redoing if needed.
Defining Shape
If the line is curved, you should aim to define its shape more clearly. Do this by adding important detail in the form of circles, ovals and curves, as if to indicate bulging skin and round out the shadows. These points should maintain a certain order and regularity. Pay attention to the overall line’s direction while adding them. And make sure to maintain an overall balance unless you’re going for a particularly creased look.
Lines and Curves
Always maintain a random, jagged sensation and irregularity of lines and curves. They shouldn’t all look overly consistent, instead, try and create the effect that the skin is wrinkle-worn and full of ripples and dents. You may want to draw a curve, add a line along the surface and then draw a few short lines or dots to create texture. This will bring your drawing of wrinkles from two-dimensional to life.
Creating Depth
Now that you’ve got everything in and your wrinkles are looking pretty sharp and realistic, it’s time to add some real depth. You’ll want to combine both strokes and shadows to create a sense of volume in your drawing. That is, create the effect of dark and light wrinkle lines. Add a few extra strokes to indicate lines, furrows and diamonds in the skin. The more detail and layers you add, the more real your drawing will look.
Put it to Use
Try out your wrinkles in a practice drawing to get a feel for how your lines work together. Practice on a simple face shape and add a few wrinkles in strategic places. If you feel like the results are looking a bit flat, you can always go back and use some of the tricks we’ve discussed to add depth and topography to your lines. And don’t forget to use different tools and tips to emphasize texture in your drawings.
Backgrounds
When you’re practicing adding wrinkles to a face, experiment with backgrounds and colors as well. Try adding shadows, smears and tone differences to create a more realistic environment for your wrinkles to stand out in. You could also use a color draw in the background that goes with the complexion or skin tone of the character.
Adding Hair
You can also integrate lines and wrinkles to create a more realistic look when your character has hair. It can be a great way to make a boxy character look more organic and in the case of older characters, more sophisticated and worn. To do this, add in lines that seem to blend into the hair, following its direction.
Texture Variations
Try experimenting with the techniques we’ve discussed by adding texture variations. For example, you can create the effect of dry, old age skin by making the wrinkles less curved and more horizontal. Think of tiny poker lines or four-point diamonds. Alternatively, you can create a baby effect by making the wrinkles more curved and compact.
In Summary
Drawing wrinkles may initially seem intimidating, but with some practice and a few simple techniques, you’ll have lifelike wrinkles in no time. Use simple lines, shading to make it look real, defining the shape of the wrinkle and adding more details. Then add depth by overlapping lines and shadows and creating topography-like effects to make your wrinkles stand out. Finally, you can add elements like backgrounds, hair and texture variations to make your wrinkles look really real. So grab your pencil or stylus, and start getting wrinkles down on paper!
Simple Lines
Admittedly, simple lines can be the most difficult to get right. You really want to convey the curves, bumps and furrows of wrinkles without making it look overdone — more like elaborate crayon scribbles than realistic wrinkles. The key is balance — neither over-emphasis, nor too little — and to treat wrinkles as if they’re pressing into the skin. Draw two slightly curved lines and then quickly tapering off. Add a few lines for texture and it’s all about the balance to make your line look real.
Slight Shading
Once you’ve got your line in place, it’s all about the shading to make it look lifelike. By adding just a touch of tonal differences, you’ll lighten one side of the line slightly, as if the light is going along with the crease and bouncing off. This isn’t too technical, just be subtle and don’t worry too much if you can’t get it perfect. Experiment and erasing and redoing if needed.
Defining Shape
If the line is curved, you should aim to define its shape more clearly. Do this by adding important detail in the form of circles, ovals and curves, as if to indicate bulging skin and round out the shadows. These points should maintain a certain order and regularity. Pay attention to the overall line’s direction while adding them. And make sure to maintain an overall balance unless you’re going for a particularly creased look.
Lines and Curves
Always maintain a random, jagged sensation and irregularity of lines and curves. They shouldn’t all look overly consistent, instead, try and create the effect that the skin is wrinkle-worn and full of ripples and dents. You may want to draw a curve, add a line along the surface and then draw a few short lines or dots to create texture. This will bring your drawing of wrinkles from two-dimensional to life.
Creating Depth
Now that you’ve got everything in and your wrinkles are looking pretty sharp and realistic, it’s time to add some real depth. You’ll want to combine both strokes and shadows to create a sense of volume in your drawing. That is, create the effect of dark and light wrinkle lines. Add a few extra strokes to indicate lines, furrows and diamonds in the skin. The more detail and layers you add, the more real your drawing will look.
Put it to Use
Try out your wrinkles in a practice drawing to get a feel for how your lines work together. Practice on a simple face shape and add a few wrinkles in strategic places. If you feel like the results are looking a bit flat, you can always go back and use some of the tricks we’ve discussed to add depth and topography to your lines. And don’t forget to use different tools and tips to emphasize texture in your drawings.
Backgrounds
When you’re practicing adding wrinkles to a face, experiment with backgrounds and colors as well. Try adding shadows, smears and tone differences to create a more realistic environment for your wrinkles to stand out in. You could also use a color draw in the background that goes with the complexion or skin tone of the character.
Adding Hair
You can also integrate lines and wrinkles to create a more realistic look when your character has hair. It can be a great way to make a boxy character look more organic and in the case of older characters, more sophisticated and worn. To do this, add in lines that seem to blend into the hair, following its direction.
Texture Variations
Try experimenting with the techniques we’ve discussed by adding texture variations. For example, you can create the effect of dry, old age skin by making the wrinkles less curved and more horizontal. Think of tiny poker lines or four-point diamonds. Alternatively, you can create a baby effect by making the wrinkles more curved and compact.
In Summary
Drawing wrinkles may initially seem intimidating, but with some practice and a few simple techniques, you’ll have lifelike wrinkles in no time. Use simple lines, shading to make it look real, defining the shape of the wrinkle and adding more details. Then add depth by overlapping lines and shadows and creating topography-like effects to make your wrinkles stand out. Finally, you can add elements like backgrounds, hair and texture variations to make your wrinkles look really real. So grab your pencil or stylus, and start getting wrinkles down on paper!
