What can you draw a portrait of? How to draw a portrait with a pencil - step by step for beginners

Drawing a portrait is an interesting and challenging activity. Not every famous artist can do this. Basically, artists who draw portraits well are self-taught, who have a well-developed sense of beauty, but even they need to study a lot. If you are drawing, for example, a landscape, then it is not at all necessary that it be similar to the area that you wanted to depict, the vision of nature that you have is enough. In the case of a portrait, everything is a little different. After all, anyone can compare a portrait with the original and say whether it is similar or not. And not many portrait artists manage to achieve one hundred percent similarity. The secret is that the main thing is not this at all, but to consider the unique thing in each person that distinguishes him from everyone else and depict it on paper.

Don’t expect to learn how to draw a portrait of a person right away; after about five portraits you will see progress.

Start by taking a close look at the model. Your task is to find a special feature and then transfer it to a piece of paper. If you accurately determine the proportions of the parts of the face, it will already be similar. If you've ever seen caricatures, you'll notice that such an artist only focuses attention on some part of the face, and it turns out very similar.

Start drawing a person with a pencil. Draw facial features in the form of geometric shapes, then use a pencil to highlight the distance between the eyes, between the mouth and nose, chin and mouth, etc. Observe the sizes of the parts of the face relative to each other. When you see that the portrait has begun to emerge, you can begin to add volume and shades.

Algorithm for drawing a portrait

We offer you several rules to teach you how to draw portraits.

  1. Outline the outline of the face, making sure that it does not occupy the entire sheet. But don’t make it too small, so that it’s more convenient to apply the eyes, nose and lips. To prevent the outline from being too prominent, blend it with your fingers or an eraser.
  2. Use a mechanical pencil to carefully shade the areas where the hair will be, trying to shade in one direction. When doing shading, be careful with the direction of the hair; this determines what kind of hairstyle you get. If you act consistently, you will achieve similarity. The hair on the head lies in one direction, which means we draw it in one direction. Lengthen the hair lines gradually, shade some areas several times to create a darkening, like a shadow. Try not to leave a single unshaded area in the hair area.
  3. Now is a very important moment. Take a sheet of white paper and gently blend the entire hairstyle, do not press too hard or go beyond the boundaries. This way the hairstyle will be seamless and look realistic. Blend in the direction of hair growth.
  4. Don't forget about glare. Take a pointed eraser and draw lines in several places. Please note that the lines should not be strictly parallel, but should not intersect. They should seem to blend with the pencil lines.
  5. Now shade the darkest areas on top with a softer pencil.
  6. It turns out beautifully if you add a few straight or slightly wavy hair around the oval of the face. They seem to emphasize it. But be careful and do not go to the face while it is not yet drawn.
  7. Select a few hairs all over your head.
  8. Let's move on to the eyes, nose and mouth. Remember the distance between parts of the face and the proportions. If a person has big eyes and a small nose, then in the portrait the eyes should be larger than the nose. It's the same with the mouth.
  9. Darken the corners of your eyes and lips. Use a few dark lines to highlight a few eyelashes especially brightly. Do the same with your eyebrows.
  10. Blend the tip of the nose and its borders; the wings of the nose can be darkened.
  11. All borders should be shaded.
  12. Finish the portrait by highlighting the cheekbones.
  13. It is more convenient to turn the sheet rather than turn it yourself.

Irina Khursulova

. Portrait painting is one of the most complex and significant genres of fine art. This is not just a reproduction of the features of a particular person, but an understanding of his inner world, the essence of his character, the uniqueness of his appearance; the artist’s expression of his attitude towards the depicted. No other genre of painting reveals man so how it does portrait.

How teach your child to draw a portrait correctly? Each teacher has his own methodology drawing a portrait. I teach children first draw a person's face step by step, with a simple pencil.

Using simple rules, draw human Almost everyone can do a face, even child. Perhaps not the first time, but if you really want to, you will definitely be able to teach your child to draw a real portrait of a person.

Before you start working on portrait, it is recommended to prepare everything necessary:

Paper;

A simple pencil.

1. First, draw an oval face with thin lines.

2. For relief drawing exactly in the center draw a vertical line dividing portrait into two parts and two horizontal lines dividing it into 3 parts: forehead, eyebrows; eyes, nose; mouth, chin.

3. On the top line we draw arc-eyebrows.

4. Below are the eyes. The shape of the eyes consists of arched lines. The iris and pupil are drawn in the middle. Do not forget draw eyelashes, on the upper eyelid they are longer than on the lower.

5. Drawing nose - nose in the middle, beginning at the eyebrows. It is drawn with a smooth arc-shaped line. The crown of the nose is rounded and from the side are drawn wings of the nose and nostrils.

4. The mouth is below the nose. We draw the line of the mouth, on top of the upper lip - two arched lines, on the bottom of the lower lip - a large arched line.

We erase the extra lines with an eraser.

5. Draw ears on the sides at the level of the nose, finishing drawing the shoulders.

6. Then hair: short or long, straight or curly, wavy, with bangs or not, color.

Talent is given to everyone a person by nature, but you need to start developing any abilities from early childhood. By helping children learn to formulate images into images, you, teachers, are doing them a great service. Drawing Using a pencil step by step is not only interesting, but also very useful for young children. Good luck to you!

Publications on the topic:

“I started drawing a gift for my mother, The sun has come out and invites me to go for a walk. Sun, sun, don’t be angry, It’s better to sit next to me. It’s Mom’s holiday.

I bring to your attention the lesson “In the Family Circle: Mother’s Portrait” The purpose of this lesson: to continue acquaintance with the image of a person in.

Master class for parents “We can draw unusual things ourselves.” Goal: to increase the motivation of parents of preschool children to use non-traditional drawing techniques in the development of children's creative abilities.

Venue: gym. Introduction: Dear educators! We will talk about one sports equipment, which one you will find out by guessing.

Good afternoon, dear colleagues, I want to offer you my master class on the topic “How we draw a portrait.” International Women's Day is coming soon.

Master class “How to draw a picture if you don’t know how to draw” Very often we, music directors and educators, have to do it ourselves.

And you start drawing flowers on paper with a pencil. You could draw something serious. But how? Who knows? There is a lot of time, and the material is at hand, but the necessary knowledge is not there. Why not learn how to draw a portrait?

The most common technique

How to draw a portrait? Artists from different eras have practiced techniques for depicting the human face, and some have achieved unprecedented skill. Our task is to find out the basic principles in order to learn how to draw a portrait with a pencil. This is not to say that it is that difficult. But if you don’t know the basics, nothing will work anyway.

Let's start work

Technological progress has even affected the fine arts. Today, many artists use mechanical pencils rather than regular pencils. This ensures greater accuracy of work. These pencils do not require sharpening. Small details take less time to complete. With their help, it is easier to draw a portrait step by step. So, if you have the opportunity, use a pencil like this.

Copy from photographs

Usually portraits are drawn from photographs. This method is more convenient. You don’t have to ask the sitter not to move and sit still for hours. So, let's start studying photography. We are interested in the position of the head in comparison with the horizontal and vertical lines. Even a novice artist is recommended to have knowledge of the structure of the human skull. It will be useful to refer to any anatomical atlas. According to the shape of the head of the person you are drawing, draw faint lines on a sheet of paper, depicting the silhouette of the hair and the circumference of the face. Draw additional lines in the area of ​​the eyes and eyebrows, nose and mouth.

When the drawing of the general lines is completed, we begin to disassemble the face area. We determine the height of the nose as a plane. You can even apply shading to create volume in this part of the face. If they draw a person in a half-turn, then it is necessary to designate the area of ​​the near cheekbone, the plane of the lips and eyes, and do not forget about the eyebrows. This stage is not drawing smooth lines, but dividing the human face into precise geometric shapes. This makes it easier to understand how to draw a portrait. Let's move on to detailing the face.

Professional artists often use a “nag,” a type of eraser. If you erase lines with it, there will be no visible marks left on the paper. Did you manage to get the “nag”? We recommend using it in drawing. So, we run it along the surface of the sheet to remove the top layer of what was drawn. This way we remove the auxiliary lines completely, and make the main strokes almost invisible. Now we draw out all the elements of the face, round it where necessary, and give the drawing a resemblance to the photo. It is known that many artists measure the size of parts of the face, their ratio, in order to achieve maximum identity with nature.

It's time to apply the shading. Before you begin, you should make sure that all structures are completed and additional lines are erased. Because if you start laying down the tones, you won't be able to remove the unnecessary strokes neatly. As you can see, during the lesson on the topic “How to learn to draw portraits with a pencil?” we learned many different nuances. In principle, there are no general rules for shading. Each artist has his own way. It all depends on the way you hold the pencil. But it’s better to start shading those places where the shadow is darkest. These will be used as guidelines. They will help to avoid strong darkening of the skin, clothes or eyes.

Let's move on to performing halftones. What is this? We give tone to the face, hair and parts of clothing. It would be nice to make the clothes black. Then she would perfectly shade the face and put emphasis on it. We apply the shading so carefully so as not to smear anything. After finishing the work, our portrait is 90% ready. The only problem is that it doesn't look voluminous. To fix this, we move on to the most enjoyable stage of the work - highlighting. Like this? We'll highlight some parts of the face. The “nag” will again help us with this. This will give the drawing life and naturalness. All that remains is to darken the depths. Then you can clean it. We darken folds, small wrinkles, some strands of hair. Our drawing becomes three-dimensional. So we figured out how to draw a portrait.

The easiest way

Not all of us have natural talent as an artist. Most people find it difficult to learn lessons on the topic “How to draw a portrait with a pencil?” A clear sequence of actions is required here. This is exactly what we will determine now. So now we are drawing a portrait for beginners. First, we draw the outline of the face being depicted. It is important not to press on the pencil, because not everyone succeeds the first time, and erasing irregular, thick lines will be difficult. Try to draw only an oval face. When it is ready, draw additional horizontal lines for the eyes, nose and mouth. They should be light and hardly noticeable. Also, don't forget about the ears.

The main part of the face is the eyes; they need to be emphasized and drawn as believably as possible. Pay extra attention to the image of the pupils, the line of the mouth and the initial contours of the hair. Then we begin to carefully draw out each element. When everything is ready, we remove additional lines and add shadows to give the picture volume. Now your first drawing is ready. Maybe not a masterpiece. But the main thing is that it was performed independently.

Basic mistakes

It is impossible to draw a perfect portrait on the first try. No matter how closely you follow the prescribed advice, something will still go wrong. How to avoid the most common mistakes when learning how to draw a portrait? First, you should check your pencil. It shouldn't be too hard. Otherwise, you will not be able to apply shading and halftones. The lines will be too light. Secondly, never draw portraits from photographs onto documents. A human face turned strictly from the front is difficult to depict even for a skilled artist. Moreover, people always look unnatural on documents, and it will not be possible to draw a good portrait from such photos.

Many people have difficulty conveying the correct proportions of facial features and symmetry. When applying shading, don't be afraid of black. It is vital as it shades lighter areas and reflects natural shadow. Don't neglect the volume of the drawing. The reason is simple. Everything natural has volume. In addition, it is necessary to remember that in nature there are no objects that have a clear outline. Use lines with different tones. Don't work with cheap paper. Its surface is too smooth. It pushes away the lead and the lines are too thin and light.

Types of portraits

We are accustomed to thinking that a portrait is an image of a human face. Is it so? In nature, there are different types of portraits, namely: head, chest, waist, knee and full length. Each of them has its own nuances. But before you learn how to draw portraits, you need to study human anatomy. Otherwise, you will not be able to correctly convey all the proportions of the body. Who needs a distorted drawing?

Work to order

By learning how to draw portraits with a pencil step by step, you can make good money from this. Recently, many people want to have their own image, made in a classic style or in the form of a cartoon. Family portraits are also very popular, so the knowledge gained and time spent will not be wasted.

Conclusion

After completing this lesson, you can make your dream come true. But after practicing the lesson on the topic “How to learn to draw portraits,” you shouldn’t stop. The acquired skills can be multiplied. They will help in depicting general portraits of a whole group of people. And not only! You can start drawing a self-portrait.

Photography is, of course, good. But the drawing has great value. It’s as if the human soul appears on it. This gift, especially to someone close to you, is sure to please.

Very often, beginning artists neglect the study of the human skeleton and musculature, mistakenly believing that “it will work out just fine.” But ignorance of human anatomy leads to the fact that the drawn person turns out to be unconvincing, and his facial expressions and movements look unnatural.

Therefore, today we will look at the basic principles that you should follow if you want to draw a good and high-quality portrait.

1. Facial proportions

The skull and jaw are a slightly flattened sphere, so when looking at a human face from the front we see something like an egg turned upside down with its narrow side down. Two perpendicular lines running down the middle divide this egg into four parts. Let's look at the details:

  • Mark the midpoints of the right and left halves of the horizontal line. The eyes will be located exactly at these points.
  • Divide the bottom half of the vertical line into five parts. The bottom of the nose will be located on the second mark from the top, and the line where the lips meet will be located one point below.
  • Divide the top half of the vertical line into four parts. The hairline will be located at the second or third mark, this feature varies. The ears are located between the upper eyelid and the tip of the nose, but this rule is only true when the face is not down or up.

Helpful hint: The width of the face is usually the width of five eyes or a little less. The distance between the eyes is equal to the width of one eye. Very rarely in people this distance differs very much from the standard, but this feature will be quite easy to notice. The distance between the lower lip and chin is also equal to the length of one eye.

Another way to measure is to use the distance between the tip of your thumb and index finger. The figure below shows which distances can be measured in this way: ear height, distance from hairline to eyebrows, from eyebrow to nose, from nose to chin and from pupil to pupil.

Profile

In profile we can still see the shape of the egg, but its sharp side points towards the corner. Lines now divide the head into the face and skull.

On the skull:

  • The ear is located just behind the vertical line. In size and location, it is still located between the upper eyelid and the tip of the nose.
  • The depth of the skull varies within the limits indicated in the picture below in point 4 with dotted lines.
  • Everything is located as indicated above.
  • The root of the nose coincides with the horizontal line or is slightly higher
  • The most convex part is the first point above the horizontal line that marks the line of the eyebrows.

2. Features

Eyes and eyebrows

The eye is simply two arches joined into an almond shape. There is no specific rule in drawing eyes, because the shape of the eyes can be different, and there are a lot of such shapes, but we can notice the following trends:

  • The outer corner of the eye can be higher than the inner corner, but not vice versa.
  • If the eye shape is almond, then the rounded part of the eye will be closer to the inner corner, and the elongated part will be closer to the outer corner.

Eye details

  • The iris is partially hidden under the outer eyelid. It only touches the lower eyelid if the person is looking down, or if the eye is built so that the lower eyelid is higher than usual.
  • Eyelashes grow from the inside out, not the other way around, and this is very important when drawing so that they look natural. The eyelashes on the lower eyelid are shorter.
  • When trying to draw all the little details (tear ducts, lower eyelid, etc.), remember that detailed drawing does not always mean that the result will be beautiful.

In profile, the eye takes the shape of an arrowhead (with convex or concave sides), with a slight hint of the upper and possibly lower eyelid. In real life, you won't see the iris from the side, you will only see the white of the eye. But an eye without an iris looks strange, so draw at least a hint of it.

As for the eyebrows, the easiest way to draw them is to follow the arch of the upper eyelid. Often the widest part of the eyebrow is closer to the inner part, and the “tail” tending towards the outer part of the eye gradually becomes thinner.

If you look in profile, the shape of the eyebrows changes dramatically and becomes more like a comma. The eyebrow begins where the tips of the eyelashes are located.

The human nose is approximately wedge-shaped, it is quite easy to imagine and draw it in volumetric form before drawing in the details.

The dorsum and wings of the nose are flat surfaces that are only outlined at the end, but it is still very important to take these surfaces into account when sketching in order to correctly calculate the proportions. The lower flat part of our wedge in the form of a truncated triangle connects to the wings and the tip of the nose. The wings fold inwards towards the septum to form the nostrils - note that the ventral view shows how the septum begins before the wings and connects to the face. It projects lower than the wings when we look at the nose in profile, which means that in the 3/4 view the far nostril is hidden by the septum.

Just as with the eyes, detailing does not always give good results. Therefore, it is more important to work out the proportions than to pore over details that can ultimately disfigure the drawing. When drawing from the front, the nose looks better if you draw only the lower part. If you are drawing a 3/4 view, then most likely you will be better off drawing the line of the bridge of the nose. You'll have to look at and study a lot of noses to figure out how and when to portray it.

Lips

  • The line where the lips meet should be drawn first, as it is the longest and darkest line of the three that form the mouth. It's not just a wavy line, but a whole series of thin curves. In the picture below you can see an exaggerated example that will explain to you the movement of the mouth line. Note that there are different lip shapes and that the base line can reflect the lower or upper lip. Lips can be softened in many ways. The line in the middle can be very straight to reflect a sharp look, or very blurry to weaken the lips. It all depends on the shape of the lips, how plump they are. If you want to achieve symmetry, start from the center and draw one half of the lip, and then the other.
  • The two upper tips of the upper lip are the most obvious parts of the mouth, but they can also be either pronounced or almost in one line.
  • The lower lip has a soft arch, but can also vary from almost straight to very rounded.
  • The upper lip is usually thinner than the lower lip and sticks out less from the overall topography of the face than the lower lip. Try to highlight the upper lip with strokes.
  • The sides of the lips are shaped like an arrowhead, and the fact that the upper lip protrudes slightly forward in this place can be seen very clearly.
  • The midline of the mouth at the ends deviates downward from the lips. Even if the person smiles, it curves down before going up again. Never draw this line straight up if you are drawing a face in profile.

The most important part of the ear is the long C-shaped outer line. The inside of the ear is like an inverted U. There is also a similar curve just above the earlobe, connected to a small C-shaped arch. In general, the shape of the ear also varies.

When we see the face from the front, the ears are visible in profile:

  • The rim, which was previously U-shaped, is now a separate part - as happens when we look at the plate from the side and see its bottom.
  • The earlobe will look more like a drop and will stand out.
  • How thin the ear line needs to be drawn depends on how close the ears are to the head.

If you look at the head from behind, the ear looks as if separated from the head: the rim is attached to the head by a funnel. Don't be afraid to draw the funnel too big, as it really isn't small.

3. Angle

Being shaped like a ball with a few minor changes, the head is easier to draw than expected. But despite this, you need to study how it looks from different angles. Of course, the appearance of the nose changes first, but the eyebrows, cheekbones, central part of the mouth and chin also change.

When we drew the face in front and profile, we practically simplified it to a two-dimensional plane. For other viewing angles, we need to think in three-dimensional space.

Look down

  • All parts are rounded upward and the ears also move upward.
  • Since the nose protrudes forward, it protrudes from the general line of the face and its tip is closer to the mouth.
  • The eyebrow curve becomes smoother. In order for it to take a reverse bend, you need to turn your face in some particularly unusual way.
  • The upper eyelid becomes more visible and covers most of the eyeball.
  • The upper lip almost disappears, and the lower one sticks out more.
  • Notice that since the mouth follows a general curve, it appears as if a smile has appeared on the person's face.

Look up

  • All parts are rounded down and the ears are also moved down.
  • The upper lip becomes fully visible and the mouth appears fuller.
  • The brow line becomes more rounded, but the lower eyelid curves downwards, giving the effect of an edgy look.
  • The lower part of the nose is clearly visible, and the nostrils are also clearly visible.

Turn sideways

When a person is seen almost from the back, all that is visible is the protruding line of the eyebrows and cheekbones. The neck line protrudes and tends towards the ear. Eyelashes are the next thing that is visible when a person turns his face.

Then part of the eyebrow appears, and the ridge of the lower eyelid and the tip of the nose protruding from behind the cheek become visible.

When the face is already turned almost in profile, the eyeball and lips become visible (but the middle line of the mouth is still small), and the neck line merges with the chin line into one line. You can still see part of the cheek where the nostril hides.

To draw a portrait of a person with a pencil, aspiring artists do not necessarily have to complete courses, become students at an art academy, or take private drawing lessons. Drawing a person’s face is not difficult, the main thing is not to be lazy and develop your skills.

The main thing in the article

Do-it-yourself pencil portrait of a person: what will you need?

To draw a portrait of a person you will need:

  • simple pencils;
  • a sheet of white A4 paper;
  • eraser;
  • stationery knife;
  • scotch.

Learning to draw portraits of people with a pencil: where to start?

There should be no unnecessary objects on the working surface. Take a sheet of white paper, place it vertically or horizontally in front of you and secure it at the edges with tape. Remember that you cannot tilt the sheet while drawing. You only work with your hand.

Use a pencil from Koh-i-Noor medium soft HB or soft B.

An improperly sharpened pencil affects the quality of the drawing. Do not sharpen pencils with a sharpener, but use a utility knife. This method of sharpening a pencil allows you to expose the rod as much as possible and make it sharp. By properly sharpening a simple pencil, you will be less distracted from the process and draw longer.

For training, use a regular sheet of A4 paper. In the future, if you like to draw, buy professional drawing paper, such as drafting paper, kraft paper.

How to learn to draw a portrait of a person with a pencil?

To begin, take a photo of the person whose face you want to draw. Look at it carefully. A person’s face on a sheet of paper consists of geometric shapes that change their shape during the drawing process. Remember that people's faces are disproportionate. Therefore, during detailed drawing of parts of the face, this must be taken into account.

To learn how to draw a portrait of a person with a pencil, you need to make sketches on paper.

How to draw a portrait of a person with a pencil for beginners step by step

The process of drawing a person's face with a pencil can be divided into the following stages:

  • drawing the general contour of the face;
  • marking the main parts of the face inside the oval;
  • drawing eyes;
  • drawing eyebrows, drawing nose and mouth;
  • detailed drawing: wrinkles, shadows, moles, hair, etc.

Getting started: building the head and general contour of the face

To correctly draw the general contour of the face, you need to know quite a bit of human anatomy. To begin, draw an oval, which will be narrower at the bottom than at the top. Next, change the outlines individually.

Marking parts of the face and working with planes

Full face

  1. The skull and jaw are a flattened sphere; to put it roughly, the face in this position resembles a chicken egg, turned upside down with its narrow part. Draw such an oval and draw two perpendicular lines through its middle.
  2. The horizontal line is the eye line. Divide its right and left parts in half. This will be the middle of the eyes (pupils).
  3. Divide the lower part of the vertical line into 5 equal segments. The tip of the nose will be located at the 2nd mark from above, and the mouth will be between the 2nd and 5th marks.
  4. Divide the upper part of the vertical line into 4 equal segments. The hair should be on 2 sections from above. The bottom of the ears should be at the level of the tip of the nose, and the top should be at the level of the eyelids.

Artists use small tips to draw portraits:

  • the width of the face consists of 5 segments equal to the width of the eyes;
  • the distance between the eyes is approximately equal to the width of one eye;
  • The width of the chin is equal to the length of the eye.

These standards are adjusted individually.

Profile

  1. The profile also resembles an egg in shape, but its sharp part is shifted to the corner.
  2. Divide the drawn figure with two perpendicular lines.
  3. The ear is behind the vertical line. The depth of the skull is drawn individually.
  4. The correct location of the nose, eyes, eyebrows has already been discussed in the “Full Face” subsection.

Detailing the face: drawing eyes, contours of eyebrows, nose, lips, ears

Eyes

Since the shape of the eyes is different for each person, it is impossible to accurately describe this process. The middle of the eye is already marked. Now draw two arcs on the right and left, which you will later “turn” into eyes.

Key points to pay attention to when drawing eyes:

  • the outer part of the eye is always slightly higher than the inner part;
  • the arches of the eyes are rounded closer to the inside of the eye and narrowed to the outside;
  • if a person looks straight, then the iris of his eye is always slightly covered by the upper eyelid;
  • eyelashes always begin to draw from the eyelid;
  • the lower eyelashes are always shorter than the upper ones;
  • do not forget that the tear ducts, lower and upper eyelids should be drawn around the eye.

Very often, beginners, having drawn one eye, stop looking at the photograph and copy the second eye from their drawing. Don't forget that people's faces are not proportional. The second eye will be a couple of millimeters wider/narrower, higher/lower. The eyelid above the right eye may be lower than that above the left. All these little details must be carefully copied from the photograph.

If you draw a face in profile, then the eye here will resemble the shape of an arrowhead with convex and concave sides. The iris is hard to see from the side, but when drawing a portrait, you need to draw it so that the eye does not look strange.

Brows

The widest part of the eyebrow is often closest to the bridge of the nose. Don't start drawing the hairs right away. Define the shape of the eyebrows. If you draw a face in profile, then their shape will resemble a comma.

Nose

The easiest way to draw a nose is illustrated in the picture. Draw a circle, then add wings and “backs” to it. At the very end, all that remains is to outline the nostrils with a pencil.

There is a more complex but realistic way to draw this part of the face. As shown in the picture, draw a polyhedron. The shape of the polyhedron changes depending on the position of the face. Next, start rounding the geometric shape.

Lips

Start drawing the lips from the inside line, where the lower and upper lips meet. This line will never be perfectly straight; it always consists of several curved lines.

The inner line of the mouth is always darker in the drawing than the outer contours of the lips, and the upper lip is often smaller than the lower.

If you draw a face in profile, then never draw the tip of the lip sharply upward. Draw the middle line of the lips first straight or down, and then lift it up.

Ears

The human ear can be represented in the form of the letter C. Do not forget that the ear has a rim and an inner part that resembles an arc, and a lobe. Be sure to draw these main parts of the ear.

Hatching and halftone development

It seems that you are already at the finish line, but the portrait is completely unrealistic. Hatching and working out halftones is something you can’t do without when drawing a portrait of a person.

First of all, determine where the light falls on your face and where the darkest places are. Apply strokes to the face in one direction - from top to bottom. To give the skin a matte look, blend the lines with your finger or a regular napkin. To lighten areas in the portrait, use an eraser.

Highlighting and darkening areas of the face

Highlighting and darkening areas of the face is necessary to make the face on a sheet of paper look voluminous and not flat:

  • If you need to lighten an already painted area, use an eraser.
  • Start sketching out areas of the face with light lines. Don't press too hard on the pencil.
  • Apply lines in layers. The more lines, the darker the area of ​​the face will be.

How to draw portraits of people with a pencil from different angles: full face, profile, head turn

We figured out how to draw the full face and profile of a person.

  1. If you draw a person from the back, then you may not be able to see all parts of his face.
  2. When the face is turned almost in profile, the midline of the lips is very small, the line of the neck merges with the line of the chin. Also visible is part of the cheek, behind which the person's nostril is shown.
  3. When a person turns his back almost to you, you can clearly see the line of the eyebrows, the cheekbone, the line of the neck, which tends to the ear (if this part is not covered by hair).
  4. When you turn a person's face more, you see eyelashes, a small part of the eyebrow, the ridge of the lower eyelid, and the tip of the nose.

How to draw a portrait of a person correctly with a pencil: the basics and secrets of the skill

  1. The focus should be on the person's eyes.
  2. Try to draw not only the head, but also the shoulders, neck decoration, collar, etc.
  3. Never start drawing small details without correctly marked outlines.
  4. When tracing the contours, do not press hard on the pencil, draw with barely noticeable lines.
  5. Pay special attention to the proportions of the person's head.

How to draw a portrait of a person with a pencil: video tutorials

The person whose portrait you decide to draw will definitely appreciate your efforts. You can give such a gift to yourself. If you are afraid of the amount of work ahead, practice drawing individual parts of the face. In the future it will be easier for you to draw a portrait of a person with a pencil.