To draw a portrait of a person with a pencil, novice artists do not have to complete courses, become students of 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 portrait of a man in pencil: what do you need?
To draw a portrait of a person you will need:
- simple pencils;
- a sheet of white paper A4;
- eraser;
- stationery knife;
- scotch.
Learning to draw portraits of people with a pencil: where to start?
There should be no unnecessary items on the working surface. Take a sheet of white paper, lay it vertically or horizontally in front of you and secure it around the edges with tape. Remember that while drawing, you can not tilt the sheet. You work only with the hand.
Use a pencil to draw a portrait Koh-i-Noor medium soft HB or soft B.
An incorrectly sharpened pencil affects the quality of the drawing. Do not sharpen pencils with a sharpener, but use a stationery knife. This method of sharpening a pencil allows you to expose the core as much as possible, to make it sharp. Correctly sharpening a simple pencil, you will be less distracted from the process and draw longer.
For practice, use a regular sheet of A4 paper. In the future, if you enjoy drawing, buy professional drawing paper, such as sketching paper, kraft paper.
How to learn to draw a portrait of a person with a pencil?
First, take a photo of the person whose face you want to draw. Consider it carefully. A person's face on a sheet of paper consists of geometric shapes that change their shape in the process of drawing. Remember that people's faces are disproportionate. Therefore, during a 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 in stages
The process of drawing a person's face with a pencil can be divided into the following steps:
- drawing a general outline of the face;
- marking the main parts of the face inside the oval;
- eye drawing;
- drawing eyebrows, drawing a nose and mouth;
- detailed drawing: wrinkles, shadows, moles, hair, etc.
Getting Started: Building the Head and General Face Contour
To correctly draw the general contour of the face, you need to know quite a bit of human anatomy. First, draw an oval that is narrower at the bottom than at the top. Next, change the outlines individually.
Marking parts of the face and working with planes
Full face
- The skull and jaw are a flattened sphere, roughly speaking, the face in this position resembles a chicken egg, turned upside down with a narrow part. Draw such an oval and draw two perpendicular lines through its middle.
- The horizontal line is the line of the eyes. Divide its right and left parts in half. This will be the middle of the eyes (pupils).
- 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 the top, and the mouth will be between the 2nd and 5th mark.
- Divide the upper part of the vertical line into 4 equal segments. Hair should be 2 sections from the top. 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 for drawing 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
- The profile also resembles an egg in shape, but its sharp part is shifted into a corner.
- Divide the drawn figure with two perpendicular lines.
- The ear is behind the vertical line. The depth of the skull is drawn individually.
- The correct location of the nose, eyes, eyebrows has already been sorted out in the subparagraph "Full face".
Detailing the face: drawing the eyes, contours of the eyebrows, nose, lips, ears
Eyes
Since the shape of the eyes of each person is different, 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.
The main 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 inner part of the eye and narrowed towards the outer;
- 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 century;
- the lower eyelashes are always shorter than the upper ones;
- do not forget that the tear ducts, lower and upper eyelids should be drawn near the eye.
Very often, beginners, having drawn one eye, stop looking at the photo and copy the second eye from their drawing. Do not forget that people's faces are not proportional. The second eye will be a couple of millimeters wider / narrower, higher / lower. The eyelid over the right eye may be lower than over the left. All these little things 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 closer to the bridge of the nose. Do not start drawing 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, it remains to circle 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 lips from the inner line, from the place 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 bring the tip of the lip up sharply. Draw the middle line of the lips first straight or down, and then lift it up.
Ears
The human ear can be represented as the letter C. Don't 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 shading
It seems that you are already at the finish line, but the portrait is absolutely unrealistic. Hatching and elaboration of halftones is something you cannot do without when drawing a portrait of a person.
First of all, determine where the light falls on the face and where the darkest places are. Apply strokes on the face in one direction - from top to bottom. To give the skin a matte finish, blend the lines with your finger or a regular tissue. Use the eraser tool to lighten the areas in the portrait.
Highlighting and darkening areas of the face
Highlighting and darkening areas of the face is necessary so that the face on the sheet of paper looks voluminous, and not flat:
- If you need to lighten an already painted area, then use the eraser.
- Start sketching parts of the face with light lines. Do not press hard on the pencil.
- Overlay 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 have figured out how to draw the full face and profile of a person.
- If you are drawing a person from the back, then you may not be able to see all parts of his face.
- With the face turned almost in profile, the middle line of the lips is very small, the line of the neck merges with the line of the chin. A part of the cheek is also visible, behind which the human nostril is shown.
- When a person is turned almost back to you, you can clearly see the line of the eyebrows, cheekbone, neck line, which tends to the ear (if this part is not covered by hair).
- If you turn the person's face more, you can see the eyelashes, a small part of the eyebrow, the protrusion of the lower eyelid and the tip of the nose.
How to draw a portrait of a person with a pencil: the basics and secrets of skill
- The focus should be on the eyes of the person.
- Try to draw not only the head, but also the shoulders, neck decoration, collar, etc.
- Never start drawing small details without properly marked outlines.
- Outlining the contours, do not press hard on the pencil, draw with barely noticeable lines.
- 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. Such a gift can be made to yourself. If you are afraid of the amount of work ahead, practice drawing certain parts of the face. In the future, it will be easier for you to draw a portrait of a person with a pencil.
Anyone can master the basic skills of drawing portraits. Teaching methods are designed for observation and the ability to build an image according to the rules, knowledge of anatomy and the theory of chiaroscuro is not required. How to learn to draw a person's face with a pencil? It takes patience and attention to detail.
How to learn to draw people?
To create a pencil drawing you need:
- paper;
- black-graphite pencils (sanguine or charcoal require skill to use) hardness HB ... 6H (up to 9V);
- auxiliary tools - an eraser, a sharpening device or a cutter.
Basic principles of construction and layout
The human head is proportional and symmetrical (symmetry is not complete) with respect to a vertical line. With the help of markup, the position of the details is determined and a portrait similarity is obtained. The average face is built according to the general scheme, the difference in racial and personal features of the structure of the skull makes adjustments.
An example of building a diagram using a base circle (the center of the circle coincides with the center point of the forehead).
Building a face in profile can also be started with basic circles; for the correct structure of the skull (without anomalies), the displacement of the centers is ¼ of the diameter.
Attention! The profile drawing shows about half the length of the eye, this should be taken into account when calculating.
Detailed drawing of the face
In order to learn how to draw a person's face with a pencil, the difference between a portrait of a certain person or a generalized image is taken into account. In the first case, the proportions are determined by the structural features of the face, including racial, special signs (asymmetry, scars, malocclusion or the characteristic shape of the eyebrows). In the second, the desired type and the intended character of the character are invented.
An important stage of the drawing is the detailing of the eyes. The shape of the eye, the position of the corners (raised or lowered), the height and volume of the eyelid, the length of the eyelashes, the size of the iris and pupil are set.
The illustration shows a sequential drawing from schematic to detailed, with shadows and highlights on the pupil, hairs of eyebrows and eyelashes, with hatching shading.
The nose and mouth are drawn in the same way, taking into account the anatomical features.
For drawings “in front”, the auricles are built in a simplified way, for a portrait in profile - in more detail.
Shadows are drawn after the structure is built or in parallel, depending on the artist's skills and manner of drawing. To develop skills, training on realistic models under the guidance of a mentor is necessary.
Important! Shading shadows is done as needed, using a piece of paper or a finger.
The influence of anatomical and racial features on portrait drawing
Characteristic racial features - the width of the nose, the position and shape of the eyes, lips, forehead - are shown in the comparative drawing of the male face below.
For a clear understanding of the reasons for the differences, it is desirable to study the anatomy of the human skull under the guidance of a teacher, since it is difficult to understand the nuances from hand-drawn images.
An important stage in understanding the structural features of the face is drawing a “chopped” head from a model. The lesson gives an understanding of the position of the main planes of the skull, taking into account the facial muscles.
When creating a head drawing, you can apply shadows to the entire image or work with individual areas in turn. To obtain a photorealistic image, the features of a particular image are taken into account, including the sharpness of shadows, the clarity of features, and contrast.
Step by step learning to draw, master classes
You can learn how to draw a person's face with a pencil on your own, but the process will go faster with personal training from a portrait master. Face-to-face classes:
- accelerate progress by correcting common mistakes and consulting;
- improve drawing technique;
- save time searching for information - it is presented in a convenient form for perception, concisely;
- allow the use of visual aids and sample drawings.
In our workshop, you can learn how to draw photorealistic portraits in a short time under the guidance of an experienced artist and teacher, a master of portrait drawing. Comfortable atmosphere, individual approach and professionalism of teaching is the key to the rapid development of a new type of creativity.
The portrait conveys not only the external characteristics of the face, but also reflects the inner world of a person, his attitude to reality and emotional state at a certain point in time. In fact, a portrait, like any other genre painting, is an arrangement of lines, shapes and colors on canvas or paper so that their final combination repeats the shape of a human face.
Sounds almost like magic? In order to correctly place those very lines, shapes and shades on paper, you must first of all study the proportions of a person’s face (when drawing a portrait, they must be observed without fail) and their dependence on the movements, direction and shape of the head.
What is a portrait?
Regardless of the level of skill, working on it intimidates any artist. The remarkable painter John Singer Sargent gave the portrait two characteristics that every artist would agree on:
- “Every time I paint a portrait, especially on commission, I lose a friend.”
- "A portrait is a painting in which the lips end up looking somehow wrong."
Portrait - one of the most difficult genres of drawing and painting. The reason is that the artist often works to order, and pressure from outside interferes with the creative process. The portrait in the view of the customer often differs from what the artist creates. In addition, working on the image of a human face requires special knowledge and a fair amount of patience.
Why study proportions
Proportions are needed in order to understand how objects are located relative to each other in a dimensional, planar and intermediate ratio. If even a small amount of realism is important for a portrait, this cannot be achieved without knowing the proportions. On the other hand, nobody canceled abstract portraits.
Knowledge of proportions helps to convey not only facial features, but also emotions and facial expressions of a person. Knowing the dependence of the change in appearance on the position of the head, the emotional state of the model and lighting, the artist can transfer the character and mood of a person to the canvas, thereby creating an object of art. But for this you need to know the correct proportions of the face and be able to build a composition in accordance with the rules.
Ideal Proportions
During the High Renaissance, Raphael created paintings that were considered the standard of perfection. In fact, all of today's ideal proportions originate in the oval faces of Raphael's Madonnas.
If you draw a vertical line in the very center of the face and divide it into three parts - from the hairline to the eyebrows, from the eyebrows to the tip of the nose and from the tip of the nose to the chin, then these parts will be equal in an ideal face. The figure below shows the ideal proportions of a human face, a scheme for drawing and building an ideal face oval, as well as the ratio of the main features. It is worth considering that the ideal male face is characterized by more angular features, but, despite this, their main location corresponds to the presented scheme.
Based on this scheme, the ideal proportions of the face when drawing a portrait correspond to the following formula:
- BC=CE=EF.
- AD=DF.
- OR=KL=PK.
face shape
Correctly constructed proportions of a person's face when drawing a portrait depend largely on the shape of this face. Raphael created a perfect oval, and nature does not limit perfection to just one geometric shape.
Probably, it is most convenient to study the construction of proportions and their change during movement on a perfectly oval face, for this there are many ways and techniques that will be discussed below, but the essence of the portrait is not in creating an ideal, but in depicting a person with all his features and imperfections. That is why it is important to know what the shape of the face can be and how it affects the construction of proportions when drawing portraits.
Rounded faces
elongated face has rounded hairline and chin. The vertical midline of the face is much longer than the horizontal. Elongated faces are usually characterized by a high forehead and a large distance between the upper lip and the base of the nose. Usually the width of the forehead is approximately equal to the width of the cheekbones.
Oval face similar in shape to an egg turned upside down. The cheekbones are the widest part of it, followed by a slightly less wide forehead and a relatively narrow jaw. The length of an oval face is slightly greater than its width.
Round face characterized by almost equal midlines of the vertical and horizontal sections of the face. Wide cheekbones are smoothed out by a smooth rounded chin line.
Angular face shapes
Rectangular face characterized by a wide jaw, accentuated by an angular chin and a straight hairline. The median line of the vertical section is much longer than the horizontal one. The width of the forehead of a person with a rectangular face is approximately equal to the width of the cheekbones.
triangular differs from the heart-shaped only by the hairline, in the triangular it is straight. A characteristic feature of this face shape is high cheekbones and a very narrow, pointed chin, while the cheekbones are almost as wide as the forehead. The vertical section line of a triangular face is usually slightly longer than the horizontal line.
Square shape characteristic of persons with low, wide cheekbones and an angular chin. The length of a square face is equal to its width.
Trapezoidal defined by a wide jaw, low cheekbones and a narrow forehead. Usually on such a face, the chin is angular and wide, and the cheekbones are much wider than the forehead.
diamond shape the face is given a proportionally narrow forehead and chin, the latter usually pointed. The high cheekbones are the widest part of the diamond-shaped face, and its horizontal section is much smaller than the vertical one.
Correct facial structure
The correct construction when drawing a portrait is based on measuring the facial features of the model and the distance between them. Each portrait is individual, just as no two faces are exactly the same, with the exception of twins. The formulas for calculating proportions give only basic tips, following which you can make the drawing process much easier.
To create your own characters or draw faces from memory, it is extremely important to know the correct rendering of proportions. It is important to remember here that the shape of the head is much more complicated than an inverted egg or an oval, and therefore it is worth following the rules to avoid eyes on the forehead or a mouth that is too small.
face outline
First, draw a circle - this will be the widest part of the skull. As you know, the main features of the face take place under the circle. To roughly determine their place, we divide the circle in half vertically and continue the line down so that the lower outline of the circle divides it exactly in half. The bottom of the line will be the chin. From the sides of the circle to the "chin" you need to draw lines that will become the preliminary outlines of the cheekbones and cheeks.
If the portrait is drawn from the model's face or from memory, then you can correct the shape with a few light lines, determine the approximate width of the chin and the hairline. It is worth noting that the hair in the portrait will occupy some part of the circle that was drawn at the very beginning.
Eyes and eyebrows
Draw a horizontal line at the base of the circle, perpendicular to the first. The eyes are on this line. It is on it, not higher, no matter how much you want! The horizontal line must be divided into five equal parts - each of them is equal to the width of the eye. The central part may be slightly wider. The eyes are located on the sides of her. For further calculation of proportions, it is best to indicate where the pupils will be located.
To determine how high above the eyes the eyebrows should be, divide the circle into four equal parts, from bottom to top. Eyebrows will be located along a horizontal line passing directly above the eyes.
Nose and lips
The vertical line of the lower part of the face must be divided in half. Mark the middle where the base of the nose should be. The width of the nose is easy to determine by drawing parallel lines down from the inner corners of the eyes.
The rest - from the nose to the chin - must be divided in half again. The middle line coincides with the line of the mouth, that is, the upper lip is located directly above it, and the lower lip is located below it. The width of the mouth can be calculated by drawing parallel lines down from the middle of the pupils. The width of the chin is usually equal to the width of the nose.
Building the proportions of the human face, described above, is a simplified method and is suitable for ideal faces, which are not so many in nature.
This is one of the most difficult types of art. The physique must be studied in detail in parts. We have already considered some elements. Before you start, be sure to read these few recommendations from professional artists:
- First you need to think about the approximate location of all elements
- For sketching, take a sharpened pencil of medium hardness (I used HB and 2B, write in the comments which pencils you used), which will allow you to sketch thin lines.
- Do not erase the sketch lines until the desired result is clearly visible.
- Keep Proportions
- Note that the face has a pointed shape at the bottom and a more rounded one at the top.
- Practice! The more you train, the better you will learn to convey the necessary emotions and nuances of human facial expressions.
And now let's move on to the lesson.
How to draw a person's face step by step:
Step one. The face of this oval shape. First, make an oval and divide it with lines. The vertical line exactly in the middle crosses it, and the horizontal lines are arranged as follows. The first divides the face just below half, and the second still half from the remaining lower part of the face. We can't give exact measurements because everyone's faces are different. But the task of these lines is to outline (this is vertical), as well as the location of the lips (horizontal bottom line). Keep in mind that these will need to be erased later, so don't press too hard on the paper with the stylus. If you press hard on the paper, it will deform, and the drawing will look like a girl who is preparing for plastic surgery. (Will be ) 
Step two. Make indicative strokes at the place where. And also add lines for , and halfway between the nose and chin. Make the line that represents the lower lip wider. 
Step three. Let's move on to drawing. They are located just above the nose. The outer edges of the nose indicate where the inner corners of the eyes will go. Make a sketch as shown in the picture. There is another important factor to consider here. Human anatomy is arranged so that the distance between the eyes is equal to the size of another eye. This is indicated by the red arrow in the figure. Now let's add the eyebrows. Tip: even if one eyebrow is raised and the eyebrows are the same height, start drawing from the inside (points closer to the nose). To get an idea of how high the eyebrows are, add another imaginary eye above the left eye - this should give you more or less the correct height for the eyebrows. 
Step 4 Let's add a mouth. In the previous lesson, we already covered some points. For example, we tried to depict . But there is another important point, a lot of questions from novice artists about how big should the mouth be? Draw mentally two lines from the inner corners of the eyes down. This will be the approximate size of the company, with a smile it can be a little wider. 
Step 5. Now we erase the auxiliary lines that we made in the first two steps. Let's see what we got. In principle, the sketch is ready. Now it remains to decorate, add shadows. 
Step six. Give the shape of the face more specificity. Pay attention to the cheekbones and the shape of the chin. This woman has a strong chin, but try not to make it too strong or she will turn into a man. Draw black pupils, and add eyelids. requires focus. This is the mirror of the soul. 
Look closely at the animation. You will see in what sequence it is best to do this. 
Step last. With a simple pencil, add shadows to give the drawing volume and make it more realistic. That's all. We will look at other parts of the human body in more detail in the next lessons. Leave also your work, and write comments about how, Only we have such lessons, see for yourself.
In childhood, everyone picked up a pencil and tried to draw themselves, their loved ones and their entire environment. Over the years, the desire to draw disappears, only some continue to draw, acquire skills, learn different techniques of fine art and become artists. The passion to draw sometimes arises among those who abandoned their childhood hobby. They wonder: "How to draw a person's face?" Having made several unsuccessful attempts, they give up this occupation, but in vain. In fact, most people can learn to draw. The easiest way to start self-study is with a landscape, you can always tell others that I saw this field like that (mountains, forest, river, sea, etc.). The attitude to portraiture is more strict, any mistake in the image of the face is immediately evident.
Where to begin
Each face is individual, but there are basic principles that can be used to draw it on paper. The general contour can be rounded, oval, triangular, rectangular. The first step is to decide on the type of face. Then you should pay attention to the proportions: height and width. Having made an outline of the top and bottom, as well as the right and left edges, we draw a person's face, depicting an oval. Now we need the proportions of the location of other parts of the face. Eyes, eyebrows, nose, mouth, chin are individual, and their location should be copied as accurately as possible from the original.
Eyes as a mirror of the soul
Round, narrow, slanting, close-set, widely spaced, surprised, joyful, dejected, admiring, disappointed - these are all eyes. They remain the same for their owner and at the same time change depending on the mood and situation. How to draw a human face and expressive eyes? Their very fit on the face makes the portrait recognizable. It is important to know how to position them. Having chosen proportions, the centers where the pupils will be located are determined. Eyelids will be drawn around. They are also different, in young people and children there are no folds, in a person with a long life path, wrinkles scatter in different directions. They are also an integral part of the look. By drawing eyes, you can draw a person's face that will be recognized. All other parts of the face are important, but even without them, the portrait becomes similar to the prototype.
Draw the nose
Nose "potato" or aquiline profile, straight or with a slight hump, with wide or narrow wings, Greek or Roman profile - all these concepts refer to the shape of the nose. Any mistake in proportion can cost a lot. Let the nose match the model, but by depicting it more and less, the artist will not achieve similarity. Some portrait painters especially note the size and proportions of the nose when answering the question: "How to draw a person's face?" By drawing a dimensional grid, you can achieve a perfect match between the real and the painted nose.
How to draw a mouth
Many argue that character is reflected in the eyes, but they are wrong. Skillful artists can give the eyes any expression, making a wise man out of a limited person. But the mouth betrays the human essence. A small tightly compressed mouth with thin lips or a wide slightly open mouth with thick lips will give completely different information about the owner. A smile or a rueful smirk will let you judge the mood. Lips and mouth are the external manifestation of the essence of each person. Even twins with complete similarity often differ in the type of mouth. The leader has more pronounced features, the second twin is only a reflection of the first, and his mouth will indicate that he is the follower in this pair. When drawing a mouth, you should first apply only thin strokes. Later, the artist's hand, bypassing complex reflections, will itself give the necessary details. The main thing is to start drawing, and then the mental exchange between the model and the artist will work.
General contours of the face
How to draw a person's face, showing his attitude to reality? The contours of the face with sharp or light shadows will give the desired status, reflect the character of the prototype. They are very different in real life as well. There are women with masculine faces, and there are also men with mustaches and beards who have retained much of the feminine in their appearance. The general contours of the face are responsible for the life position drawn in the portrait. In the photograph, the facial features of a person are not so expressive, only the artist can convey the actual vision of the person he is drawing.
To answer the question for yourself: “How to draw a person’s face?” - once you start drawing, you need to continue this hobby. All people see the same thing, but only the artist is given the opportunity to show everyone else how he sees it all. Painting differs from photography in that the artist paints the world that he spied with his own eyes and conveyed it in the form of a work of art.