While faces vary widely, every face has some structural similarities.
Life drawing, or the drawing of living things, can help teach you about the way plants, animals and people move. It can also teach you about anatomy and accurately portray a variety of poses and expressions. The human face can present a variety of challenges in terms of both anatomy and expression. In order to draw a face correctly, you must have a basic idea of its dimensions and the ability to render light, shadow and facial features with a degree of realism.
Instructions
Structure
1. Draw an oval to represent the face. Render the oval so that it matches the general shape of the subject's face: oval, square, rectangular or diamond.
2. Draw two straight lines down from the bottom of the oval to indicate the neck.
3. Draw a line across the middle of the oval to indicate the horizontal position of the eyes.
4. Draw a line through the middle of the oval to mark the center of the face.
5. Draw two small vertical lines on the horizontal eye line midway betwen the center line and outline of the face. The resulting cross will indicate the approximate position of the eyes.
6. Draw a horizontal line on the center line midway between the horizonal eye line and the bottom of the oval. This will indicate the approximate position of the nose.
7. Draw a horizontal line on the center line midway between the nose line and the bottom of the oval. This will indicate the approximate position of the mouth.
8. Erase the center line and horizontal eye line, leaving only the mouth, nose, eye, neck lines and the face outline.
Shadow
9. Choose a direction for the light source. This will indicate the direction from which all shadows on the face are cast. For example, a light source from the upper right of the figure will cast shadows to the lower left on the face.
10. Shade approximately 1/4 of the side of the face opposite the light source. Shade with light, horizontal strokes to create the impression of a slight shadow.
11. Draw in shadows above the eyes to indicate eyelids and the shadow of the brow.
12. Draw in shadows around the mouth line to indicate the outline of lips or the shadow beneath the lower lips.
13. Draw the basic outline of the figure's hair, shading more darkly on the side of the face opposite the light source.
14. Shade the base of the nose by the nostrils, paying attention to the location of the light source and the shadow it will cast. Shade vertically from the base of the nose to indicate the shadow cast by the upper portion of the nose.
15. Shade the portion of the neck in the shadow cast by the light source.
Refining
16. Erase any remaining structural lines from the drawing.
17.Add lines to the hair to indicate the direction of its flow. Shade more deeply at the base of the hair where it casts the most shadow.
18. Add the eyebrows, eyelids, eyes and lines around the eye. Make sure to render the irises at the center of the eyeball facing the same direction.
19. Draw lines to indicate the tip of the nose and the nostrils. Use as few lines as possible -- the shadows you drew previously will indicate the basic shape of the nose.
20. Draw an outline for the lips and the center line of the mouth. Shade in the lips lightly so the lips have a slightly lighter color than their outline.
21. Darken any shadows on the figure so they share approximately the same level of darkness. Again, pay close attention to the location of the light source so that all shadows share a uniform direction.
