Faces are one of the most challenging features to draw correctly when drawing the human figure. Because you see faces so much in life, your brain will register any errors in their depiction in artwork whether your eyes actually see them or not. By understanding the proper proportions of the human face and portray them using pencil and pen, you can make your face drawings look realistic.
Instructions
Initial Guidelines
1. Draw a rough oval-like shape and separate it into horizontal and vertical halves.
2. Draw two more horizontal guidelines to divide the head into quarters. The three horizontal lines represent the hairline, the eye line and the bottom of the nose.
3. Draw two vertical guidelines separating the sides of the face in half. The two outer vertical guidelines correspond to the approximate center of the eyes, and the middle one represents the bridge of the nose.
Basic Features
4. Using the center eye line as a guide, draw the general shapes of the eyes. Use any reference necessary to get the general shape right. The shape of the eye resembles a flattened lemon: pronounced point at the outer corners, curving up and back down toward the inside corner. According to ArtyFactory.com, the eyes should be approximately one eye-width apart.
5. Draw a line suggesting the bridge of the nose on one side. In most cases, only one side of the nose will be shaded, and the bridge of the nose defines the shadow. Draw a slight outward curve toward that side to show the bulb of the nose. Just below the bulb, draw a line on each side curving up from the center to represent the nostrils. Draw a small "C" shape on each side just above where the nostrils end to represent the wings of the nose.
6. Divide the bottom horizontal section of the head in half, and draw a line along this dividing line that stretches from the center of one pupil to the center of the opposite one. Draw a light outline of the lips using this center line as a guide. The upper lip consists of two shallow arcs that converge below the bridge of the nose. The lower lip is a fuller curve.
7. Draw the basic shape of the ears. The ears line up between the tips of the eyebrows and the bottom of the nose.
Shading
8. Draw the pupils and iris. The iris shouldn't be completely visible due to being under the eyelids. Draw a series of thin zigzagging lines along the iris and shade to the desired value. To achieve a realistic moisture effect, erase a small area of shading to represent light reflecting off the moistened cornea. Thicken the upper lid toward the inner part of the eye to represent the eyelashes.
9. Determine the location of the light source in your picture. Shade on the opposite side of the nose from it, and add shading under the nose just above the upper lip.
10. Add a small area of shading just below the center of the lower lip--the lower lip tends to protrude and block off light. Shade any lines of the face you wish to add. Typically, lines will occur at the corners of the mouth, at the corners of the eyes, between the eyes or to the sides of the nose.
11. Draw hair and eyebrows by sketching the general outline and using a series of close-set lines traveling in the same direction. Unity of direction is crucial for the lines of hair and eyebrows--it provides the illusion that the viewer is looking at hair rather than a haphazard scribble.
12. Add any further shading to the main area of the face if necessary. Try to blend shading with a rolled-up sheet of paper or similar item. Using your finger will work, but you risk getting oil from your skin onto the paper and damaging it.
