Drawing faces

is not hard!

Some people shy away from drawing faces, but the actual process of sketching faces on paper or canvass is not as difficult as it might appear. You only need to map out the face accurately in order draw a realistic looking human face. Once you’re done with the mapping, you simply fill in the details.

Here is a simple plan for drawing faces in general. Of course, each face is different, but this guide will provide you with a good starting point.

Begin by making an oval shape similar to the outline of an egg standing on end. Draw a vertical line running down the center of the egg, which will be your midpoint reference for measuring the separation of the eyes, the width of the nose, and the placement of the mouth. Separate your egg into three horizontal sections equally by drawing two lines. The topmost part will include the top of the hairline and the eyebrows. The middle section will include the eyebrow and the bottom of the nose, and the bottom third will include the bottom of the nose and chin.

If you turn two of the sections sideways, you’ll have a workable profile measurement from one cheek to the other. The length that you should make for one eye should be approximately equal to the gap between the two eyes. The inside corners of each eye should be in line with the outer edges of the nostrils. (Note: Some noses might be wider than that, and others narrower.)

And here are a couple more “approximate” measurements that will come in handy when drawing faces: After dividing the bottom section of the oval in two with a horizontal line, draw a line for the bottom of the lip at midpoint of the bottom section of the face. Next, draw the outer corners of the mouth in line with the pupils of the eyes.

And a final tip: remember to allow the ears to be visible from the front, so that they don’t appear to sit flat on the sides of the head.

As you’ll discover, drawing faces is a lot fun, and you’ll improve each time you do it! However, if you’d like to accelerate your learning process or hone your skills to a professional level, you really should get expert instruction. Here is what we currently recommend: 8 Easy Steps to Drawing a Portrait.

(It’s a step-by-step, guided program that will enable you to produce an accurate portrait in 7 days or less, guaranteed. Check it out: 8 Easy Steps to Drawing a Portrait.)