Member-only story

Basics of Drawing Human Faces: A Beginner's Guide with Simple Projects

Rex Hayes

·10.8k Followers· Follow

Published in Sketching People: Basics Of Drawing Human Faces (Beginners Guide With Simple Projects)

5 min read

35 View Claps

4 Respond

Save

Listen

Drawing human faces is a challenging but rewarding pursuit. It requires a keen eye for detail, an understanding of facial anatomy, and the ability to capture the subtle nuances of expression. But with practice, anyone can learn to draw realistic and expressive human faces.

Sketching People: Basics of drawing human faces (Beginners guide with simple projects)

by Karen Reed

4.1 out of 5

Language	:	English
Text-to-Speech	:	Enabled
Enhanced typesetting	:	Enabled
Lending	:	Enabled
File size	:	21073 KB
Screen Reader	:	Supported
Print length	:	74 pages

Facial Anatomy

Before you can start drawing faces, it's important to understand the basic anatomy of the human head. The skull is made up of several bones that form the shape of the head, including the frontal bone, the parietal bone, and the occipital bone. The skull also contains the nasal cavity, the orbits (eye sockets),and the jaw.

The muscles of the face are responsible for creating the various expressions that we make. The major muscles of the face include the frontalis muscle (which raises the eyebrows),the orbicularis oculi muscle (which closes the eyes),the zygomaticus major muscle (which raises the corners of the mouth),and the depressor anguli oris muscle (which lowers the corners of the mouth).

Proportions

The proportions of the human face are important to keep in mind when drawing. The average human face is about twice as wide as it is tall. The eyes are located about halfway down the face, and the nose is located about one-third of the way down the face. The mouth is located about one-half of the way down the face.

There are a few simple tricks you can use to help you get the proportions of the face correct. First, draw a circle for the head. Then, divide the circle into four equal parts. The eyes should be located at the top of the second quarter, and the nose should be located at the bottom of the second quarter. The mouth should be located at the bottom of the third quarter.

Shading

Shading is an important technique for creating depth and realism in your drawings. When shading a face, it's important to pay attention to the direction of the light source. The light source will determine where the highlights and shadows will fall on the face.

There are a few different shading techniques that you can use. One common technique is cross-hatching, which involves drawing a series of parallel lines that cross each other. Another technique is stippling, which involves drawing a series of small dots. You can also use a combination of these techniques to achieve different effects.

Simple Projects

Once you have a basic understanding of facial anatomy, proportions, and shading, you can start practicing your skills with some simple projects. Here are a few ideas to get you started:

Draw a self-portrait.
Draw a portrait of a friend or family member.
Draw a portrait of a famous person.
Draw a portrait of a fictional character.
Draw a portrait of a historical figure.

Drawing human faces is a challenging but rewarding pursuit. With practice, anyone can learn to draw realistic and expressive human faces. So grab a pencil and paper, and start practicing today!