How to Draw Portraits of People - pentel mechanical pencils
Drawing portraits of people can be one of the most difficult things a beginning artist can attempt. Many artists, including some who are skilled at drawing other types of sketches, find it difficult to proportion the features of people in such a way that their portraits look realistic. The key to drawing a portrait of a person is in placing the feature elements correctly. Learning to do this can take some time, but once you understand how to break the face into sections and sketch from there, you'll find it's not as difficult to re-create the human face as you may have believed. •
Sketch the general shape of the head of the person you want to draw. It may be helpful if you're just starting out to use a reference photo. A black and white photo is best. Color photos can be distracting and make it difficult to see the details you'll need to use to create a life-like portrait.
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Divide the head outline into four sections. Draw a vertical line (sketched lightly) down the center of the face. Draw a horizontal line across the face at about midway between the top of the head and the chin. This will allow you to work in four smaller sections. Add the hairline at the forehead to keep the area defined as you add features to your portrait.
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Draw the eyes first, starting in the upper left section, then the upper right section. Draw just the outline of each eye with a basic shape, such as oval or circle, depending upon the shape of the eyes in your reference photo. Add the pupils when you have the eyes shaped the way you want them.
• Draw the nose next, using the upper and lower sections of your divider for one half of the nose. Begin with the left or right sections first. When you have half the nose shaped like the nose in your reference photo, mirror what you've draw on the opposite side. This gives you a centered nose.
• Sketch the lips onto your subject's face. Just do the outline for now. You can bring out the shape and texture during the shading process. Add ears to the portrait at this time. Look at your reference photo. If the ears are big, sketch them noticeably in your portrait. If the ears are barely visible, sketch them with thinner lines. Keep in mind the hair you'll add later. Be sure the ears will appear as they should after you draw in the hair.
• Erase the light section guides and begin adding shading to your portrait. A little light shading beneath the eyes can help give them depth. Add the shading, then use the tip of a finger to smudge and blend the shading to give it a less forced appearance. Add shading around one side of the nose to give it dimension, then apply a little shading to the cheeks and smudge the pencil strokes to bring out cheekbone definition.
• Sketch in the hair next. Use the correct pencil strokes for the hair you need to replicate. Loose, angled strokes work best for straight hair. For curled hair, use tight circular strokes of your pencil. For wavy hair, apply the pencil strokes in squiggly lines. Color over the hair several times to thicken it.
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