Drawing Portraits

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Directions for Drawing your SELF-PORTRAIT: First off, start by drawing an oval or egg-shape. Draw a straight line across, at about half way down the face, to indicate where the eyes will be. Use this line to make sure you don't get the eyes crooked when you draw them in later. Draw a line about half way between the eye line and the bottom of the chin - this will be the bottom of the nose. Draw a line about half way between the nose line and the chin - this indicates the placement of the mouth. Draw a line right down the center of the head, top to bottom. This is used to make sure the face is drawn symmetrically, and not lopsided. Draw two lines to indicate the neck. Now, start to "block in" basic shapes and shadows. Indicate (somewhat lightly) some of the shadow areas in the hair. Start to put some shadows and a little detail in the face. Erase when necessary, but for the most part, keep your drawing "loose" - with light, broad strokes, not tight, careful strokes. Just lay in the basic shapes. Take your drawing to the mirror now and then, and see what areas are crooked or "off kilter." (There are always "off" parts. For example, in the illustration above, the chin is crooked. I correct this later.) Looking at the drawing in the mirror helps "shock" your eye into seeing the asymmetrical areas. (Drawing crooked eyes, crooked nose, or a lopsided jaw are quite common.) Correct these problem areas, and keep working. Keep in mind, every person has some slight asymmetric parts to their face. No individual has perfectly even features. In fact, most people look "funny" if a photo of them is accidentally reversed. However, there is a distinction between a slight "funny" look, and having features that are dramatically crooked or asymmetric. Check to make sure the basic proportions of the drawing are correct before moving on and putting down darker tones. Use the "eye-widths" measuring method to double-check and make sure everything lines up, and isn't too large, too small, or not in proportion. It is much easier to correct and erase any major errors now, rather than later, when you have put in more detail and darker tones. When you decide that the proportions of the face are accurate, start to refine your rendering of the portrait. Erase the extra "alignment lines" you drew in the beginning of this portrait, and also erase any extra "loose" sketching lines you made when you were getting the feel and structure of the face. Start to add more detail to the eyes, nose and mouth. Start to draw details like the pupil of the eye, detail around the lips and nostrils, and so forth. Refine the shadows and rendering in the face. Don't be shy about erasing problem areas and reworking them. When you want to just lighten or subdue an area, learn to "pat pat pat" with your eraser. This is better than vigorously rubbing as you erase delicate areas. Learn to have a light touch when erasing! Still consult the mirror, to see if you have inadvertently made something lopsided or "off." Constant vigilance is needed in this regard, especially with front-view portraits (like this one). It is quite easy to get the features lopsided. But you won't do that, as long as you keep checking the mirror and correcting errors! If you are having some trouble with a certain area, or are getting frustrated because you are not getting the result you want, take a break. Frequent breaks can be very helpful, and will save you time in the long run. Don't keep on reworking and fussing and reworking and getting increasingly frustrated, (and maybe messing up your drawing in the process). Get away from the drawing for an hour (or day) and work on another drawing, or just do something different for a while. More than likely, when you return to the drawing later, you'll find that you can now solve the problem area right away. Trust me on this one—there are times when it's wise to tell yourself, "That's enough for now." It'll save you a lot of mistakes and headaches.