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This article was co-authored by Veronica Winters. Veronica Winters is a Figurative Artist who owns an online art gallery and studio in Naples, Florida. With over 20 years of experience, Veronica specializes in surreal figurative oil paintings and colored pencil drawings. In 2022, she won the Award for Distinction at the 30th Annual Colored Pencil Society of America International Exhibition. Veronica is also a published author of two art books: How to Color Like an Artist and The Colored Pencil Manual. She received her BFA in Studio Art at Oklahoma State University and her MFA in Painting at Pennsylvania State University. Veronica also studied classical drawing at the Grand Central Academy of Art and the Art Students League of New York.
This article has been viewed 753,194 times.
Drawing the human head would be easier if you carefully follow your guidelines. Draw a line with a curve at the end and then a line going upwards for the face. Afterwards, lightly drawing a line horizontally in the middle and a vertical line for where you want the eyes to be, would be the guideline for the facial features. After you draw your eyes, draw the lips and nose, small or stretched out. Follow this tutorial if you want to learn how make a human head like an artist.
Steps
Start by drawing three oval shapes, one large one and 2 smaller ones on the left and right side of the large oval. Add also thin guidelines such as a vertical line and two horizontal lines to serve as a guide in drawing the eyes and mouth of the model.- Use the first guideline to draw the eyes. In drawing the eyes draw a pointy oblong shape with four circles in it, add also some wavy eyelashes since for this picture the model used is a young woman.Advertisement
- Add a pair sculpted eyebrows and some lines to illustrate the eyelid.
- Make the nose. Then in the middle of the face and along the vertical guideline draw now his/ her nose. In drawing the nose, remember to make the lines broken to achieve an effect.
- Draw the lips on the second horizontal guideline.
- Finally draw the hair and a squiggly line on the left ear and you’re done drawing the face.
- Outline your drawing with a black pen or marker and then apply an amount of shading on your drawing using a charcoal pencil or a regular pencil. And then apply a minimal amount of color by coloring the lips and eyes.
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- Draw a profile of a human head. Start this step by drawing a bald human head and by drawing the contours of the model’s nose and lips. Add also an oblong shape for the ear.
- Draw the eyes of the model, however draw only one eye and one eyebrow. Draw the eye by drawing first a triangular shape.
- Make the nose and mouth of the model. Draw the lips of the model by copying the shape of a heart positioned horizontally.
- Add the details of one ear by drawing squiggly lines.
- End drawing by sketching her hair in a bun if you like.
- Ink and color your drawing and you’re done with the second drawing! Outline your drawing with a black pen or marker; add some pencil shading and then apply a minimal amount of color.
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Expert Q&A
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- QuestionWhat should I do if I make a small mistake and want to change the eyes or the lips on the head I drew?
Veronica WintersVeronica Winters is a Figurative Artist who owns an online art gallery and studio in Naples, Florida. With over 20 years of experience, Veronica specializes in surreal figurative oil paintings and colored pencil drawings. In 2022, she won the Award for Distinction at the 30th Annual Colored Pencil Society of America International Exhibition. Veronica is also a published author of two art books: How to Color Like an Artist and The Colored Pencil Manual. She received her BFA in Studio Art at Oklahoma State University and her MFA in Painting at Pennsylvania State University. Veronica also studied classical drawing at the Grand Central Academy of Art and the Art Students League of New York.
Figurative ArtistA Tombow mono eraser is a great tool to use for quick fixes. Because it's so small, it helps when you need a lot of precision to touch up tiny areas like the eyes in your drawing - QuestionWhen I'm drawing heads, how can I make the eyes look more realistic?Veronica WintersVeronica Winters is a Figurative Artist who owns an online art gallery and studio in Naples, Florida. With over 20 years of experience, Veronica specializes in surreal figurative oil paintings and colored pencil drawings. In 2022, she won the Award for Distinction at the 30th Annual Colored Pencil Society of America International Exhibition. Veronica is also a published author of two art books: How to Color Like an Artist and The Colored Pencil Manual. She received her BFA in Studio Art at Oklahoma State University and her MFA in Painting at Pennsylvania State University. Veronica also studied classical drawing at the Grand Central Academy of Art and the Art Students League of New York.
Figurative ArtistTo draw realistic eyes, look at photos of how light passes through the eye as well as what parts are shaded. The top part of the eye is always in the shadow. The shadow is cast by the eyelid. Students usually don't include this shadow, which can make the eyes they draw look less realistic. The bottom part of the eye is always lighter because the light passes through it. Remember, the eye itself is a ball covered by the eyelids. Make it round! The pupil should be round too. The pupil and iris become more oval-like when the eye rotates in space. Observe where you have a highlight in the eye—it's the brightest spot on the eye. Adding a tiny highlight to the eye is crucial for making it look really "alive" and realistic. Photographers often exaggerate the brightness of it to make the eyes more expressive.Finally, don't forget to look at the top and bottom shapes of the eye carefully because they are not the same. Students often draw and paint almond-shaped eyes without paying attention to the unique curvature of the top and bottom "outline" of the eye. - QuestionWhat if I want to get better at drawing heads? For example, I'd like to draw heads from different angles or perspectives. I'm thinking of working on a comic book, so this is important!Veronica WintersVeronica Winters is a Figurative Artist who owns an online art gallery and studio in Naples, Florida. With over 20 years of experience, Veronica specializes in surreal figurative oil paintings and colored pencil drawings. In 2022, she won the Award for Distinction at the 30th Annual Colored Pencil Society of America International Exhibition. Veronica is also a published author of two art books: How to Color Like an Artist and The Colored Pencil Manual. She received her BFA in Studio Art at Oklahoma State University and her MFA in Painting at Pennsylvania State University. Veronica also studied classical drawing at the Grand Central Academy of Art and the Art Students League of New York.
Figurative ArtistSubject, color, composition, contrast and creativity or unique vision are all important elements in creating art. But if you want to focus on one thing, it's your composition. Besides a common rule of thirds, study art for other ways to compose the image. For example, the use of triangles and circles was very popular during the Renaissance, while the bird's eye view was borrowed from Japanese impressionists. The use of diagonals between figures and shapes have been explored by artists for centuries, so look for different ways they're used in illustrations. Basically, a new vantage point can give a very unique composition to a standard subject and give you so much to work with.
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Tips
- Try going lightly with your pencil, so you can easily rub out any mistakes.Thanks
- If you make a mistake, do not be upset. Try again, taking things lightly.Thanks
- It is okay if you mess up. Nobody is perfect.Thanks
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Warnings
- You should always use a pencil rather than a pen because you will not be able to erase any mistakes you make.Thanks
- Some artists believe that there are no mistakes in drawing. A small "mistake" can add character to a drawing if it is blended in properly to the drawing.Thanks
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Things You'll Need
- A blank piece of good drawing paper
- A pencil, these will vary from the usual #2 to a variety of special artists pencils
- A pen (if you want)
- A good eraser
- A photo of who you want to draw (or you can freestyle)
About This Article
Figurative Artist
This article was co-authored by Veronica Winters. Veronica Winters is a Figurative Artist who owns an online art gallery and studio in Naples, Florida. With over 20 years of experience, Veronica specializes in surreal figurative oil paintings and colored pencil drawings. In 2022, she won the Award for Distinction at the 30th Annual Colored Pencil Society of America International Exhibition. Veronica is also a published author of two art books: How to Color Like an Artist and The Colored Pencil Manual. She received her BFA in Studio Art at Oklahoma State University and her MFA in Painting at Pennsylvania State University. Veronica also studied classical drawing at the Grand Central Academy of Art and the Art Students League of New York. This article has been viewed 753,194 times.
Co-authors: 95
Updated: April 11, 2024
Views: 753,194
Categories: Drawing Body Parts
Article SummaryX
To draw a human head in profile, start by drawing the oval shape of a bald head and adding the contours of the nose and lips on one side. Then, draw one eye slightly above the nose contour, starting with a triangular shape before filling in the eyeball. Next, draw in the lips by making a horizontal heart out of the contour you already drew. After adding lips, sketch in an ear in the center of the head. Finally, sketch in hair and eyebrows and add in some shading to make it look more realistic. For tips on how to draw a head facing forward, read on!
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