The eyebrows generally extend a little past the corners of the eye. The eyebrows on women tend to be more fine, shaped, and delicate on men they tend to be slightly more bushy and erratic. On a real face, the eyebrows are generally a finger's width above the eyes. Using light strokes to mimic tiny hairs, pencil in the eyebrows. You can add emphasis to the upper eyelid by making the line a bit thicker than the bottom of the eye. In real life, men's eyelashes are actually longer and thicker than women's, but women tend to accentuate their eyelashes more with mascara and other makeup. The thicker the top eyelashes, the more feminine a face tends to look. Some additional tips on adding detail to the face:Īdd a shaded eyelid fold above the eye for depth (the eye is, after all, a three-dimensional ball sticking out of the eye socket).Īdd eyelashes to the top and bottom of the eye. The corners of the mouth line up with the centers of the eyes.ĭraw in the ears by aligning the tops with the center of the eyes and the bottoms with the bottom of the nose. Draw four, equally-spaced vertical lines between those two lines to divide the space into five equal parts. Next, draw some light vertical lines on each side of the oval.

This is the line on which you center the mouth (which is the general shape of an elongated, pointy football, with two bumps on the top and one on the bottom, and a subtle line across the middle). The bottom of the nose falls just above this line.ĭraw a horizontal line midway between the nose line and the bottom line. This is the line on which you draw the eyes, which are roughly the shape of a football.ĭraw a horizontal line midway between the eye line and the bottom line. Then draw a horizontal line midway between the first two lines to divide the oval in half. To start the grid, draw a light horizontal line at the top of the oval and another at the bottom of the oval. Follow the sample illustration below, making adjustments to match the face of your subject. The next step is to make a very light pencil grid to help you locate facial features (you'll erase the grid when you're finished drawing). The bottom of the oval should reflect the jaw line of your subject (i.e.

Leave room at the top of the sheet for hair and at the bottom of the sheet for a neck and shoulders. The oval should be the size you want the final face to be, or a bit smaller. Using a pencil, start by drawing an oval on your sheet of paper. Where are they positioned? What do they look like? What shape are they? What interesting lines or folds do they have? Examine each of the key facial features – eyes, nose, mouth, ears. Study the photo you're using for your drawing. Even very small differences in a person's nose or eyes, for example, is what gives them their unique individual appearance. But keep in mind that these are only general guidelines. These standard proportions will help you place facial features and find their orientation. The bottom of the ears line up with the bottom of the nose. The top of the ears line up with the center of the eyes. The corners of the mouth line up with the centers of the eyes. The mouth is halfway between the nose and the chin. The bottom of the nose is halfway between the eyes and the chin. The eyes are halfway between the top of the head and the chin. Choose a full-face, frontal view (rather than a profile view).īefore you put pencil to paper, familiarize yourself with the general rules of thumb for standard facial proportions:

Choose the photo you would like to recreate for your drawing. Start by looking through several photographs of your subject's face before you start drawing. How would you describe each person's face in the illustration? What shape is each face? How do eyes, mouths, noses, and hair differ? Who are the oldest people in the illustration? The youngest? How can you tell? How would you describe each person's facial expression? Which people look friendly and which look stern? How do the facial expressions suit the setting and mood of the illustration? A caricature is a portrait in which some distinctive features are exaggerated or distorted. The detailed oil illustration is done by artist James Bennett in a caricature style. Famous faces from throughout history are brought together in the Club of Dreamers illustration in the award-winning book Dream: A Tale of Wonder, Wisdom & Wishes by Susan V.

Face expressions drawings