Drawing Portraits For The Absolute Beginner : A... -

A common mistake is placing eyes too high. In a standard head, the eyes sit halfway between the top of the skull and the chin.

If you are looking to start your journey into portraiture, "Drawing Portraits for the Absolute Beginner" (part of the popular "For the Absolute Beginner" series by Mark and Mary Willenbrink) is widely considered one of the best entry points. It breaks down the intimidating task of drawing faces into manageable, logical steps.

This determines where the "highlights" go and where the "core shadows" fall. Drawing Portraits for the Absolute Beginner : a...

A set containing 2B (for light sketching), 4B (for medium tones), and 6B (for deep shadows).

The bottom of the nose usually aligns with the bottom of the earlobes. A common mistake is placing eyes too high

Draw a vertical line down the center of the face and a horizontal line for the eyes to establish which way the head is tilting.

Portraiture is less about lines and more about (the lightness or darkness of a color). It breaks down the intimidating task of drawing

These can be molded into points to "pick up" light and create highlights in the eyes or on the tip of the nose.