Drawing the face

Unit: Portraits and self-portraitsArt Appreciation

Summer 2012Bronx HS of Science

Egg shape

The blue line shows the dimensions of the head vertically. The red lines show the dimensions of the head horizontally.Basically, it is an egg shape

Egg shape

There is a need to emphasize this egg-shape thing. See this egg shape illustration. Pretty egg-shaped, isn’t it?Now, you try to make your egg-shape face…(work on value)

Egg shape

Well, here’s the above egg-shaped illustration, with a rough portrait sketch underneath. While all faces have a basic “egg shape”, some are more “squarish”,others are more heart-shaped, others longer, shorter. While you must keep in mind the egg-shape, you also have to take into account the individual qualities of the head you are drawing.

Face proportions

The line of blue almond shapes going across the face represents the “eye-widths”. Each blue almond shape represents one eye.

Face proportions

The head is about seven eye-widths long. Notice how many eye-widths there are in the forehead.

Drawing the eyes-Draw the outline in first. Notice that the shape of the iris is round on the sides (it is a round circle) but its top is obscured by the upper eyelid, and a little bit of the bottom of the iris is obscured by the bottom of the eyelid.-After you get the shape correct, start to draw in the light outline of the lower eyelid thickness and indicate where the highlight of the eye will be.- Then start to add shading and detail. Keep the indication of the lower lid light. Subtle lines to indicate eyelashes. Upper lid casts a subtle shadow on the eyeball.

Drawing the eyebrows-The hair of the eyebrow grows in different directions. Look at your partner’s eyebrow.-First step is to draw in the outline of the eyebrow.-Then, draw a line that indicates the “brow-line”. This line is often a shadow in the eyebrow. It show where the brow dips in towards the eye-socket. Add some shading.-Then, start shading the upper part, which is jutting out a little more.-Then, start to darken the eyebrow, and draw some hairs and details.

Drawing the nose-First, sketch out the outline of the nose. You don’t have to draw a dark line down both dies of the nose. Usually one side is more shadowed than the other.-Start to add a little shading to the side of the nose that is in shadow, and the bottom of the nose. Define the nostrils, shade the nostril that is in the shadow a little bit, but not as much as that side of the nose. The nostril sticks out a little bit, and gets more light on it.-Finish the shading of the nose. Suggest through gentle shading the roundness of the center of the nose and the roundness of the nostrils.

Drawing the lips-Sketch the outline of the lips.-”Block in” the shading of the lip, putting more shading on the top lip, and leaving a highlighted area in the middle of the bottom lip, and some highlighted area in the middle of the bottom lip, and some highlighted areas on the upper rim of the top lip.-Add more shading and rendering. Don’t forget the ridge around the lips, and the shading around the mouth that suggests the structure. Add the darkest accents of tone to the corners of the mouth.