- 1). Choose a close-up photo of a person's head. Look at the photograph to examine the position of the head. A profile shows only one side of the person's face. A three-quarter view reveals the person's face and one profile side. A frontal view reveals the face with no profile. A frontal view or three-quarter view will help your photograph have the most depth. Print the picture using high-quality paper. Make sure the image is large enough for you to easily see the facial features on the photograph.
- 2). Tape the photograph to one corner of a drawing board. Secure a sheet of practice drawing paper to the board and set it near a strong source of light.
- 3). Sketch basic shapes on your paper. Practice with an HB pencil sketching ovals and circles. These shapes predominate head and face sketches. Get comfortable drawing large and small circular shapes. Switch to the final drawing paper when you are ready to create the final sketch.
- 4). Draw a tapered oval to create the outline of the head. Sketch lightly with an HB pencil. The widest part will form the crown of the head and the narrowest point will represent the chin. Use the photograph as a guide for the general shape.
- 5). Draw a bowed T shape halfway through the head shape. This will help you place the eyes, nose and other facial features.
- 6). Use a ruler to create a triangle shape in the center of the bowed T shape. The widest end should be on top. At the narrowest end sketch a rough shape where the lips should be. Draw two flattened ovals at either side of the remaining ends of the triangle to place the eyes.
- 7). Look at the photograph to determine the shape and size of the nose. Still working with the HB pencil create the nose in the center of the triangle, starting between the eyes and ending before the mouth.
- 8). Block in the ears. Draw half-oval shapes to create the ears.
- 9). Make the head look realistic by sketching in eyebrows above the eyes. Use an F pencil with short, hatching strokes to create individual hairs for the brows.
- 10
Work with an HB pencil to create the eyelashes, pupils and details inside the ears. Drawing thin lines around the eyes will indicate folds of skin and can make a person look older. Fill in the nostril cavity with a solid shape to indicate openings. - 11
Use a 2B or 3B pencil in a loose, scumbling motion to create long hair. Use short, thick strokes to make short hair. Examine the photograph frequently to create a realistic rendition in your composition. - 12
Erase the reference guidelines. Use a kneaded eraser to lift off graphite in small areas. - 13
Add more realism by creating different values in the composition. Use a soft pencil, such as a 2B or 3B to make shadows. Reserve the white of the paper to indicate highlights on the person's face. Create mid tones or light shadows with an F or HB pencil.
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