How to Become a Portrait Artist

You've seen portrait artists drawing sketches of visitors at street fairs. Or perhaps you've encountered them in large urban areas like New York's Times Square. If you have a knack for drawing the human anatomy, especially faces, specializing in portrait drawing or painting can net you extra money and satisfaction. Here's how to become a portrait artist.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

1. Know how to pose a portrait subject. Choose a side or front angle, depending on the person's most flattering look.

2. Learn to construct a human head in proper proportions by dividing the head structure into separate zones. Measure the amount of space between hair, brow, eye, nose, mouth, chin and hair lines, and coordinate your drawing in sections. Develop a good eye for the human face and its characteristics.

3. Draw expressive eyes. They say, "Eyes are the window to the soul," and the emotion and power in a portrait's eyes make the difference between a bland and realistic portrait. Study how to place the iris, cornea and pupil. Fit the size and placement of the eyes to the face proportions.

4. Add a distinctive nose. Take into account angle and shading when drawing the nose. Break down drawing sections into bridge, ball and nostrils.

5. Divide the mouth as separate jaw, teeth and lip shapes and combine them. Apply a horseshoe shape for the jaw. When drawing lips, note that the front lip protrudes more than the lower lip.

6. Complete the portrait with ears and hair. Outline the hair first with a light pencil, then fill it in with the appropriate shading. Proportion the ear using line settings indicating the space to eyebrows, eyes and nose.

Tips & Warnings

• Once you've perfected your drawing skills, take a class in watercolors or painting to add another dimension to your subjects as a portrait artist.

Resources

• Visit the American Society of Portrait Artists