How to Draw a Portrait of a Face

Drawing

This is how to draw a person's face the easy way.

Things You'll Need

• Art paper--plain white paper will do for experimenting
• ebony pencil
• pink pearl or gum eraser
• plain pencil

Instructions

1. 

   Draw a large oval or upside egg shape on the piece of paper, with a regular pencil. Then draw lines across the oval at the height of where the eyebrows and eyes are to be placed, and a short line where the nose, and lips should be. It is good as well to draw a line through the middle or according to the angle the person's face is facing. The ears can be added later beginning from the eyebrow line down to the level where the nose line is on the paper.
   Double left click on the image to enlarge.

2. Adjust the oval accordingly to the person's face shape, pencilling the chin to a proper shape and making sure the shape of the face matches the person's face being drawn.

3. 

   Pencil in facial features, eyes, ears, eyebrows, nose, mouth, and the neck can possibly be added after the ears. Necks usually start almost in line with the inside of the ear. If adding shoulders at this time, keep in mind they have to be wider than the head, but make sure they are not too broad and match with the person's shoulders well.
   Double click on the picture to the left for larger image.

4. When satisfied that your pencil sketchings are done well, go over everything with the ebony pencil. Add shading, hair, and any other features, such as glasses, earrings, etc.
   Double left click on picture to enlarge.
   Picture is not finished but is a sample of what to start doing.

5. If the drawing looks close to the person being drawn, congratulations.
   If not, just practice some more--artists aren't always born to make great works right away and most have to practice.

Tips & Warnings

• To make a color drawing, keep in mind the way the shading looks and use the colored pencils to do it instead.

• The pictures are not a self portrait.