How to Draw Faces From the Side
Drawing human faces can be a difficult task for beginning artists. Drawing the human face from the side, in profile, can be even more difficult. Having only one side to work with can make finding the right proportions difficult, but with a little practice and patience, learning to draw a human profile can come as naturally as drawing a full shot of a face.
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Instructions
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Sketch the chin first. Start where you want the tip of the chin to begin and draw a line from that point back, forming the jawline in profile. If you want to add a little of the neck area to your profile, continue with vertical line. Remember to draw an Adam's apple if your profile is male. Move back to the tip of the chin and draw in the opposite direction, forming the lips and the end of the nose.
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Continue drawing a line from the tip of the nose to form the bridge. Draw a small line with a slight arch where the nostril goes. Thicken the outline of the nose if you want it to have a more male appearance. The single thin line gives the nostril a more delicate feminine appearance.
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Sketch the lips to give them a fuller look. Use curvy lines to give the more delicate look of female lips. Keep the lines straighter and harder to achieve the look of a male's lips.
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Shade the area just under where you want to draw the eye. Lightly apply pencil strokes for eyebrows and eyelashes. Emphasize the eyelashes if you're going for a female profile. Add more shading around the corner of the nose to help bring it out from the background, adding more depth to the features.
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Sketch the hair, after your profile is complete. The front of the hairline will help you define the profile. Use straight, light strokes to get a straight hair look, squiggly lines for waves, or tight, dark circles for curly hair. Take advantage of the hair to help finalize the shape of the profile.
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References
- Photo Credit profile of a blonde image by Pix by Marti from Fotolia.com
