How to Draw Human Faces & Eyes

Get the proportions of the human face right by first sketching a base.

Drawing the human face and eyes might seem like a challenge for the novice artist. The eyes are often referred to as "the windows to the soul," giving the person you draw a distinct personality. Proportions are important when drawing the human face and eyes. Overly large eyes or other features tend to make the human face look more like a cartoon or caricature. To draw the human face in proportion and accurately, it is important to first sketch a base for the drawing.

Things You'll Need

• Pencil
• Sketchbook
• Ruler
• Artist's tape
• Tracing paper

Instructions

Sketching a Base

1. Draw a large oval outline onto a piece of sketch paper. Divide the oval in half with a horizontal line. This represents the eye line.

2. Cut the bottom section of the oval in half with a horizontal line. This is the nose line. Draw a horizontal line in the center between the bottom of the oval and the nose line. This is the mouth line.

3. Divide the oval in half with a vertical line. The cross point is the center of the face.

4. Separate the eye line into five equal sections with tick marks. In the second section, draw a curved line above the eye line with the ends touching the tick marks of that section. Draw another curved line below the eye line in the same manner. This is the first eye. Repeat this for the fourth section of the eye line to make the second eye. The shape of the eyes should resemble almonds.

5. Use the ruler to draw straight, dotted lines from the inside corners of the eyes to the nose line. This is the width of the nose.

6. Draw dotted lines from the center of the eye to the mouth line to represent the width of the mouth.

7. Place a piece of tracing paper over the base sketch and tape it in place with artist's tape. This is the surface on which you will draw.

Drawing the Eyes

1. 

   The eyes give the drawn person character.

   Begin drawing an oval. At the nose line, curve the line slightly and draw inwards to create a jaw line. Do the same for the other side. Let the lines meet to create a slightly rounded chin.

2. Draw two almond-shaped eyes in the second and fourth sections of the base sketch, which are seen through the tracing paper. At the outside of the inside corner of each eye, draw a small shape that looks like a tear with an open end to make a tear duct. Each end of the tear-duct shape will touch the outline of the eye.

3. Sketch a partial circle, or iris, in the center of each eyeball so the top of the iris is partially cut off by the top outline of the eye. The eyes will have an unnatural look with full circles in the center of the eye, as this is rarely what irises look like.

4. Draw a small circle in the center of each iris. These are the pupils.

5. Make a curved line just above the top of each eyeball. This represents the eyelid. Draw eyelashes that curve up and toward the outside along the top of the eyeball line. Sketch lower eyelashes along the bottom of the eyeball going down and toward the outside. Draw two curved lines slightly above above the eyelid. Make the lines thicker to represent eyebrows.

Finishing the Face

1. 

   Finish the face using the base and your own creativity.

   Sketch a concave line at the nose line, in between the dotted lines that represent the nose width. The ends of the concave line should not touch the dotted lines. This line represents the main part of the nose.

2. Draw two curved lines along the sides of the nose so one end touches the nose and the other goes up to touch the dotted line. These are the nostrils.

3. Make a slightly concave line below the mouth line, ensuring the ends touch the dotted lines that represent the width of the mouth. This is the lower lip.

4. 

   Look at the peaks of the upper lip as a reference.

   Sketch a small, concave line slightly above the mouth line, centered and below the bottom of the nose. This is the center of the peaks of the upper lip.

5. Round out two peaks on each end of the peak center. Draw a slightly curved line from each peak to the mouth corners.

References

• How to Draw a Human Face Video