How to Learn Pencil Faces Drawing

Learning to draw faces with a pencil takes time, but the results are beautiful.

To get a drawing of someone's face right, you need to learn some basic facts about measurements. Every artist knows that the alignment of features in the face is directly proportional to the size to the head, and therefore these features need to be drawn at certain points in the face. Correctly sculpting a face with your pencil can be challenging at first, but with time and practice you will be able to create beautiful faces by using proper technique.

Things You'll Need

• Pencil
• Paper

Instructions

Front View

1. Sketch an oval. This will be your subject's head, so it's alright to make the bottom slightly pointed where the chin will be.

2. Draw some horizontal dashed lines, called "guidelines," on the oval to show where the facial features are going. The first guideline is halfway across the oval. The next guideline is halfway between the first guideline and the bottom of your oval. Then draw a third guideline between the second line and the bottom of the oval.

3. Sketch your figure's eyes and ears on the first line in the center of the face. Don't worry about too much detail right now, just get the basic shape down. Sketch the nose on the second line and the mouth on the last line.

Side View

1. Sketch an oval, but make the bottom flat. This is going to be the side view of a face, so envision the bottom as being the jawline.

2. Draw a guideline halfway across the oval, another one halfway between the first guideline and the bottom of your oval,and a third guideline between the second line and the bottom of the oval.

3. Draw the eye on the center line, and remember that from the side only one eye will be visible. Place the ears on this same line, set in the rear third of the oval. The distance between the ear and the eye should be about the same distance between the eye and the chin.

4. Draw the nose on the second line, and draw the mouth on the last line.

Details

1. Add hair to your subject's face by sketching light lines in the shape you desire. It is best to draw the outline of the hair first rather than attempt to draw it with multiple pencil strokes. Once you have the outline, finish the hair by filling in lines, curls and shading.

2. Draw your eyes by sketching a circle in the center and another circle overlapping it slightly above and to the left. Fill in the first circle, which is the pupil, but leave the second circle white to represent a spot of light. Draw a third circle all the way around the first two to make an iris, shading it in lightly.

3. Finish the eyes by sketching eyebrows.

4. Add shading very lightly to the sides of the nose and fill in the upper and lower lips to the desired fullness.

Tips & Warnings

• When learning to draw or practicing your skills, it's always best to work off of a live subject or a photograph. This makes it easier to sketch difficult facial expressions, positions and different hairstyles.

References

• How to Draw and Paint: How to Draw Faces