How to Draw a Realistic Face Beginners TUTORIAL

If y'all desire to draw lifelike portraiture, knowing how to describe facial features is essential. Below, creative person and instructor Lee Hammond shares tips and techniques for drawing realistic faces with graphite pencil, excerpted from her book, Lee Hammond's All New Big Book of Drawing .

In this footstep-by-step guide, Lee will teach you how to recreate every aspect of your model's face: the eyes, nose, cheeks, and mouth. And so you understand where nosotros're heading in this tutorial, here'southward our finished production first.

Drawing a Portrait Demo, Step 3 | Lee Hammond | How to Draw Facial Features for Beginners | Artists Network

More Resources on Cartoon Faces and People

Video Lesson: How to Draw an Centre

Drawing the Bend of Cheeks, Chins, and Noses Drawing Pilus

Drawing Facial Hair Avoid These five Mistakes When Drawing Portraits

Learning to Depict Facial Features

At present, before you can draw an entire face, you must first larn to depict each of the facial features individually. Simply by taking one characteristic at a fourth dimension can you learn the anatomy well and sympathize what to expect for and what to capture in your drawing.

Drawing facial features: Eyes, Ears, Mouth and Nose in this easy tutorial.

Drawing Noses Two Ways

The nose is the least complicated characteristic and nearly closely resembles the sphere, as noted. The five elements of shading are easy to meet. It is important to learn to describe facial features in dissimilar poses.

These straight-on and profile views of the nose volition give you aplenty exercise. Follow the steps to draw a olfactory organ in both views.

Cartoon a Nose: Direct-on View

1. Create a Line Cartoon

Use the grid method and a mechanical pencil to create a line drawing of a nose in a straight-on view.

Straight-On View, Nose Demo, Step 1 | Lee Hammond | How to Draw Facial Features for Beginners | Artists Network

2. Develop the Lights and Darks

First and foremost, when y'all are sure of your accuracy, carefully remove the filigree lines with a kneaded eraser. Then, develop the patterns of calorie-free and dark with a pencil. Get-go by cartoon a sphere to learn lifelike shading and facial curves.

2nd, add reflected light along the edges of the olfactory organ and the rim of the nostril. Add a shadow edge under the tip of the olfactory organ to get in wait rounded. Place bandage shadows under the bottom edge of the nose.

Straight-On View, Nose Demo, Step 2 | Lee Hammond | How to Draw Facial Features for Beginners | Artists Network

iii. Alloy

Later on y'all add your light and dark tones, blend them smooth with a stump or tortillion. Very little of the drawing should be left white. Many artists volition exit pare tones too light, but simply the highlights should be every bit white equally the paper.

Be sure to blend out from the dark areas into the lighter face surface area, merely similar you did in the sphere exercise. This makes it appear real.

Straight-On View, Nose Demo, Step 3 | Lee Hammond | How to Draw Facial Features for Beginners | Artists Network

Drawing a Nose: Profile View

1. Create a Line Drawing

Use the grid method and a mechanical pencil to create a line drawing of a nose from a side view.

2. Develop the Lights and Darks

When you are sure of your accuracy, carefully remove the grid lines with a kneaded eraser then develop the patterns of lite and dark with a pencil. One time once again, be sure to refer to the sphere exercise to render the tonal value variations of lite shining.

3. Blend

Blend the tones smoothen with a stump or tortillion. Utilize the dark tones backside the nose to brand the edges stand out.

Lighting is crucial. The dark background makes this case look very different from the previous one.

Video Lesson: How to Depict a Olfactory organ and Oral cavity

In this episode of our weekly live Drawing Together series, artist Scott Maier shows how to draw a nose and mouth.

Cartoon Male and Female Mouths / Lips

Drawing a mouth can exist a challenge, only you lot can draw realistic lips when you break the process into uncomplicated steps. Follow along to create a total, realistic mouth and avoid making simple drawing mistakes, like defining hard edges, that beginning artists tend to brand.

When studying the oral fissure, y'all will detect the upper lip is usually smaller and will appear darker than the bottom lip. Information technology creates an M shape.

At that place are differences between male person and female person lips. Female person mouths are much more defined and seem fuller and shinier. The edges of male lips are more subtle and are described past the shadows around them more than the edges themselves.

Drawing Lips | Female

1. Create a Line Cartoon

Utilize the grid method and a mechanical pencil to create a line drawing of female person lips.

Drawing Lips, Female, Demo, Step 1 | Lee Hammond | How to Draw Facial Features for Beginners | Artists Network

2. Apply the Nighttime Patterns

When you are sure of your accurateness, carefully remove the grid lines with a kneaded eraser. Utilize the nighttime patterns of the lips with a pencil.

Make the upper lip darker than the lesser i. This is considering the upper lip angles in, and the bottom lip angles out.

Drawing Lips, Female, Demo, Step 2 | Lee Hammond | How to Draw Facial Features for Beginners | Artists Network

iii. Blend Tones and Light Highlights

Alloy the tones smooth with a tortillion. Exist certain to create the tones of the skin around the lips and so that they look realistic. Use a kneaded eraser to lift the brilliant highlights of the lower lip to make them expect moist and shiny.

Drawing Lips, Female, Demo, Step 3 | Lee Hammond | How to Draw Facial Features for Beginners | Artists Network

Drawing Lips | Male

1. Create a Line Drawing

Use the grid method and a mechanical pencil to create a line drawing of male lips.

Drawing Lips, Male, Demo, Step 1 | Lee Hammond | How to Draw Facial Features for Beginners | Artists Network

2. Add together Dark Tones

When you are sure of your accuracy, advisedly remove the grid lines with a kneaded eraser. Add the darkest tones first with a pencil.

Drawing Lips, Male, Demo, Step 2 | Lee Hammond | How to Draw Facial Features for Beginners | Artists Network

3. Alloy and Lift

Blend the drawing with a stump or tortillion to remove the white of the paper. Deepen the dark areas with your pencil and and then lift light areas out with a kneaded eraser.

Drawing Lips, Male, Demo, Step 3 | Lee Hammond | How to Draw Facial Features for Beginners | Artists Network

Drawing Smiles

Mouths become much more than difficult to describe when the teeth are showing. When drawing teeth, never draw a hard line between each tooth. Because the teeth touch, a difficult line would brand them look too split up by representing a dark infinite.

They should likewise have some shading applied. Teeth are dimensional, then leaving them white would make them look flat. As the teeth recede into the mouth, the shadows get darker. The bottom teeth are always a bit darker also since they practice not protrude as much.

1. Create a Line Cartoon

Use the grid method and a mechanical pencil to create a line drawing of a mouth and teeth. Each molar must be perfect to create a proficient likeness.

Do non draw hard lines between each tooth. For accuracy, draw the shapes of the gum line and the edges of the teeth.

Drawing Smiles Demo, Step 1 | Lee Hammond | How to Draw Facial Features for Beginners | Artists Network

ii. Apply Dark Tones

When yous are sure of your accuracy, carefully remove the grid lines with a kneaded eraser. Employ the darkest tones with a pencil. It is darkest within the mouth. The upper lip is darker than the bottom lip and does non have vivid highlights.

Drawing Smiles Demo, Step 2 | Lee Hammond | How to Draw Facial Features for Beginners | Artists Network

iii. Alloy, Add Shading and Lift

Alloy the tones smooth with a tortillion. Apply some shading to each tooth to make sure they look dimensional. Lift the highlights of the bottom lip so that they look full and shiny.

Keep the lines between the teeth subtle. Use a kneaded eraser to soften where they touch.

Drawing Smiles Demo, Step 3 | Lee Hammond | How to Draw Facial Features for Beginners | Artists Network

Drawing Optics

There are many components to the centre and all of them are important. Hither are a few hints to help you:

The iris and the pupil are perfect circles when the eye is looking directly at you. If turning away or looking up and down, they become ellipses.
The pupil is ever perfectly centered within the iris.
The pupil is the darkest part of the eye. Fill up it in equally dark and shine equally possible. Get out an expanse for a catch light.
The catch light should be one-half in the pupil and half in the iris. If the photo shows it blocking the pupil, movement it over.
The lower lid thickness below the iris is very important. Never just draw a line nether the heart. This small item gives the eye dimension.
Patterns inside the iris volition vary depending on the colour of the eye and resemble a starburst.
The white of the eye needs to be blended to resemble a sphere shape. Never but exit this expanse (the sclera) white.
The lashes on the upper chapeau come up together to make a night edge called the lash line.
The upper eyelid recesses, making the eyeball accept on a sphere shape.

Now let's move on to drawing an eye.

1. Create a Line Drawing

Use the filigree method and a mechanical pencil to crate a line drawing of an center.

Drawing Eyes Demo, Step 1 | Lee Hammond | How to Draw Facial Features for Beginners | Artists Network

2. Lay in the Patterns and Blend

When you lot are sure of your accurateness, advisedly remove the grid lines with a kneaded eraser. Then, lay in the patterns of the iris with a pencil. Use pencil lines that resemble a starburst pattern or wagon wheel spokes.

Exit an area open for the grab light (half in the pupil and half in the iris). Blend things shine with a tortillion. Use a kneaded eraser to lift the catch light and increase the patterns in the iris.

Drawing Eyes Demo, Step 2 | Lee Hammond | How to Draw Facial Features for Beginners | Artists Network

three. Go along Blending and Shading, Add Eyelashes

Alloy the pare areas of the cartoon to create the form and contours. Shade the white of the centre to brand information technology look rounded like a sphere.

Add the eyelashes with very quick strokes that taper at the ends. They grow in layers and clumps, and so do not make them go all along in a row.

Notice how the lashes on the bottom grow from the lower edge of the lower lid thickness. You can see how much dimension the lower lid thickness gives to the expect of the eye.

Drawing Eyes Demo, Step 3 | Lee Hammond | How to Draw Facial Features for Beginners | Artists Network

Video Lesson: How to Depict an Eye

In this episode of our live weekly Drawing Together series, artist Scott Maier shows how to describe an eye.

Drawing Noses and Eyes Together

Once y'all learn the anatomy of the eye and how to depict it realistically, it is important to understand how to put 2 of them together along with other facial features like the nose. Here are some guidelines to think:

The space between the eyes is one eye width.
Both eyes should exist directly across from each other.
If you draw a vertical line down from the corner of the heart, information technology will line up with the edge of the nose. (This can change according to dissimilar ethnicities.)
Both optics must be looking in the same direction. The student and iris must be the same in both.
Identify the catch lite in the same place on both eyes (half in the pupil, half in the iris).

1. Create a Line Cartoon

Use the grid method and a mechanical pencil to create a line drawing of a olfactory organ and eyes together. Detect how the vertical line drawn down from the corner of the optics lines upwards with the edge of the nose. Place the optics straight across from 1 another.

Drawing Noses and Eyes Demo, Step 1 | Lee Hammond | How to Draw Facial Features for Beginners | Artists Network

2. Employ Dark Tones, Fill in the Shadow Areas and Eyebrows

When y'all are certain of your accuracy, advisedly remove the grid lines with a kneaded eraser. Employ the darkest tones with a pencil.

The pupils of the eyes are the darkest areas. Fill up in the tones of the shadow areas and the eyebrows. The eyebrows should be shaded in equally a shape first, before the hairs are practical.

Drawing Noses and Eyes Demo, Step 2 | Lee Hammond | How to Draw Facial Features for Beginners | Artists Network

3. Blend and Utilize Highlights

Blend with a stump or tortillion. Very little of the paper should be left white, even in the whites of the eyes. Apply a kneaded eraser for the modest highlights seen in the brows and patterns within the pupils.

Drawing Noses and Eyes Demo, Step 3 | Lee Hammond | How to Draw Facial Features for Beginners | Artists Network

Drawing Eyes from an Angle

This project volition assistance you lot run into things from a different vantage point. When you draw facial features of a person who is at an angle, the rules change.

The features look distorted due to the perspective. In this view, the profile of the olfactory organ is blocking one of the optics and simply a pocket-sized portion of the face up is showing on that side.

1. Create a Line Drawing

Utilise the filigree method and a mechanical pencil to create a line cartoon of eyes in a slightly angled pose. Observe how this angle blocks the view of part of the face.

The irises and pupils now are vertical ellipses, since the eye is non looking straight at yous. The perfect circle is at present inverse due to the perspective.

Drawing Eyes at Angle Demo, Step 1 | Lee Hammond | How to Draw Facial Features for Beginners | Artists Network

ii. Apply Darks, Add Shadows and Blend the Eyebrows

When you are sure of your accuracy, carefully remove the filigree lines with a kneaded eraser. Use the darkest tones with your pencil to create the shadows. The pupils of the eyes are the darkest areas. Blend the shapes of the eyebrows to a gray tone.

Drawing Eyes at Angle Demo, Step 2 | Lee Hammond | How to Draw Facial Features for Beginners | Artists Network

3. Blend and Lift

Alloy the skin areas with a stump or tortillion. Use a kneaded eraser for the small highlights seen in the brows. Create the patterns within the pupils and lift the catch lights.

Drawing Ears

Ears are ane of the most difficult features to draw because hey are made up of foreign shapes. We don't especially pay much attention to ears unless they take earrings or are larger than normal. Either way, they are not shapes that we often think nigh.

To draw a good portrait, you must learn the anatomy of the model to make them expect convincing. It is a adept idea to practice drawing ears in a variety of angles and poses, too. Practicing all views is important if y'all want to be proficient in portrait drawing.

Video Lesson: How to Draw an Ear

In this episode of our weekly alive Drawing Together series, artist Scott Maier shows how to draw an ear.

Cartoon Ears: Front View

This is a typical front view of an ear seen on a portrait. Much of the beefcake is blocked past the hair. Just the protruding function of the earlobe is visible.

Drawing of Ear, Front View | How to Draw Facial Features with Lee Hammond, Beginner's Guide | Artists Network

Cartoon Ears: Side-Angle View

This side-angle view shows the complexities of the ear. It is certainly not a typical pose, but y'all never know when y'all may accept to draw a person in an unusual pose.

Drawing of Ear, Side-Angle View | How to Draw Facial Features with Lee Hammond, Beginner's Guide | Artists Network

Drawing Exercise: Learning the Beefcake of Ears

This practise will assist you learn the anatomy of ears. They are made up of many intricate shapes that all nestle together. The grid method helps to make them appear more like a puzzle.

Here are some things to keep in mind when cartoon ears:

The outer ear overlaps the inner ear.
The inner ear has an area that resembles a Y. Look for it in every ear y'all draw.
The skin of the ear is different. It is more oily, so highlights can appear very bright.
There is a protruding surface area of the inner ear that acts like a cup.
The earlobe often resembles a sphere.

1. Create a Line Drawing

Utilise the filigree method and a mechanical pencil to create a line cartoon of an ear. Look at it similar a puzzle of interlocking shapes.

Drawing Ears Demo, Step 1 | Lee Hammond | How to Draw Facial Features for Beginners | Artists Network

2. Apply the Darks

When you are sure of your accuracy, carefully remove the grid lines with a kneaded eraser. Apply the darkest areas with a pencil.

Create shadows underneath where the outer ear overlaps the inner ears. Resist the urge to outline too much. Allow shading create your edges.

Drawing Ears Demo, Step 2 | Lee Hammond | How to Draw Facial Features for Beginners | Artists Network

iii. Blend and Lift

Blend the drawing with a stump or tortillion. To make information technology look realistic, elevator out highlights with a kneaded eraser.

The ear is a chip shinier than other skin, so the highlights should be bright. Remember the five elements of shading and the sphere when focusing on the earlobe.

Drawing Ears Demo, Step 3 | Lee Hammond | How to Draw Facial Features for Beginners | Artists Network

Putting It All Together | Drawing a Portrait

At present that you've learned how to draw facial features from the eyes to the oral fissure, it's time to put everything together into a portrait. Exercise not exercise this projection before yous have done the proper do piece of work. Go back and exercise all of the facial features first.

And, before moving on, be sure to do drawing hair.

Video Lesson: Drawing a Woman'southward Portrait

In this episode of our weekly alive Cartoon Together serial, artist Scott Maier shows how to draw a woman's portrait.

Here are some tips for drawing portraits:

When you desire to draw facial features, showtime with the eyes. This helps create a connectedness with the viewer and starts to capture the personality of your subject.
When you end the optics, move down and finish the nose, then the oral cavity. This is chosen the triangle of features.
Allow the darkness of the hair to help create the lighter edge of the face up. Placing tone backside the face reduces the adventure of things looking outlined.
When drawing hair, apply your pencil strokes going in the aforementioned direction as the hair growth.
Always remember the five elements of shading with everything yous draw.

How to Draw a Portrait

1. Create a Line Drawing

Apply the grid method and a mechanical pencil to create a line drawing of a female face up. Go 1 box at a time and exist very careful with the shapes.

Drawing a Portrait Demo, Step 1 | Lee Hammond | How to Draw Facial Features for Beginners | Artists Network

two. Apply the Darks and Get-go Edifice up the Hair

When you are sure of your accuracy, carefully remove the grid lines with a kneaded eraser. Employ the darkest tones.

Offset with the eyes and then move downwardly to the nose and rima oris to create the triangle of features. Apply some nighttime tone next to the face to help create the light edge of the face. Offset to build the hair using long pencil strokes.

Drawing a Portrait Demo, Step 2 | Lee Hammond | How to Draw Facial Features for Beginners | Artists Network

iii. Blend and Lift

Accept your time finishing. The face must be blended very smooth with a stump or tortillion. Niggling of the drawing should exist left pure white; merely the highlights in the eyes and on the olfactory organ announced white. As y'all complete the face, refer to the previous exercises on individual facial features and keep the five elements of shading in mind.

The hair in this portrait takes a lot of fourth dimension. Use very long pencil strokes to create the length. Blend everything out smooth and so elevator bands of calorie-free out of the hair with a kneaded eraser.

Proceed Practicing

Now that yous have learned how to draw facial features, keep practicing! Lee Hammond's All New Big Book of Drawing includes tons of quick footstep-by-stride drawing demos geared toward beginners in both graphite and colored pencil, including how to draw facial features in colored pencil. You lot tin can also detect more inspiration and techniques from Lee Hammond on her website.

Learning to Draw? Join Our Alive Video Serial, Drawing Together!

Learn to depict faces, people, and much more than in our live weekly video series led by creative person Scott Maier.

How to Depict an Heart How to Describe a Nose and Mouth

Cartoon a Girl's Portrait Cartoon a Self Portrait