Drawing the Adult Human Head
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Start with an oval to define the overall shape of the head. Establish the width of the neck and, if necessary, the position of the shoulder(s).These shapes will be refined using the following steps. |
Bisect the head by dropping a vertical line down its center, making sure to accomodate the curve of the head if the portrait is 3/4 view. Mark the main divisions of the top of forehead, brow, and the nose. |
Define the position of the mouth as per the rules of thumb. It should be 2/3 up between the chin and the nose. |
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Use the earlier rules of thumb to locate and draw the plane and position of the eyes. This should fall exactly halfway between the brow and the chin. Likewise, establish the features of the mouth. |
Look for the major planes of the face, recognizing that the face shape forms a near V from the temples to the chin. Establish the shape of the hair, remembering that the hair has volume that extends beyond the surface of the head. |
Use a kneaded eraser to carefull clean up your sketch, while refining the drawing as needed. Remember that as a basis for a painting, you do not need to include shading. This can be established later in the process. |
