Portrait drawing lessons from a professional. How to draw portraits of people with a pencil? We outline the lines of the nose, forehead and hair

The portrait conveys not only external characteristics faces, but also reflects inner world person, his attitude to reality and emotional state at a certain point in time. In fact, a portrait, like any other conversation piece, is the arrangement of lines, shapes and colors on canvas or paper so that their final combination repeats the shape human face.

Sounds almost like magic? In order to correctly place those very lines, shapes and shades on paper, you must first of all study the proportions of a person’s face (when drawing a portrait, they must be observed without fail) and their dependence on the movements, direction and shape of the head.

What is a portrait?

Regardless of the level of skill, working on it intimidates any artist. The remarkable painter John Singer Sargent gave the portrait two characteristics that every artist would agree on:

1. “Every time I paint a portrait, especially on commission, I lose a friend.”
2. "A portrait is a painting in which the lips end up looking somehow wrong."

Portrait - one of the most difficult genres of drawing and painting. The reason is that the artist often works to order, and pressure from outside interferes with creative process. The portrait in the view of the customer often differs from what the artist creates. In addition, working on the image of a human face requires special knowledge and a fair amount of patience.

Why study proportions

Proportions are needed in order to understand how objects are located relative to each other in a dimensional, planar and intermediate ratio. If even a small amount of realism is important for a portrait, this cannot be achieved without knowing the proportions. On the other hand, nobody canceled abstract portraits.

Knowledge of proportions helps to convey not only facial features, but also emotions and facial expressions of a person. Knowing the dependence of the change appearance from the position of the head, the emotional state of the model and lighting, the artist can transfer the character and mood of a person to the canvas, thereby creating an object of art. But for this you need to know the correct proportions of the face and be able to build a composition in accordance with the rules.

Ideal Proportions

During High Renaissance Raphael created paintings that were considered the standard of perfection. Virtually all of today's ideal proportions originate in the oval of the faces of Raphael's Madonnas.

If you draw a vertical line in the very center of the face and divide it into three parts - from the hairline to the eyebrows, from the eyebrows to the tip of the nose and from the tip of the nose to the chin, then these parts will be equal in an ideal face. The figure below shows the ideal proportions of a human face, a scheme for drawing and building an ideal face oval, as well as the ratio of the main features. It is worth considering that the ideal male face is characterized by more angular features, but, despite this, their main location corresponds to the presented scheme.

Based on this scheme, the ideal proportions of the face when drawing a portrait correspond to the following formula:

1. BC=CE=EF.
2. AD=DF.
3. OR=KL=PK.

face shape

Correctly constructed proportions of a person's face when drawing a portrait depend largely on the shape of this face. Raphael created a perfect oval, and nature does not limit perfection to just one geometric shape.

Probably, it is most convenient to study the construction of proportions and their change during movement on a perfectly oval face, for this there are many ways and techniques that will be discussed below, but the essence of the portrait is not in creating an ideal, but in depicting a person with all his features and imperfections. That is why it is important to know what the shape of the face can be and how it affects the construction of proportions when drawing portraits.

Rounded faces

elongated face has rounded hairline and chin. The vertical midline of the face is much longer than the horizontal. Elongated faces are usually characterized by a high forehead and a large distance between the upper lip and the base of the nose. Usually the width of the forehead is approximately equal to the width of the cheekbones.

Oval face similar in shape to an egg turned upside down. The cheekbones are the widest part of it, followed by a slightly less wide forehead and a relatively narrow jaw. The length of an oval face is slightly greater than its width.

Round face characterized by almost equal midlines of the vertical and horizontal sections of the face. Wide cheekbones are smoothed out by a smooth rounded chin line.

Angular face shapes

Rectangular face characterized by a wide jaw, accentuated by an angular chin and a straight hairline. The median line of the vertical section is much longer than the horizontal one. The width of the forehead of a person with a rectangular face is approximately equal to the width of the cheekbones.

triangular differs from the heart-shaped only by the hairline, in the triangular it is straight. Characteristic This face shape has high cheekbones and a very narrow, pointed chin, while the cheekbones are almost as wide as the forehead. The vertical section line of a triangular face is usually slightly longer than the horizontal line.

Square shape characteristic of persons with low, wide cheekbones and an angular chin. The length of a square face is equal to its width.

Trapezoidal defined by a wide jaw, low cheekbones and a narrow forehead. Usually on such a face, the chin is angular and wide, and the cheekbones are much wider than the forehead.

diamond shape the face is given a proportionally narrow forehead and chin, the latter usually pointed. The high cheekbones are the widest part of the diamond-shaped face, and its horizontal section is much smaller than the vertical one.

Correct facial structure

The correct construction when drawing a portrait is based on measuring the facial features of the model and the distance between them. Each portrait is individual, just as no two faces are exactly the same, with the exception of twins. The formulas for calculating proportions give only basic tips, following which you can make the drawing process much easier.

To create your own characters or draw faces from memory, it is extremely important to know the correct rendering of proportions. It is important to remember here that the shape of the head is much more complicated than an inverted egg or an oval, and therefore it is worth following the rules to avoid eyes on the forehead or a mouth that is too small.

face outline

First, draw a circle - this will be the widest part of the skull. As you know, the main features of the face take place under the circle. To approximately determine their place, we divide the circle in half vertically and continue the line down so that the lower outline of the circle divides it exactly in half. The bottom of the line will be the chin. From the sides of the circle to the "chin" you need to draw lines that will become the preliminary outlines of the cheekbones and cheeks.

If the portrait is drawn from the model's face or from memory, then you can correct the shape with a few light lines, determine the approximate width of the chin and the hairline. It is worth noting that the hair in the portrait will occupy some part of the circle that was drawn at the very beginning.

Eyes and eyebrows

At the base of the circle we draw horizontal line, perpendicular to the first. The eyes are on this line. It is on it, not higher, no matter how much you want! The horizontal line must be divided into five equal parts - each of them is equal to the width of the eye. The central part may be slightly wider. The eyes are located on the sides of her. For further calculation of proportions, it is best to indicate where the pupils will be located.

To determine how high above the eyes the eyebrows should be, divide the circle into four equal parts, from bottom to top. Eyebrows will be located along a horizontal line passing directly above the eyes.

Nose and lips

The vertical line of the lower part of the face must be divided in half. Mark the middle where the base of the nose should be. The width of the nose is easy to determine by drawing parallel lines down from the inner corners of the eyes.

The rest - from the nose to the chin - must be divided in half again. The middle line coincides with the line of the mouth, that is, the upper lip is located directly above it, and the lower lip is located below it. The width of the mouth can be calculated by drawing parallel lines down from the middle of the pupils. The width of the chin is usually equal to the width of the nose.

Building the proportions of the human face, described above, is a simplified method and is suitable for ideal faces, which are not so many in nature.

The topic of this article is about how to draw a portrait with a pencil in stages for beginners. Each of us is looking for convenient way depict what he sees. That is why I want to offer an option on how to draw a portrait of a person, whether it is close or dear, or a person sitting in the train opposite, or it will be portraits of celebrities. In this option, there is only one rule - simplicity.

And today is a training lesson. We will draw a person’s face with a pencil in stages, a person you see every day, you are used to “working” a little on his appearance, trying on makeup or a smile, strictness or tenderness. We draw the face you know as your reflection in the mirror.

But first, let's get a mirror, and as for the first time, look at ourselves. All people are similar and at the same time different, and you are no exception. What makes us similar? Everyone has it healthy person there are two eyes, a mouth, a nose, ears, eyebrows, hair styled in a hairstyle. And what makes us different? The shape, size and location of these "details" of human appearance. So, a portrait is a kind of collage or puzzles of several fragments, which we will “break” into the plan of our work: Eyes; Mouth; Nose; Ears; Brows; Hair (hairstyle) and oval face.

And all this has its own shape, size and proportions of location on the face. This is what makes each of us "released in a single copy", and unlike anyone else. And if we learn to paint a portrait certain person, it would be good to first pay attention to the shape and type of each element of the face in detail. And only after that our final goal, and this is a portrait in colored pencils, will become more accessible.

Eyes

Step 1

Step 2

Step 3

Step 4

Step 5

Step 6

Lips

Step 1

Step 2

Step 3

Step 4

Step 5

Nose

Step 1

Step 2

Step 3

Step 4

Step 5

Ears

Step 1

Step 2

Step 3

Step 4

Brows

Step 1

Step 2

Hair (hairstyle) and oval face

Action 1

Action 2

Action 3

Well, we have learned to work on each detail separately. Time to put the puzzle together. Let's talk about the human pencil.

Angle

Profile - if the model is located sideways to us.

And how to draw a portrait of a person who sits half-turned towards us? And what is this work called? This is three quarters. This angle is very convenient for a romantic and informal image. It highlights the beauty of the eyes and lips. That's exactly what we will choose to complete the first portrait with a pencil from a photograph.

Working on an image from a photo

To understand how to draw a person's face, let's distribute everything in stages.

Stage 1

Stage 2

Stage 3

A little more detail:

Eyes and eyebrows

Nose

Stage 4

Stage 5

Test lesson

1) Oval of the face.

2) Auxiliary lines to maintain proportion.

3) Schematic representation of all elements.

4) We perform the portrait with colored pencils.

Lesson learned and fixed. As for me, the result is not bad. We can safely say that we understood how to draw a portrait with a pencil. And if necessary, we will use our new skills.

The first thing to do is draw an oval for the HEAD, not the oval of the face and not the opened cranium, but the head COMPLETELY. To be more precise, the head looks like an upside down egg.

Exactly in the middle we draw a vertical, straight line (axis of symmetry). She will help us to draw symmetrically all parts of the face.

A portrait will look strange, in which one eye is larger than the other and are at different heights. Brrr... Therefore, we will align everything relative to the middle of the face.

We divide the length of the entire head into two equal parts. Draw a horizontal line. On this line we will draw the eyes, but a little later. First, find the location of all the other parts.

At the top of the head, we make a notch that defines the hairline, i.e. this is where the forehead starts. We do it approximately, "by eye". The rest will be the face.

We divide the length of the face into three equal parts. The first line, as I said, is the beginning of the hair, the second is the eyebrows, the third is the edge of the nose.

On the line of the eyes, the one that is exactly in the middle of the HEAD, draw eyes. Note that the distance between the eyes is equal to the length of one eye.

Our pupils are not located exactly in the middle of the eye, but hide a little under the upper eyelid.

We draw a nose. We have already decided on the length, it remains to decide on the width. Usually, the width of the wings of the nose is equal to the distance between the eyes. Do not forget to check the symmetry of the face i.e. measure the distance from the right and left parts to the line in the middle.

In addition to the fact that drawing portraits is a great hobby that can keep memories of dear and close people in the life of an artist, it is also a form of income. Indeed, talented craftsmen significantly increase their income by doing what they love and honing their skills.

A step by step guide to drawing portraits.

• If you want to learn how to draw portraits, but have not come across this type of art before, start with yourself. More precisely, start drawing yourself. We're talking about a self-portrait. This is what Van Gogh did - he painted his portraits. In order for you to be able to see the details of your face, pay enough attention to the lighting. For right-handers, for example, the light source should be placed on the left side and slightly above the artist.
• Create the first drawing on a 1:1 scale. To do this, make sure that the canvas (or other material on which you will paint) is larger than your head so that it can fit completely.
  
• Try not to turn your head too much, using eye movements when drawing. By the way, you can start drawing from one of the eyes. Study it carefully, draw and move on, measuring the proportionality of all the details.
  
• Having chosen the least difficult way in the question of how to draw a portrait (that is, a self-portrait), you still need to pay attention to details. For example, when drawing an eye, you should pay attention to all the small wrinkles, the density of the eyelashes, the shape. You will have to be objective, although it is not always easy.
  
• When drawing the second eye, do not mindlessly copy the previous element. In the biological world, complete symmetry is a rarity. See how your right eye differs from your left, and try to convey these differences in the drawing.
  
• After the basic unit - the eye - is drawn, use its dimensions to maintain the correct proportions. With this unit of measurement, you can qualitatively measure the distance between the eyes, the distance from the visible edge of the face.
  
• Pay attention to the height and shape of your eyebrows. Often they are what make a person recognizable, so try to convey them objectively.
  
• Hold a mirror behind your easel so that you can lift your eyes slightly to see the original at any given time. Try not to make unnecessary movements so as not to lose the original angle of the head. Even a slight inconsistency can confuse a novice artist.
  
• To maintain symmetry, draw a vertical auxiliary line dividing the space between the eyes in half. You will be guided by this line when drawing the nose and lips. But remember that the world does not have to be perfect, and if in real life your nose protrudes to the left of the center line, this feature should be conveyed on paper.
  
• Compare the unit of measurement "width of the eye" with the distance between bottom nose and inside eyes. Transfer the resulting correspondence to paper. Next, in the same way, measure the distance to the upper lip and draw the size and shape of the lips. In the case of correctly designed proportions, you will already at this stage get high level portrait resemblance.
  
• Next, you need to determine and draw the shape and height of the cheekbones and ears. This is not easy, because it is these parts of the human face that are unique and not easily amenable to the brush of a novice master. But if you succeed, then you are undoubtedly ready for subsequent difficulties.
  
• Marking the chin and jaw the first time is also not for everyone. In addition to the fact that professional drawing of a protruding bone is not an easy task in itself, people tend to idealize their appearance. Not everyone can recognize the excessive squareness of their jaw or the bulge of their chin. However, artists see beauty differently than ordinary people- just in these imperfections that distinguish people from each other.
  
• Start drawing hair. In your first self-portrait, pay attention not to the details, but to the general similarity: the height, density and shape of the hairstyle. Don't waste time drawing individual strands. At this stage, we do not have such a goal.
  
• Now pay attention to the play of chiaroscuro. Proceed to darken the desired areas, as well as lightening where necessary. So you make the drawing voluminous and natural. Start working with the darkest areas (the iris of the eyes) and then move in descending order, along the palette - from dark to lighter.
• Try to pay enough attention to the location of the light spots in order to achieve the greatest naturalness of the picture. Notice even small and seemingly insignificant details.
• Using lightening and darkening areas, mark the bones of the skull under the skin so that the person depicted in the portrait is obviously created from flesh and blood, and not from marmalade and ostrich feathers (if you are painting a self-portrait in the classical style, of course).
  
• Shade one of the wings of the nose and try to convey the shape of your sense of touch as correctly as possible. With all its features: size, shape and possible imperfections.
• Also work out the shadows in the nasolabial septum and on the cheekbones-chin. Don't focus too much on shadows underneath lower lip. If you overdo it, you risk distorting the correct understanding of the portrait.
  
• The final touches are light spots and shadows in the neck area. Here is your first self-portrait and ready.
  

What you read above will help you develop basic skills and come to common understanding What is important to pay attention to when drawing a portrait. It takes practice, lots of practice, to perfect what you've just learned. And each portrait will get better and better.

Now we will learn the construction of a person’s face and how to draw a beautiful portrait (face) of a girl with a pencil in stages for beginners. As a girl, we will have a young Cameron Diaz. Cameron Diaz became famous as an actress after she starred in the film "The Mask" with Jim Carrey, before that she was a model, and in general she dreamed of becoming a zoologist as a child. From latest films I liked “I studied very badly”, I watched it four times, she played there just super. Now let's start drawing this actress.

Step 1. Draw a circle, draw a straight line in the middle of the circle, then Cameron looks straight, but a little down, so the eyebrow line, which is the top one, is shifted down a little. For convenience, I noted where the middle of the circle is, so that you understand how much lower we draw the curve. Further below, draw a line of eyes. Our nose will end right at the end point of the circle, measure the distance from it to the point of intersection of the eyebrow line. This distance is equal to the distance from the nose to the chin and from the point of the eyebrow line to the beginning of the hair.

All pictures enlarge when you click on them.

STEP 2. Now we need to mark where the eyes are located. To do this, divide the line of the eyes into five equal parts, i.e. we get that the length of the eye is equal to the distance between them. From the beginning of each eye we lower the dotted line down. I remind you that the end of our nose is in end point circle. We lowered the dotted line so that the wings of the nose do not go beyond these boundaries, because such a structure of the face. Divide the distance from the nose to the chin into three equal parts.

Step 3. Draw the contour of the head, the contour of the eyes and the nose of Cameron.

Step 4. We draw pupils with patches of light and a mouth at the girl. The bottom line of the upper lip is on the first line.

Step 5. We draw eyelashes and eyebrows.

Step 6. We draw lines emphasizing the facial features of the actress (cheekbones, nose) and outline the curves of the hair, and also draw the ears.

Step 7 To draw the hair, we need to select the dark areas. We draw.

Step 8. To make the hairstyle more voluminous, draw additional lines on the head, then draw the neck and shoulders.