Head Drawing Fundamentals

Block in the head by locating tear ducts and using interlocking eye sockets, nose, and mouth triangles; establish the nose planes, cheek planes, ears, and jaw for proportional likeness.

Break the head into smaller planes, emphasizing the brow ridge and forehead rhythm. Construct the eye using tear ducts as landmarks, wrapping the lids around the eyeball to capture form.

Refine head drawing by building a simplified nose and lips from the block in, noting nose planes, ball of the nose, nostril wings, bottom plane, septum, and lip curvature.

Explore constructing a three-quarter head with strong construction lines, then transition to refine features using perspective awareness, center and axis lines, and proportional checks.

Add extra information to flesh out features while managing construction lines and transitions from block-in to refined portrait, including eyes, nose, lips, and ears.

Begin with large shapes to establish a loose block-in, set the portrait’s center line and tilt, then plot landmarks and measure repeatedly to refine a straight-on likeness.

Block in the head by focusing on large shadow shapes to create a poster-like, graphic silhouette. Ensure symmetry, axes alignment, and clean lines before moving to tone and shading.

Adopt an academic approach to head drawing by flattening shadows into a clean, even 2D value, then model the lights using HB to 2H grades.