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facing your first pencil portrait

Interesting faces make interesting portraiture, but how can you do them justice? Simply take a step-by-step approach, add some patience and you’ll soon master the fine art of pencil portraits.

What you’ll need to gather:

  • Sketch paper or drawing paper (8 x 10 or 9 x 12) 
  • HB or B pencil or just an ordinary #2
  • Kneaded rubber or regular rubber eraser

Step One – Placing the features
NOTE: In this step, you’ll be making a grid to correctly place the facial features. Draw your lines lightly, but not so light that you can’t see them. 

  • Draw an oval/egg-shape on your page. Make it big enough to work with, but not too far down the page as you’ll also be drawing the neck.
  • Draw a vertical line down the center of the head from top to bottom.
    • This will ensure you have symmetrical features.
  • Draw a straight horizontal line across the oval about half way down.
    • This is where the eyes will be drawn.
  • Draw another horizontal line about half way between the eye line and the bottom of the oval (the chin).
    • This will become the bottom of the nose.
  • Draw yet another line about half way between the nose line and the chin
    • This will be where the mouth will go.
  • Place two lines on either side of the bottom of the oval to show the neck.

Step Two – Shape it up
Add some details and shadows, but keep your drawing light, using broad strokes. Don’t refine the features yet.

  • Start with the basic shapes of the eyes, nose and mouth.
  • Add some hair, just lightly lining in where it should be.

Step Three – Check your work

  • Hold your drawing up to a mirror. This technique helps you see the drawing in a different way, and allows you to see what areas in the portrait are crooked or look odd. It’s easier to correct those basic problems now before you add too much refinement.
  • Check the proportions of the features, making sure eyes are set in an appropriate width, that the nose, mouth and ears are the right size.

Step Four – Refine

  • Erase the lightly drawn lines you used for alignment and any other extraneous lines.
  • Begin adding more detail to the eyes, nose and mouth.
    • Draw in the pupils of the eyes
    • Detail the shaping of the lips and nostrils
    • Define the cheekbone lines using shadowing techniques
  • This is where your eraser comes in handy as you remove problem areas and rework them. Take your time to learn how to best use your eraser, tapping areas lightly to shade without entirely erasing pencil work.
  • Continue to use the mirror as your guide to symmetry in your portrait.

Step Five – Step away, step back and enjoy
Take the time to leave your work and come back to it for a review before you consider it finished. More likely than not, you’ll see areas that need additional refinement and will find solutions to problem areas that vexed you earlier.

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