Drawing a human face may seem like an alien and arcane process to some of you, and that's okay. Everyone finds it overwhelming to begin with. I'm going to show you a process that is easy to follow and simply to complete that will result in a functional reference art from which to model a human face. As I go along I will periodically include a drawing of the steps to take to draw a human face. Okay, let's begin.

 

You might not think so, but when drawing a human head it is easiest to start out with a basic shape. In this case, the human head most closely resembles an upside-down egg. Yes, I said an egg. Heads are never circular; they are more of an oval shape that tapers down at the bottom.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The easiest way to start is by making dividing lines to map out the proportions of the head. The first of these is to cut the egg in half vertically. Next you will do the same horizontally.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Now divide the lower portion of the egg in half again horizontally. This will give you the proper positioning for the nose, which will be positioned where the second horizontal line intersects the vertical line. That point will be the bottom of the nose. Sketch out the base of the nose and the nostrils to either side as shown in the figure below.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Divide the bottom quarter in half again. The bottom of the lips will rest on the dividing line you have just drawn. Draw a line where the lips meet, then draw in the top lip. The bottom lip should be the last thing you draw at this point. Use the figure below as reference for this step.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Draw two large circles across the central horizontal line, these will form the eye sockets. The top of these circles will be where the eyebrows rest; the bottom will be where the cheekbones lay.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Briefly sketch in eyebrows. Don't take too much time here; you can always come back to it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Draw an almond shape in the middle of the sockets; this will be the beginning of the eyes. Eyes are not always of an almond shape depending on race, but it is the most frequent. Be sure to draw them directly on top of the center horizontal line, not above or below. Also keep in mind that the distance between the eyes should be the length of another eye. Use the figure below as reference.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Inside the iris, the colored part of the eye, draw the pupil. This is the darkest part of the eye and will be shaded as such later, leaving just a touch of white to act as a highlight to the finished piece. Do NOT shade the pupil yet. You may need to make adjustments later and shading it not will cause issues then if you do.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Next draw the tops of the eyelid over the top of the almond. The base of the eyelid comes down slightly over the top of the iris as shown in the figure below.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Add a bit of detail to the drawing to start bringing it to life. A little beneath the eyes and where the eye socket meets the bridge of the nose help define the figure. See figure below.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

At this point we can add the ears to the figure. The base of the ears should be in line with the bottom of the nose and the top of the ears should be just below the eyebrow. Remember, ears are tilted back against the head. Dumbo does not live here.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hair can begin to be drawn at this point. This is entirely up to you on how the hair shall look. It is a good thing to keep in mind however that the hairline generally begins halfway between the top of the head and the center horizontal line. I have chosen to make this figure a female, but you may choose to make it masculine if you wish.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Time to draw the neck. Necks are thicker than you might imagine, nearly the width of the face. Draw lines coming down from roughly where the bottom-most horizontal line bisects the face. Give the jawline a bit more definition using the figure below as a guide.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Begin adding details. Accent the nose and eyes a bit. Shade the corners of the mouth a little; this will give them a slight expression. Outline the ridge of the nose. Don't go overboard though, the more prominently you detail these features, the "older" your figure will appear.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Finally, clean up and erase any guidelines. Tada! You have drawn the human face! Congrats and well done!