How to draw a human face in proportion

Step 1

Grab your materials! You will need a pencil with an eraser and Print this worksheet. If you wish, follow along with this analysis for the first half of the worksheet.

Can’t print? Sketch this image by drawing an head shaped oval and dividing a line down the middle for the eye line. Divide the eye line into 5 even sections.

Step 2

Lightly sketch out the eyes along the eye line. Strive for symmetry.

Step 3

Use pencil to add shading to the eyes.

Find the middle point between the eye line and the chin. Use pencil to lightly draw a line. This will become the NOSE line.

Step 4

Sketch out the eyebrows using directional lines to imply the texture of the hair. Note the space between the eyes and the eyebrows. This varies greatly from person to person. It is helpful to draw lightly until you get this spacing right.

Step 5

Lightly draw a vertical line down from the eye’s tear duct that stops at the NOSE line. This will become the space to draw the nose in.

Step 6

Lightly sketch out the guidelines of those. One preferred method is to draw one large circle for the “ball of the nose” with two smaller overlapping circles on each side. The smaller circles will become the nostrils. Then, draw two curving lines that connect up to the eyebrows.

Everyone’s nose is unique. Varying the size and placement of these 3 circles can create a range of unique and interesting noses!

Step 7-

Following the contours on the bottom of the 3 circles, darken this line and add some dark areas for nostrils.

Step 8-

Begin to add shading. Start with the large circle in the middle and render circular shading to suggest 3d form.

Then, shade the 2 smaller circles on each side from light to dark.

Step 9

Shade the lines that connect to the eyebrows. Additionally, add some shading under the eyebrows and under the eyes.

Find the middle point between the nose line and the chin. Use pencil to lightly draw a line. This will become the MOUTH line.

Step 10

Lightly draw a vertical line down from the eye’s pupil that stops at the mouth line. This will be a guideline that determines the WIDTH of the mouth.

Step 11

Everyone’s lips are quite different, varying in thickness, shape, and proportions. The determined area can be used as a guideline for where to place the mouth.

One preferred method artists can draw a mouth is by drawing the line where the two lips meet. This line will extend between the 2 vertical lines from step 10. Then, lightly draw 2 oval shapes in the center.

Step 12

Connecting contour lines from the corners of the mouth to the ovals, render the top and bottom lip. Consider drawing a “dip” in the middle of the top lip to show detail.

Step 13

Add shading. Shade the top lip darker than the bottom lip. The darkest shadows will be (1) where the two lips meet and (2) the corners of the mouth. Render highlights on the top and bottom lip.

Add shading above the top lip and below the bottom lip to show 3d form.

Step 14

Between the EYE line and the NOSE line, lightly draw two curving lines for the ears.

Step 15

Add shading to the ears. A simple approach is to add a dark shadow in the middle and a curve of shading on the top.

Step 16

Let’s add some hair! Get creative with the hairstyle you add. Lightly draw the outline first. If relevant to your hairstyle, consider a part line.

Step 17

Shade the hair and add details. Instead of drawing each individual hair with lines, consider how the hair can be rendered with blending values, as seen in this image example.

Step 18

Finalize the face by adding shading around the outside edge of the face and the jaw/chin line. If you wish, feel free to erase out any guidelines you no longer need.