Quick Tips On How to
Draw a Realistic Face
There are many artists who struggle with
drawing a face and having it actually look like the person you are
drawing. These tips should help you to achieve a more realistic outcome
and have your drawings come to life.
Secrets to Drawing Realistic Faces
The first tip is probably the most important. When you are drawing, draw
from a good source or reference. For instance make sure that your photo is
a really high quality. Make sure that the photo is big and clear, and not
a lot of different lighting sources. Choose a subject that is interesting
to you. If you want, a good idea is to draw something of one of the
masters, like Beugereau. If what you are drawing doesn't hold an interest
for you, you won't do as good a job on it, you'll have less patience, lose
interest and never finish. But again, make sure that your reference is
high quality because if it's not, you'll end up with garbage.
Drawing Portraits
Next, begin your drawing with your outline. Different artists use
different methods for this. Also, time is a consideration, so whether you
use a grid method or do it by eye, make sure you are accurate. Of course,
the grid is going to be more accurate but time or environment may not
allow for this method. Also, as you gain more experience you may go by the
eye more often as well. Block in and remember that you don't want to add
in the fine details yet. Don't get caught up in working on an eye and all
of the lighting and shapes of the eye at this point. Avoid finer detail
till later.
Then you can start to divide the light from the shadows, hitting the core
shadow outline hard making a distinct value difference between light and
shadow.
FACES/ Learn To Draw Step By Step
Then go over it with a towel or cotton balls. Never
let your skin come in contact with the paper because your sin is made of
oil and it will cause great ugliness to appear on your drawing! Instead
use a piece of paper under your drawing hand to help you avoid this. Some
artists use gloves made for drawing as well. Try and hit the shadow hard
and then after you have gone over with a towel erase out some highlights
and make the core shadow darker.
The Artist's Complete Guide to Facial Expression
You can start darkening shadows make sure that you are using your
reference to figure out where these are exactly. You may have to do this
several times till you establish the value you are after.
Not all of the shadows are going to be dark. Never forget where your light
sources are coming from. This is extremely important. Look for where the
shadows are falling in direct relation to where the light source is coming
from.
Start adding the finer details to your drawing.
Blend in light spots and identify the highlights in your subjects hair. A
very beginner mistake is to draw each and every strand of hair. Hair needs
to be treated as a mass. Remember this and your hair will turn out more
realistic than ever before.
Once you feel you are done, you are almost done. What? Well when you are
working with graphite, it can be extremely messy and you may need to do
some major clean up of smudges. Use a kneaded eraser to lift these.
Take your time with your drawings and you will begin to see that these
techniques can be really beneficial. Anyone can learn to draw, it takes
some patience and willingness.
Drawing Expressive Portraits
Article by Todd Harris -
http://www.learning2draw.com
