Many guys had to make unexpected surprises to their lovers. One of the unforeseen surprises can be considered a portrait of a beloved girl, made independently, and filmed on video the process of working on him. But how to draw a girl’s head in stages, conveying all the subtleties of the face, emotions, eyes? Some believe that only professional artists can do such work, but if you show your desire and patience, study the basic proportions and rules of building a face, you can make a good drawing yourself. Well, let's try to figure out how to draw a head with a pencil in stages.
Important recommendations before starting work
So, what do you need to know to draw a person’s head in stages? A portrait of a girl or a guy is a complex art form, so you need to start it by studying the stages of work. Professional artists are advised to first study the following tips:
- Carefully consider the photo, think about how to arrange on paper all the elements of the drawing of the desired formats.
- Sketches should be done with a well-sharpened pencil, not quite rigid, so that the lines are thin.
- No need to rush to erase the rough outline of the outline until you get a clear result.
- Work requires strict adherence to proportions.
- It should be noted that the shape of the head is more rounded from above, and pointed below.
- A clear picture is not obtained the first time, but training allows you to correctly convey the necessary emotions and subtleties of the look.
Main contour and center lines
The initial contour of the face is the main stage in the correct image of a portrait of a person. A pencil-drawn head begins with an oval of the face. No matter how strange it may sound, but the beginning of this oval should be a circle. To do this, in the center of the figure, it is necessary to put a point along which the orientation of the further figure is carried out.
You can use a compass from a given point to make a circle of the desired radius. Then a straight line is drawn down from it, crossing the bend of the circle by the same length as before it. This will be the extreme point of the jaw. Pressing the pencil lightly, you should make the correct oval: from above - rounded, below - pointed. Its shape can be different, because the face is round, elongated or cheeky.
Those who want to learn how to draw a head in stages with a pencil need to learn how to draw centerlines on an oval (make a sketch). They help the correct construction of the face, its proportions. First, a line is drawn horizontally in the center, dividing the pattern in half. Then each of the resulting halves is divided in parallel in half. In the middle of the oval, a vertical axis is drawn along the face. Get a kind of grid of 8 branches.
Expressive eyes - the basis of the picture
A novice artist should know that the eyes are depicted in the middle of the oval (head). The eyes will be placed on the central horizontal axis. What should be the distance between them and the width? To do this, this axis must be divided into 8 equal intervals. It is important to remember that the distance between the eyes should correspond to another eye. Therefore, from the center point to the left and to the right, we retreat one gap, we begin to draw the eyes, each of which will occupy the next two spaces. The width of each eye will correspond to 2/8 of the center line. The main thing is that they are not too close to each other or too far (it is important to choose the middle, it is possible without a grid).
With the help of the eyes, the expressiveness of the face is transmitted, so it is important to accurately draw their shape and position it correctly. Begin the image by drawing the lower and upper eyelids. It is necessary to clearly highlight the corners of the eyes. Above the upper eyelid, you need to depict the palpebral groove in the form of an arc, also repeat from the bottom, only a smaller one. Much attention should be paid to the eyeball (iris and pupil). The look will be expressive if the pupils are directed in one direction. Here are some of the nuances of the image of the eyes:
- Their shape should be an angular figure with folds above the upper and lower eyelids.
- Very thin lines indicate the thickness of the eyelid and teardrop.
- On the iris should make a highlight.
- The pupil needs to be obscured by black.
- An important point is the eyelashes. The girl’s head drawn in pencil is distinguished by the fact that she usually has thick and long eyelashes.
Draw a nose
Let's try to figure out further how to draw a head in stages. After the contours of the eyes should go to the shape of the nose. Where should it be located? The height of the nose should correspond to the size of the central and lower horizontal lines. Width starts from the corners of the eyes. From them, we gently draw lines down to the line, on top of which we draw three circles. They will help to more accurately portray the nostrils, wings of the nose and the central part. Focusing on this basis, we begin to make an accurate drawing of the nose.
Eyebrow and hair
Further, the figure begins to acquire a more detailed image. Having made the bridge of the nose, try to move to a neat eyebrow. To do this, the picture can be turned horizontally. It is important to know that it is better to start the image of eyebrows from a point closer to the nose. The correct height of the eyebrow above eye level should correspond to another eye.
After the outlines of the shape of the eyebrows are made, we will apply strokes resembling hairs. Near the nose, they will turn out to be wider and thicker, and closer to the end - thinned and rare.
After drawing the eyebrows, you need to go to the outline of the hair contour . Here everything will depend on the hairstyle.
The correct shape of the lips and face
The next element to sketch is the lips or mouth. How to position it correctly. Everything is simple. It should be in the center of the lowest part of the net, under the nose. To determine its horizontal length, we draw two lines down from the irises of the eyes, this will be the width of the mouth. In the marked place, try to draw neat lips. The lower one is easier to draw, so it's best to start with it. Just copy the top to the bottom, just divide it in half. Some girls have pouty lips, others have thin lips, you can navigate through the photograph.
To make the sketch complete, you need to clearly outline the face. To do this, you can highlight a little cheekbones.
Ear location
The shape and location of the ears also needs to be given due attention. The height of the ear is approximately equal to the height of the nose. The ear consists of 5 parts: earlobes, curl, anti-helix, tragus, anti-tragus. To begin with, we depict the auricle (general shape). Then draw a C-shaped curl. With the help of shadows and light, we make the inner part of the ear.
Work on details and shadows
Now we erase the grid lines, we get the initial sketch (sketch). Further work is to colorize and add shadows. A person needs to be given more specificity. Here the cheekbones and the shape of the chin play an important role. It is important not to turn a girl into a man whose chin is stronger.
How to draw a head in stages with a pencil, like with real artists? To do this, we need a soft pencil with which we will apply shadows that add volume to the face. Contrasts and shadows can highlight the necessary portions of the portrait, for this you need to define darker and brighter places. At first you can simply circle them, then start shading. After this, the hatching can be shaded with a piece of paper in the right places. Straight strokes will make the picture angular and stiff.
Finishing touches
Next, you need to pay attention to details. It is necessary to darken or lighten in some places the eyes and lips. The intensity of the stroke should be constantly changed, as well as monitor the pressure on the paper.
The girl’s face requires special attention, as he is decorated with hair (hairstyle). It should look natural and suitable for this type of face. Beautiful flowing hair adorns the female image. You can also add part of the shoulders and neck to it.
The highlight of each picture is the facial expression and image of emotions. This can be done with eyebrows. It is only necessary to slightly raise or lower them - the face will sparkle with new colors. The upturned inner corners of the eyes will help portray a sad, sometimes even crying face. A more embittered person can be portrayed by reducing the eyebrows to the bridge of the nose.
You can also express facial expressions with the help of darkening the iris of the eyes and raising the corners of the lips. The darker the pupil, the more expressive the gaze. From the first time it’s difficult to draw a smile on your face, but even a small raising of the corners of the lips makes the girl cute. Facial expressions help express the character of a person. It is important to remember that you need to constantly train your skills, then more accurately facial expressions and human emotions will turn out.