Drawing 101: Lesson Six
Anybody can draw. I realize that is not the common view but I stick by it. If you want to learn how to draw, you can. You just have to practice and have some confidence in yourself. Here are seven “lessons” that will help you get there. I’ve been drawing since I was a kid and had art lessons in high school. I’ve also read a few books on drawing. I’m taking ideas from all my experiences and reading to help you learn how to start drawing. I recommend doing no more than one lesson a day. It takes some time to learn to draw. Just like anything else, you have to practice on a regular basis to get there.
Lesson Six
Lesson Six introduces you to portrait drawing. Don’t freak out! Most people seem to think they can’t draw faces but that isn’t true. Drawing realistic faces is all about scale. I’m going to give you some tips to help.
Start by getting an egg and drawing a line down the middle vertically and across the middle horizontally. If you are looking straight at the lines, draw a circle on either side of the vertical line just above the horizontal line. Now draw a nose with half of it on each side of the vertical line with the top of the nose starting at the horizontal line. Draw a line for the mouth below the nose. Turn the egg in different angles and notice how the appearance changes. From now on this needs to stay in your mind as a reference point for drawing faces. If you are looking straight at a face, the lines will be straight. If you are looking at it from an angle they will appear curved.
Now draw an egg shape on your paper. Lightly draw the vertical and horizontal lines. Now draw the eyes, nose, and mouth outlines. This lesson is not meant to get you to the point of drawing a realistic face but rather to start putting together the necessary pieces. Next draw the hair. Hair is long strands so draw long fluid lines. Look in the mirror for reference. Now look in the mirror and draw your eyes, nose, and mouth onto the face. It doesn’t have to be perfect, you are just starting to learn how to draw a portrait.
The last phase for this lesson is to find a picture, any picture, of a face. Now turn the picture upside down and draw all the lines and shapes you see. Don’t think about what you’re drawing, just focus on the lines and shapes as you see them. When you’re done, turn the picture right side up. Notice how you were able to draw a realistic face because you focused on the lines and shapes instead of what you think it should look like.
Editor’s Note: We are now accepting submissions by anyone that has attempted these lessons. Go here to see how to submit your drawings.
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I took art as an elective in high school. We didn’t use the egg method, but we beginners learned these head drawing principles on the very first day. Several levels were represented in the class. The highest level of students were busy drawing and painting veritable masterpieces while we were drawing our basic heads.
Also, it seems once you learn art basics like this its like riding a bike. At least, that’s apparently true for me. I remember these and other art principles learned in art class to this very day.
I wish I still had my art portfolio. I think it must have got trashed somewhere along the line of the many moves.