A good portrait captures the essence of the subject while also obeying anatomical rules. This is easier said than done when you consider that the human face is made up of many intricate parts. To help you learn how to draw a face (opens in new tab), Wacom has put together this mini course of illustration videos (opens in new tab) by Darlene Nguyen.
Nguyen, who has shared a treasure trove of videos on her site RapidFireArt (opens in new tab), is the perfect tutor if you need simple and easy advice. Thanks to her easy to understand videos, you'll learn how to conjure up noses, eyes, and whole faces from scratch.
Nguyen has a background as a traditional artist, so you don't need to be a digital art pro to follow her videos. She's learning how to draw (opens in new tab) as she goes, and so are you. What's more, you don't need to worry about reference imagery, as Nguyen shows you how to sketch everything from a blank canvas. Get a taste of what to expect from the course by watching her human eye tutorial, below:
Besides sharpening your artistic skills, Nguyen also demonstrates good working practices. She works in a methodical way, which will help you build up a bank of images you can refer back to and learn from.
- The best pencils for drawing and note-taking (opens in new tab)
As well as covering all the key parts of the face, including noses, ears, and lips, Nguyen shares how to draw facial expressions that will bring your portraits to life. There's also a tutorial about drawing three-quarter profiles, which will come in super-handy if you want to change facial features for lots of different characters.
As you'd expect from a series of lessons on the Wacom site, there's a bonus video that shows you how to draw a face in the Wacom Intuos Pro Paper (opens in new tab) tablet. Here you'll see how you can take your analogue drawings and play around with them digitally. It's a great skill building exercise and way to dip your toes into the wonderful world of digital art.
Lead image via Wacom (opens in new tab)
Related articles:
- 20 sketching tips to help you make your first mark (opens in new tab)
- The 11 best drawing books (opens in new tab)
- The best drawing tablet in 2019 (opens in new tab)
