Faces are probably the most popular subject among Drawing/Sketching readers. The human face is certainly interesting to draw, with so many possibilities for exploring unique characters and expressing emotion though drawing. It's important to think about your whole composition - too often we see very bland, central, symmetrical composition in portrait drawing. Sure, it can work, but it's also a missed opportunity - how you arrange your subject on the page can help to tell the 'story' about your sitter. Watch out for boring lighting, too - flat lighting makes it so much harder to show three dimensions. For more tips to improve your portrait drawing and new approaches to try, check out these portrait drawing ideas.

Take your animal drawing to the next level with this tutorial by Michael Hames. Using a painted surface as a 'support' or background for the drawing lets you develop a beautifully expressive texture. You can use Michae's techniques on plain paper of course, but do consider trying a painted ground. It gives you a robust surface to work with, yet also allows for much finer control of tonal values. You can use this lesson to inspire your approach to other subjects, too. Learn to Draw a Wolf in graphite pencil.

Thumbnail sketching is basically doing very small, usually linear-but they can be shaded, or in simple blocked tone - sketches. A thumbnail sketch is often enclosed within a rough frame, so that you are laying out a small, complete composition. This is a great way to experiment with various compositions or arrangements. Its also a good way to ensure that you consider the entire picture - too often we tend to 'float' the central object of interest in the middle of the page. Why not give it a try?

Draw a comic book barbarian with this step by step tutorial. This character could be drawn as a modern muscle-bound bad guy or a weapon-weilding fantasy character with just a few easy variations to hair and costume.
Draw a Fantasy Barbarian.

More Characters to Draw:
Draw a Fantasy Witch Queen
Draw a Fantasy Hero
Draw a Comic Antihero
Draw a Superheroine

More on Fantasy Drawing: drawing Dragon eyes drawing a dragon from life. fire-breathing dragon tutorial. Human Anatomy References
Figure Drawing Structure

Related Articles:
Tips on Drawing from Imagination
Models from the Toybox