Portrait Drawing - Drawing Faces

Ed Hall teaches you how to sketch faces in this step by step tutorial. Learn how to create a lifelike portrait drawing from life or photograph.

Drawing the head and neck - anatomical studies and points to observe when drawing the head and neck

Make your portrait drawing correct and three-dimensional by learning about the principles of classic proportion. Use these principles to learn to construct a simplified head from any angle.

Learn how to apply the structural principles to sketching a head from life. Discover how to tackle different angles or viewpoints.

The 'thumb and pencil' method is used in figure drawing, and is also very useful for checking proportions when drawing a portrait from life.

Learn how to draw an eye step by step with this easy eye drawing demonstration.

How to Draw Eyes - Learn how to draw eyes with this step by step tutorial. Get tips on eye anatomy and looking at the eye from various angles, and see how to draw the eyes step by step.

Tips on drawing the mouth. One of the trickiest parts of portraiture to get right is drawing the mouth. Here are some tips on drawing a lifelike mouth to make your portrait successful.

Drawing a likeness - making your face drawing look like face of the person you are trying to draw - is the whole point of portraiture, right? So what do you do when it ISN'T a very good likeness? Why isn't your portrait a good likeness, and what can you do about it?

Having trouble drawing noses? Here are some tips to help you get this important part of your portrait drawing up to scratch!

Don't let poorly drawn hair ruin a great portrait or life drawing. This tutorial shows you how to draw natural, lifelike hair in pencil.

Tips on how to draw children's face proportions and handling their delicate features.

Stuck for inspiration? Get a kick-start with this page of portrait and figure sketchbook ideas - major project starters and sketchbook suggestions from your guide.

If you don't like to - or can't - trace or project your image, grids are a great way to copy photographs for drawing faces. This tutorial explains the steps involved... don't forget to click on the image to see the next stage.

JR Dunster's excellent tutorials and advice, including a step-by-step for 'newbies', as well as more advanced techniques. Well illustrated and easy to navigate.

An attractive site has all the usual society website features, including local group contacts, exhibitions, eductional materials, and their own publication.

Computer modeling based on extensive research which quantifies the 'perfect face'. This site explains the thory behind the models, and has downloadable images of the masks which map the face.

How to draw celebrity portraits (or family, for that matter) from photos. This is an excellent tutorial based on tonal drawing, however, be aware of copyright issues.

Every human face is unique and while you can use formula shortcuts to do a basic drawing, lots of practice from real people is the best way to learn. Here are some portrait drawing ideas to help you learn to draw faces really well.