how to sketch people
How to Sketch People
Sketching is a powerful tool that expresses the artist's point of view. In the article below, you will learn how to sketch people, step-by-step.
- The eyes are the most expressive features of the face. You should start drawing the outline of eyes to make sure they are proportionately placed near each other.
- Next, add the creases over the eyes. Draw the eyebrows using many lines.
- Then, draw the pupils and the irises. Now, you can add the eyelashes.
- Give a definition to the eyelids as they touch the eye.
- Depending upon the lighting, shade around the top between the eyes, under the eyes, temple, and eyebrows. Use the eraser to blend or define the shading.
- Attempt the nose after sketching the eyes. The eye shading helps define the nose shape.
- Gently outline the nose, adding curves at the bottom middle, then either side, to shape of nostrils.
- Then, add curves to either side of nostrils to shape the bottom of the nose.
- Shade the nose according to the light, just like you did for the eye.
- The tip of the nose should be shaded lightly to give the effect of the light shining on it.
- Sketch the lips; let the upper lip be slightly darker than the lower lip.
- Draw the trench between the nose and the top lip.
- Draw the subtle lines in the lips to define them.
- Draw the soft or hard lines around the mouth depending upon the smile of the person.
- Do not make the lines too hard between the teeth.
- Shade the area around the mouth, beneath the bottom lip, teeth, and wherever necessary.
- Outlining helps define the face and facial features.
- Make inward curves around the eyes and outward curves around the cheekbones.
- The curves should move out around the cheeks, jaw, and again move inwards near the chin.
- Shade the face, as it will help you define the person's looks.
- The ears are mostly hidden beneath the hair, when sketching women.
- There is a lot of detailing to be added here, as the curves inside the ears are different in different people.
- Sketching the hair is similar to sketching the eyelashes.
- Draw a few lines or faint lines where the light shines, and darker and closer lines in the shadowed areas.
- Draw the hair using downward stokes that simply fall down, or make vertical lines for flaring hair in the area where the hair meets the head.
- Draw the curls or waves accordingly, using more or fewer lines according to the light.
- Add the neck, collars, accessories, etc., to make the sketch look realistic.
- The focus, however, should stay on the facial features.
- Too much of detail on the accessories may take away the attention from the face.
- Observe the details of the face - the ending of the eyebrows, the shape of the nose, thin eye outline, curvier neck, etc.
- Ignore the background and context. Sketching is not like drawing a portrait.
- Observe the body language of the people; don't draw edges if they are not visible.
- Overlap figures, and object to differentiate between the foreground, middle ground, and the background.
- Do not try to draw everything you see in and around people.
- Sketches can be kept incomplete, as they are not portraits that need to be defined from every perspective.