How to Draw a Portrait with Correct Proportions
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In this video lesson, you will discover how to draw portraits with the knowledge of human head proportions. Proportions you see in this video are not absolute rules. Every person is different, and therefore proportions will vary from model to model. Also, the sequence of steps you see in this lesson is not the only way to draw a portrait. The way the artwork is done here is to explain the main anatomical features, the geometrical plains, and the proportions of a human head. You may check drawings by the Old Masters, who did not draw eyelashes in a multitude of separate strokes. There is a reason for that, and I will leave it to you to explain why they did it this way. The surface of the lower eyelids is in shade when the light comes from above. The white of the eyeball is seldom white. In most cases, it is darker than the upper eyelid, which catches the light. Also, there is a drop shadow beneath the upper eyelids. For the eyes to look in the same direction in drawing, you need to make sure that irises of the eyes are equal in size and have the same shape. Most often, the upper eyelids partly cover the irises, while the lower ones may only touch them, or there may even be gaps between the lower lids and the irises. Irises have gradations of tones, which must be depicted to look natural. For the nose to look believable, it is important to define a border between the nose’s bottom plane and wing sides. Only when this border is in place can we mark the openings of the nostrils. On many models, the bottom edge of the lower lip is exactly halfway from the nose to the chin. I will use this classical proportion in this portrait, drawing from imagination. The mouth can be divided into three equal parts. The middle mark would be the line between the lips, and the top mark is the upper edge of the upper lip. The width of the mouth has to be checked in relation to the eyes. The groove of the upper lip is marked symmetrically using the central line of the face. When it comes to drawing the mouth, there is one helpful tip you may use. Draw three touching circles—one in the middle of the upper lip, and two beneath it, filling the lower lip. This rule works for full-face portraits as well as for three-quarter views. The line between the lips weaves around three circles. The upper lip arches as a Cupid’s bow. And the lower lip embraces two circular outlines. The upper lip is a bit wider than the lower one. Use two virtual lines that run from the top points of the upper lip to the corner points of the chin. Check that the corners of the lower lip are on those lines. Define the frontal plane of the chin, making sure that its top edge is parallel to the other horizontal lines of the face. There is always shadow beneath the lower lip when light comes from above. The lower lip catches the light, and highlights can be marked with an eraser. I also use an eraser to indicate planes with light tonal values. A hairstyle naturally repeats the outlines of the skull at a distance that represents the thickness of the hair mass. I won’t spend too much time talking about how to draw a hairstyle, because the topic of this lesson is the human head’s construction, planes, and proportions. However, you need to keep in mind that a hairstyle must also be treated as a physical mass with its planes and volume. I hope you understand the importance of a human head anatomy, geometry, and proportions when it comes to drawing a portrait from life, memory, or imagination.
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