To a beginner to draw a human ear may seem like a real test. After all, it has a complex and incomprehensible at first glance design. However, if you want to draw portraits, sooner or later you will still encounter such a task as drawing a person’s ear. Of course, you can use the trouble-free and widely used technique - to close the ears with hair in the picture, if this is a woman's portrait. And if male? In addition, the hearing organs have their own charm, and, correctly drawn, they complement and decorate the portrait.
Ear parts
It is best to study the structure of the ear with a good example. In this case, the photograph will not give you a complete picture of its design. The best option would be to take a mirror and in all details and from different angles, consider in it the reflection of your own ear. Feel all its elements, places of their connection. It will be easier for you to understand how to draw a person’s ear if you remember the names of its main components.
The outer edge of the auricle is called curl. He has a so-called anti-helix, which is located in the inner ear zone. It bifurcates and rests against the top of the curl. The front edge of the auricle has a protrusion called a tragus. He covers the ear canal, which is located behind him. Accordingly, on the contrary is an antitravel, which is also a protruding part of the ear. In shape, it looks like a tragus. At the bottom, the curl passes into a soft lobe.
Location Features
Despite the fact that the structure of the ears is the same for everyone, the thickness, size and location features of each are purely individual and depend on the shape of the face and the general structure of the skull. This must be taken into account when drawing a portrait from nature.
Ear proportions are measured as follows. The top of the curl is approximately at the same level as the bridge of the nose, and the lower part of the lobe corresponds to the lower edge of the wings of the nose.
How to draw a person’s ear in stages?
Before drawing someone’s portrait with open ears, practice sketching the ears themselves in different angles. To do this, use a simple pencil of medium softness. It’s better to start such a training with the image of your ear, looking in the mirror or taking a picture of yourself in front, in three quarters and profile. At worst, find someone else's photos that are most relevant to this task.
First stage
So, when you have studied all the basic components, you will understand how to draw a person’s ear with a pencil, gradually moving from the general to the particular, in other words, from the main form to the details.
It is important to consider the size of its components in relation to each other and to the total volume. Namely: what is thicker, thinner, higher, lower and so on. The more accurately you convey all the details, the more realistic you will ultimately be able to draw a person’s ear. As you may have noticed, the organ of hearing has a smooth structure, its parts harmoniously flow one into another. Your task is to preserve and reflect this smoothness in your drawing.
This, of course, is not an easy task, but it is not worth complicating it too. In the end, drawing should be fun and not be a burden. The main thing is desire, and skill is achieved only by practice.
Try to draw a person’s ear with a pencil as you see it. Start with a simplified form, an oval. Next, refine the contour by making bends in the right places. After determining the external shape, go to the internal components, without pressing hard on the pencil.
Refinement of details
It is important to remember that the ear is not flat, but voluminous. To show this, you need to correctly display the light and shadow areas. Lightly stroke the shadows in the auricle in shape.
Select the outline of the curl from the inside, shading these places more strongly. Circle the anti-helix in shape closer to the ear canal. Leave the convex parts intact. Lay a light stroke along the outer contour of the curl, giving it volume.
The deepest shadows will be in the area of the ear canal. They will give the ear depth. However, try not to darken in this place.
Although there is no cartilage in the lobe, it still has a volume. Show it by putting a few strokes on the sides and bottom of the lobe.
Final stage
Continue to deepen the shadows in the right places. You can put more pressure on the pencil, but it’s better to just take a softer one. On convex areas that you did not touch, now you need to apply a light tone with very thin strokes, and leave glare on the folds or wipe the pencil in these places with an eraser at the end of the work. To make the drawn ear look realistic, you must observe a clear black and white gradation.
At the last stage, you can make a falling shadow from the ear to highlight it. Along the contour, immediately behind it, the shadow will be the darkest.
A good artist should be able to draw everything. Including draw a person’s ear. As soon as you beat your hand on this, you will feel that your skills have abruptly moved to a new level.