The ability to draw often helps in various situations. For example, you can express your idea in a drawing. Artistic skills allow you to work creatively. This activity also helps to cope with stress, forget about problems. Moreover, you can learn at any age, and give work to your friends and family. For example, if you know how to draw a portrait with a pencil, you can make an album of the events of your life, capture the images of your beloved and dear people on paper with your own hands.
Facial proportions
In order to know how to draw a portrait with a pencil, it is important to take into account the proportions of the face. There are several standard rules for drawing the main lines:
- The front part of the head is conditionally divided into three parts, while one can distinguish such levels (they are at the same distance): the line of the beginning of hair growth, eyebrows, the tip of the nose and chin.
- The length of the ear is taken equal to the distance from the level of the eyebrows to the tip of the nose.
- The width of the mouth is approximately equal to the segment between the centers of the eyes. The level of the mouth is 1/3 of the gap between the lines of the chin and the tip of the nose (this value is set aside from the organ of smell).
- The size of one eye is taken as 1/5 of the width of the oval.
- The width of the nose should be equal to that of the eye.
Basic moments
In order to learn how to correctly draw a portrait with a pencil, you can use the following information:
1. First you need to draw a circle. Then turn it into an oval, expanding by about 1/3 of the part.
2. Mark the center line and levels of the eyebrows, eyes, chin, tip of the nose and the beginning of hair growth using the above information.
3. Eyes can be identified by dividing the width of the oval (in a straight line, where the organ of vision) is 5 parts.
4. The nose is drawn, laying down from the inner points of the eyes down the line (parallel to the central). The width of the nose (as indicated above) below will be equal to the size of one eye. You can immediately outline small details, such as bends, depressions, and so on.
5. Outline the ears and hair.
Drawing the final lines
After performing the main contours of the face, you need to make the drawing alive. To do this, round the shapes. Here is information for those who want to know how to draw a portrait with a pencil. It is necessary to take into account all the details regarding the anatomical structure of the face. So, the eyes narrow to the outer edges more than towards the inner ones. You also need to identify the line of the cheekbones and cranial bone, jaw.
Typically, pictures, portraits, drawn in pencil, are characterized by the use of shadows and light. These elements are performed using hatching. Also by these means the volume of the form is achieved. When applying strokes, the following principles must be observed:
- The pressure on the pencil should be the same.
- Darker areas can be achieved by applying opposite strokes.
- Hair lines are best performed in one direction, gradually strengthening. This can be achieved by drawing several times with a pencil.
- The image should have glare (places where light is reflected). To do this, leave open hatches. It is important to consider that the direction of light must be the same, that is, there cannot be such that the glare is both on the right and on the left.
Useful Tips
Before you draw a portrait with a pencil, it will be useful to know the following information:
- the paper should have a roughness, since too smooth a surface will not accept graphite;
- you can perform drawings as a simple pencil, and automatic (it is better to have a set);
- basic contours are best applied with thin lines, while harder leads can be used;
- It’s better to start with a still image, for example, with a photograph or another portrait.
Calculation of other drawings will allow you to gain skills, gain experience. You can start with the implementation of individual elements (mouth, eyes or ears), to achieve the best performance of each part separately. Good luck in your work!