When creating a portrait, it is important to accurately depict all facial features. The nose occupies a central position on the face, so it immediately attracts all attention to itself. With all the variety of shapes and sizes, there are several rules that will help to depict it correctly.
Before you start drawing, you should carefully familiarize yourself with the anatomy of the nose and its components. The narrowest place of the nose is in the area of the nasal bone, that is, in the bridge of the nose. The nasal bone of an adult is distinguished by the presence of a convexity, sometimes quite noticeable (hump). Children do not have such a bulge. The widest part is where the wings are located. If you look closely at the shape, you will notice that any nose is a bit like a pear. Pay attention to the differences in the structure of the nose in men and women, in adults and children. Most often, men's noses are more massive, while women's noses are softer. Women's facial features, and therefore their noses, are smoother, often with pronounced roundness due to the presence of a larger amount of subcutaneous fat compared to men. The shape of the wings of a child’s nose is practically no different from the nose of an adult. But the child is just in the process of forming the nasal bone, so children’s noses are not only smaller, but also noticeably shorter and slightly curved upward, that is, they snub.
Portrait is one of the most difficult tasks in drawing. But the nose is the simplest part of the face, since it is the only static and practically motionless organ. Therefore, it is better to start training with him.
Very often, beginning artists neglect the study of the human skeleton and musculature, mistakenly believing that “it will work out just fine.” But ignorance of human anatomy leads to the fact that the drawn person turns out to be unconvincing, and his facial expressions and movements look unnatural.
Therefore, today we will look at the basic principles that you should follow if you want to draw a good and high-quality portrait.
1. Facial proportions
The skull and jaw are a slightly flattened sphere, so when looking at a human face from the front we see something like an egg turned upside down with its narrow side down. Two perpendicular lines, passing through the middle, divide this egg into four parts. Let's look at the details:
- Mark the midpoints of the right and left halves of the horizontal line. The eyes will be located exactly at these points.
- Divide the bottom half of the vertical line into five parts. The bottom of the nose will be located on the second mark from the top, and the line where the lips meet will be located one point below.
- Divide the top half of the vertical line into four parts. The hairline will be located at the second or third mark, this feature varies. The ears are located between the upper eyelid and the tip of the nose, but this rule is only true when the face is not down or up.
Helpful hint: The width of the face is usually the width of five eyes or a little less. The distance between the eyes is equal to the width of one eye. Very rarely in people this distance differs very much from the standard, but this feature will be quite easy to notice. The distance between the lower lip and chin is also equal to the length of one eye.
Another way to measure is to use the distance between the tip of your thumb and index finger. The figure below shows which distances can be measured in this way: ear height, distance from hairline to eyebrows, from eyebrow to nose, from nose to chin and from pupil to pupil.
Profile
In profile we can still see the shape of the egg, but its sharp side points towards the corner. Lines now divide the head into the face and skull.
On the skull:
- The ear is located just behind the vertical line. In size and location, it is still located between the upper eyelid and the tip of the nose.
- The depth of the skull varies within the limits indicated in the picture below in point 4 with dotted lines.
- Everything is located as indicated above.
- The root of the nose coincides with horizontal line or is a little higher
- The most convex part is the first point above the horizontal line that marks the line of the eyebrows.
2. Features
Eyes and eyebrows
The eye is simply two arches joined into an almond shape. There is no specific rule in drawing eyes, because the shape of the eyes can be different, and there are a lot of such shapes, but we can notice the following trends:
- The outer corner of the eye can be higher than the inner corner, but not vice versa.
- If the eye shape is almond, then the rounded part of the eye will be closer to the inner corner, and the elongated part will be closer to the outer corner.
Eye details
- The iris is partially hidden under the outer eyelid. It only touches the lower eyelid if the person is looking down, or if the eye is built so that the lower eyelid is higher than usual.
- Eyelashes grow from the inside out, not the other way around, and this is very important when drawing so that they look natural. The eyelashes on the lower eyelid are shorter.
- When trying to draw all the little things (tear ducts, lower eyelid, etc.), remember that detailed drawing does not always mean that the result will be beautiful.
In profile, the eye takes the shape of an arrowhead (with convex or concave sides), with a slight hint of the upper and possibly lower eyelid. IN real life you will not see the iris from the side, you will only see the white of the eye. But an eye without an iris looks strange, so draw at least a hint of it.
As for the eyebrows, the easiest way to draw them is to follow the arc upper eyelid. Often the widest part of the eyebrow is closer to the inner part, and the “tail” tending towards the outer part of the eye gradually becomes thinner.
If you look in profile, the shape of the eyebrows changes dramatically and becomes more like a comma. The eyebrow begins where the tips of the eyelashes are located.
The human nose is approximately wedge-shaped, it is quite easy to imagine and draw it in volumetric form before drawing in the details.
The dorsum and wings of the nose are flat surfaces that are only outlined at the end, but it is still very important to take these surfaces into account when sketching in order to correctly calculate the proportions. The lower flat part of our wedge in the form of a truncated triangle connects to the wings and the tip of the nose. The wings fold inwards towards the septum to form the nostrils - note that the ventral view shows how the septum begins before the wings and connects to the face. It projects lower than the wings when we look at the nose in profile, which means that in the 3/4 view the far nostril is hidden by the septum.
Just as in the case of eyes, detailing does not always give good result. Therefore, it is more important to work out the proportions than to pore over details that can ultimately disfigure the drawing. When drawing from the front, the nose looks better if you draw only the lower part. If you are drawing a 3/4 view, then most likely you will be better off drawing the line of the bridge of the nose. You'll have to look at and study a lot of noses to figure out how and when to portray it.
Lips
- The line where the lips meet should be drawn first, as it is the longest and darkest line of the three that form the mouth. It's not just a wavy line, but a whole series of thin curves. In the picture below you can see an exaggerated example that will explain to you the movement of the mouth line. Note that there are different lip shapes and that the base line can reflect the lower or upper lip. Lips can be softened in different ways. The line in the middle can be very straight to reflect a sharp look, or very blurry to weaken the lips. It all depends on the shape of the lips, how plump they are. If you want to achieve symmetry, start from the center and draw one half of the lip, and then the other.
- The two upper tips of the upper lip are the most obvious parts of the mouth, but they can also be either pronounced or almost in one line.
- The lower lip has a soft arch, but can also vary from almost straight to very rounded.
- The upper lip is usually thinner than the lower lip and sticks out less from the overall topography of the face than the lower lip. Try to highlight the upper lip with strokes.
- The sides of the lips are shaped like an arrowhead, and the fact that the upper lip protrudes slightly forward in this place can be seen very clearly.
- The midline of the mouth at the ends deviates downward from the lips. Even if the person smiles, it curves down before going up again. Never draw this line straight up if you are drawing a face in profile.
The most important part of the ear is the long C-shaped outer line. The inside of the ear is like an inverted U. There is also a similar curve just above the earlobe, connected to a small C-shaped arch. In general, the shape of the ear also varies.
When we see the face from the front, the ears are visible in profile:
- The rim, which was previously U-shaped, is now a separate part - as happens when we look at the plate from the side and see its bottom.
- The earlobe will look more like a drop and will stand out.
- How thin the ear line needs to be drawn depends on how close the ears are to the head.
If you look at the head from behind, the ear looks as if separated from the head: the rim is attached to the head by a funnel. Don't be afraid to draw the funnel too big, as it really isn't small.
3. Angle
Being shaped like a ball with a few minor changes, the head is easier to draw than expected. But despite this, you need to study how it looks from different angles. Of course, the appearance of the nose changes first, but the eyebrows, cheekbones, central part of the mouth and chin also change.
When we drew the face in front and profile, we practically simplified it to a two-dimensional plane. For other viewing angles, we need to think in three-dimensional space.
Look down
- All parts are rounded upward and the ears also move upward.
- Since the nose protrudes forward, it protrudes from the general line of the face and its tip is closer to the mouth.
- The eyebrow curve becomes smoother. In order for it to take a reverse bend, you need to turn your face in some particularly unusual way.
- The upper eyelid becomes more visible and covers most of eyeball.
- The upper lip almost disappears, and the lower one sticks out more.
- Notice that since the mouth follows a general curve, it appears as if a smile has appeared on the person's face.
Look up
- All parts are rounded down and the ears are also moved down.
- The upper lip becomes fully visible and the mouth appears fuller.
- The brow line becomes more rounded, but the lower eyelid curves downwards, giving the effect of an edgy look.
- The lower part of the nose is clearly visible, and the nostrils are also clearly visible.
Turn sideways
When a person is seen almost from the back, all that is visible is the protruding line of the eyebrows and cheekbones. The neck line protrudes and tends towards the ear. Eyelashes are the next thing that is visible when a person turns his face.
Then part of the eyebrow appears, and the ridge of the lower eyelid and the tip of the nose protruding from behind the cheek become visible.
When the face is already turned almost in profile, the eyeball and lips become visible (but the middle line of the mouth is still small), and the neck line merges with the chin line into one line. You can still see part of the cheek where the nostril hides.
When people learn to draw, they initially try to reproduce the contours of an object, instead of its volume. This tendency is especially evident in portraits. But in drawing such parts of the face as the nose, it is very important to understand that this shape is three-dimensional, it is not just a contour. Of course there are different types drawing - linear, tonal... Therefore, the artist can draw a portrait with one line, without shading and without volume. However, at the learning stage, beginners need to learn that the nose, eyes, and lips are not a contour line, but a volumetric shape with chiaroscuro.
To do this, I drew a diagram that will help you understand the shape of the nose. If we simplify the drawing to geometric shapes, then the nose will look like a triangle. And this shape is convex, voluminous. That is, the nose will consist of three faces - two lateral and one central, which is called the dorsum of the nose. Depending on the direction of the light, one of these faces will be in the light, and the other two will be in shadow or partial shade. Keeping this in mind, you can quite easily “blind” the voluminous shape of your nose. After the three edges are outlined, you need to draw the tip and wings of the nose (see what these names mean at the end of the article). To do this, you can outline three circles, since both the wings of the nose and the tip of the nose look like “balls”. After this, you can refine the drawing, moving away from geometry to real outlines.
In addition to the schematic image, I also completed a full step-by-step classic drawing of the nose. The illustration shows three main stages. On the first stage, construction is carried out. On the second, light shading of shadows is laid. At the third stage of drawing the nose, all the halftones and details are worked out. But whatever the stage of the drawing, the shading in the portrait needs to be “laid out” as if in brush strokes. Those. the strokes should form planes. In the second stage of my drawing, it is clear that these planes or faces are quite large and generalized. At the third stage, these planes become smaller, due to which the details are drawn in more detail. That is, the drawing is, as it were, “molded” with small planes or edges. It is similar to the work of a sculptor who uses his fingers to shape the clay into the desired shape. If you hatch too smoothly, the drawing will be less realistic and look like a plastic mask. Therefore, novice artists need to pay attention to this advice special attention, since this is rarely talked about, especially in educational drawing lessons on the Internet.
To learn how to draw a portrait, of course, it is not enough just to correctly convey the shape, sculpt the volume, etc. In a portrait you need to be able to reflect the character of a person. And character is reflected, among other things, in the individual shape of the nose. Yes, yes. Each person has their own unique nose. But this “variety of noses” can be divided into types. For example, the nose can be straight, hump, curved, etc. To see these features clearly, I drew ten different types of nose. This drawing will help in conveying individual characteristics man in a portrait.
Well, at the end of this lesson, I will also list the main names in the plastic anatomy of the nose, which can be traced according to the given diagram:
- bridge of the nose;
- bridge of the nose;
- tip of the nose;
- wings of the nose;
- nostrils;
- partition.
First of all, I want to say that I usually draw noses differently. For me this is a normal process and I don’t even think about how it’s done. I usually draw, change, redraw several noses until I choose one I like. Besides, I never draw lines, I just imagine them. I'm just trying to explain how it can be done differently.
Step 1 – Placement and Angle
One way or another, let's start by drawing the main features of the face - the most important thing is to decide such nuances as the light source, and what kind of nose you want to draw. Don't try too hard, leave the drawing raw. Usually when I draw the nose, I draw out the rest of the facial features at the same time, but for now I'll leave them as they are.
Step 2 – decide on the shape
On a separate layer draw an oval dot exactly between the eyes. . Then follow the slightly curved line down and draw a triangle like in the picture. Adjust the triangle to the shape and angle of your face. If it is not shown in profile, or in full face, it will be a little smaller on the side of the face, and as if turned away from us. As shown in the picture below.
Let's draw two a little curved lines from the top point. The end of one line should touch the point directly opposite the vertex of the triangle, the end of the other should touch its left corner. . When you did this, you sort of separated the top of the nose. The most common mistake here is to draw this part very flat, as if the nose is made of pieces of plastic glued together. The borders should be smooth and there won't be any rough dark lines left when we're done. Never leave dark lines unless you are drawing some kind of drawing.
Step 3 – developing the form
The next thing you need to do is understand that the tip of the nose should not be sharp and flat as in the sketch. It should be rounded. Moreover, the shadow under the nose will by and large not look like a triangle. Therefore, you need to soften its shape, outline it as a wave on top, as in the picture. (You don’t need to draw a red line, you just need to give the upper border of the triangle the shape of such a wave). When you have done this, flip the image horizontally to check that everything is done correctly.
Now fill in the point you drew before. It's better to make this area brighter than the entire nose. Also, soften the dark lines a little with more light color, and draw a semicircle from the right corner of your former triangle to the middle of the right line, as in the picture. .
Now you have already drawn the bridge of the nose and the upper part of the nostril. (usually this part is not so noticeable, but we will work on it later).
Now you need to draw the side of the nose. To prevent this area from looking flat, draw a line from the top of the dark line at a slightly downward angle, and then straight down to the triangle, as shown in the example. Do not draw red lines!! Only black ones.
Step 4 – create a nose from lines.
Now we need to sketch the area that we outlined in the previous step. Don't be afraid to sketch in the outline of the nostril or other lines - paint this area with a lightly shaded shade. In this picture the shadow is not too obvious - I advise you to make the shadow soft. As you can see in the picture, I did not completely paint over the outline of the nostril; they are visible, but only slightly.
Enlarge the image and paint over the dark lines. You also need to work on the triangle. The right nostril should follow the shape of the top line of the triangle. Also make a smooth transition from dark to light. . Don't change anything except the area of the triangle and the area you painted.
Continue doing the same until you have completely filled in the dark lines. And instead of a sketch, you will get a completely realistic nose. Instead of defining the boundaries of our nose by lines, we define them by changes in color and shadow. You will also see the second nostril, it will look like a shadow on the side of the nose farthest from us.
Step 5 – Light and Shadow
In the previous step, our nose still looks a little flat. To fix this, carefully distribute light and shadows throughout the nose in light tones. Define the highlight on the tip of the nose - but don't make it too noticeable, then define the line of the nostril and the angle of the tip of the nose, not with lines, but with colors. I chose the color for the highlights from the area on the bridge of the nose - since it is surrounded by shaded areas , it should be brighter.
At this stage, the appearance of the tip of the nose is determined - depending on where you marked the highlight on it, the shape of the nose will change. It's very interesting to watch. Try changing its position until you find a place where the shape of the nose is exactly what you want.
An enlarged picture of our changes shows the nose with a fairly clear shape and outline. The difference between the color and brightness of the cheeks and nose allows you to see where the nose “rises” from the face.
If you decide to draw a person’s face, it is important, first of all, to correctly draw the person’s eyes, but not only. There are no “little things” in a person’s portrait. All facial features must be drawn accurately and beautifully, and for this you need to be able to draw the nose correctly. In this lesson you will be able draw a person's nose step by step. The nose drawing is made with a simple pencil.
1. Let's start drawing the nose with simple markings
Every person has a nose unique features, therefore, it is impossible to give precise advice on how to draw the nose of a girl, child or man. You can only make an abstract, or as they say, “academic” drawing of the nose. This is exactly the version of the nose that I suggest you draw. I hope there is no need to explain how to mark these intersecting lines.
2. Contours of the “wings” and bridge of the nose
The human nose consists of “wings” and the bridge of the nose, and it is these contours that need to be drawn in this step. The width of the “wing” in my drawing is equal to almost half of the vertical line. You need to draw the nose carefully and accurately follow its “mirror” proportions.
3. The nose takes on a real shape
After precise preliminary markings, drawing the nose will no longer be difficult. You can see for yourself that it’s already quite easy to draw further. Outline the streamlined shapes of the wings of the nose. Draw two lines from the bridge of the nose and draw the tip of the nose.
4. The nose drawing is almost finished
At this step, remove the extra contour lines with an eraser, and you will see a drawing of a very ordinary academic nose; all that remains is to draw a few small details. Be prepared to have to adjust the final shape of your nose several times. Drawing a nose is not difficult, but the slightest inaccuracy leads to noticeable caricature distortion. And sometimes the nose becomes “plump” like Santa Claus or thin and skinny like Baba Yaga.
5. How to make your nose drawing voluminous
This stage of drawing and the next one will consist of only one thing. You need to apply shadows with a soft, simple pencil so that the nose looks voluminous, like in a painting by real artists.
6. How to draw a person’s nose with a pencil
If you are drawing a portrait of a person, then you are probably interested in knowing when is it better to draw the nose, at the beginning of the drawing or at the end? Usually, when drawing a nose at the end of a lesson, the nose turns out to be distorted, too wide or narrow, disproportionately small, or, on the contrary, large. Most likely, this is due to the fact that you are simply tired by the end of the lesson. In a portrait of a person, the eyes and nose are considered the most important elements of the drawing, so it is better to start the drawing with them. But first you need to make general markings. Agree, you can fix your chin, ears and even lips, but if you didn’t “get it right” with the nose and eyes, the person’s portrait will not be similar.
Video on how to draw a person in profile.
Learning to draw a portrait of a person, eyes, nose, lips of a person, even with a simple pencil, requires not only time to study art school, but also talent. The difficulty of drawing a portrait of a person lies in the ability to convey the emotional state of a person, his facial expressions, the depth of his gaze, etc.
It is this element of the portrait that needs to be given the most attention. It is also important to draw the nose and lips correctly, since they reflect the main features of a person’s face. In this lesson you can learn how to draw eyes in detail.
When drawing a person, you should see the entire future image from the expected lines and all you have to do is draw the main ones. Notice how the caricatures are drawn. There is not a single exact feature of a person, but, nevertheless, the drawing bears a great resemblance to the character in the caricature. Very often, to do this, it is enough to accurately draw only the nose, eyes and lips correctly.
If you decide to draw a person’s face, it is important, first of all, to accurately and correctly draw the person’s nose and eyes. The eyes convey his mood, character, and emotions in the drawing. To achieve similarity in a person's portrait, it is important to accurately draw the nose. But eyes and lips are the most important elements of facial design.
To draw eyes correctly, it is best to draw them in stages. The nose and lips in anime style are drawn only conditionally, without drawing details.
First examine your hand carefully, pay attention to the length of the fingers and the proportions of the hand. You can even outline the outline of the hand itself if you are going to draw it at life size.
