Face to Face

February is for Faces

I’m on a mission to draw 29 faces in 29 days! I got a bit lonely on this mission, so I made it into a 2-week art challenge we can all do together.

Join me for the second week of #KWPrompts: #Face drawing challenge Show me how you think! Mastodon Bluesky Ko-Fi Tag me @KarinWanderer &/or #KWPrompts so I see your art! No AI, Yes alt text, CW as needed.

A small child with hair up in twin buns looks just past the viewer. She is bundled up in a pink scarf & a purple puffy jacket.

Would you like to know more about drawing faces? No problem! This article you’re reading right now has valuable info! Would you like to know even more? Read Part 1: There Go I But For My Face

And as always…

Practice, Practice, Practice!

No matter what method you use to draw people, you always need to practice! Is drawing a whole face too intimidating? Draw it in small parts.

Digital drawings of disembodied eyes, lips, & half a face in profile from the brow line to the upper lip. The best type of practice is the type you actually do

Start with a frame

There are a lot of ways to frame out a face. Try as many different ways as you can find. You might just be surprised by what method works out for you! If you have a reference photo you like, draw wireframes over & over. This helps you see how the facial proportions work together. If you are working digitally it is very easy to layer the different wireframes to see how your different iterations line up. If you are working physically you can do the same with very thin papers & either a light box or a bright window.

Wireframe outline of a woman facing to the side. The body lines are drawn in orange, the face is roughed in using green. Wireframe outline of a woman facing slightly to the left of the viewer.

Attack of the Clones

Once you have a wireframe you like: use it, use it, use it! This is easy if you work digitally. If you work physically, trace it a few times. Using the same wireframe over & over again helps you see how everything comes together. It also is fun to see how differently you can make people look in spite of starting them from the same wireframe.

Wireframe outline of a woman facing the viewer. The body lines are drawn in orange, the face is roughed in using green. I don’t want to admit how many versions I’ve drawn of this wireframe.

Digital drawing of a woman looking calmly at the viewer. Her curly black hair is worn up under a wide-brimmed blue hat tilted to one side. She wears a purple necklace & earrings. Her body rapidly disappears from the collarbone down. I really don’t want to admit how many versions I’ve drawn of this woman.

Reference Photo vs. Live Model

Drawing with a photo is easy! The subject holds still, indefinitely, so that you can really take your time & pay attention to detail. Drawing a live model is easy! The subject is actually there, so you can look at them from a few different angles & even ask them to pose differently if you like. Drawing with a photo is hard; the angle/lens distortion can really mess up things like perspective/foreshortening that are already difficult, especially for beginners. Drawing a live model is hard; people can’t just hold still & let you practice forever. Think about what pros & cons are most important for you. Try drawing from photos, videos, & from life to see what you like the most. This will depend on your temperament, your resources, your experience & your art style. Everyone will be different!

What do you think? Do you like drawing people? Do you have any favorite tips & tricks? Please, share them with me! Mastodon Bluesky Ko-Fi

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