Drawing a portrait from a photograph – a rather complex process that requires knowledge and skills

Drawing a portrait from a photograph – a rather complex process that requires knowledge and skills

Drawing a portrait from a photograph at first glanceseems a very difficult, almost impossible process. But, as you know, nothing is impossible for a reasonable person. Everything can be learned. In this article you will find practical tips on how to work correctly with this drawing, and visual material that will make the task easier for you. So, let's start getting acquainted with the rather complex process of drawing – drawing a portrait from a photograph using a simple pencil. Despite all the difficulty, it can be learned. The main thing is to choose the photo you like and take the advice of artists already experienced in this matter. To begin with, you should familiarize yourself with the basics of drawing, learn the anatomical features of the construction of the head and face, and, of course, practical exercises. Don't be discouraged if you don't succeed the first time. All comes with experience. Subsequent drawings will be better and richer each time, close to the original. Over time, you will learn to accurately reproduce a real image, convey all the shades and texture. There are several essential tips that will definitely come in handy when drawing a portrait of any average person:

  • the width of the nose corresponds to the length of the eyes and the distance between them;
  • The length from the tip of the nose to the chin is always equal to the length between the lower point of the nose and the eyebrows;
  • the length of the mouth of the person being represented will correspond to the distance between the pupils;
  • height of the ears is similar to the distance from the mouth to the eyebrows.

And one moment.Don't try to cover everything in the drawing at once. Drawing a portrait from a photograph always occurs in several stages, step by step. Now we take the selected good quality photo, simple pencils 6B, 3B, B, as well as an eraser and paper.Drawing a portrait from a photo. Photo №1Based on the shape of the head and face, using thin linesyou need to put their contours on paper, as well as the contours of hair and facial details (eyebrows, lips, eyes, nose, mouth). Next, we divide the image into planes, which we use to designate all the details of the face. Be sure to remember about the structural features of your face. Use an eraser to remove unnecessary lines. Now you can start drawing all the elements and facial features. After the work is partially completed, look at the photo to compare the drawing with it. Even if you are satisfied with everything, take a short break and compare again. This way you will see inaccuracies and be able to correct them.Drawing a portrait from a photo. Photo # 2 Drawing a portrait from a photo. Picture №3So that the portrait has maximum resemblance tooriginal, it is important to correctly draw all its elements. Pay attention to the eyes. They should be very expressive, which is achieved by respecting the shape and their position and displaying highlights of light (on the eyelid and iris). As for the eyeball, it remains white with a slight shadow falling from the eyelid. When drawing the nose, pay attention to the proportions and shape. The expressiveness of the ears depends on how correct their position is on both sides of the head. They are often hidden under hair. And yet, the shape of a man’s ears and a woman’s ears are not particularly different. Therefore, the technique for drawing them is identical.Drawing a portrait from a photo. Photo №4 Drawing a portrait from a photo. Photo №5Before you start shading, you shoulderase all inaccurate and unnecessary lines. Then try to identify areas of shadow and light. Hatching should begin with the darker areas of the drawing. There is no need to darken the eyes and skin too much. As you work, you can rotate your drawing so that it is convenient to apply strokes. After applying the main strokes, you can move on to the halftones. At this stage, such areas of the portrait as facial skin, elements of clothing, and hair are emphasized using halftones. Using an eraser, we will lighten individual details of the portrait, which include eyebrows, lips, chin and nose, or rather part of it. Using the same eraser, you can also draw individual folds on the face, which will give the drawing greater resemblance to the original and breathe life into it. All that remains is to slightly darken individual areas of the neck, hair and ears and create a background. Drawing a portrait from a photograph can be considered complete.Drawing a portrait from a photo. Photo №6

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