Basics of Portrait Drawing

A lot of aspiring artists I’ve met and spoken to believe that drawing portraits of real people is a skill or talent that comes from above. Some seem to be pretty comfortable with drawing generic faces, but drawing a sketch of a specific person freaks them out. However, my feeling is that it is an art that can be acquired. Yes, one does require an artistic bent of mind and some understanding of basic shapes, proportions and angles, but with lots of practice, dedication and perseverance, anybody can learn to draw realistic sketches of people. I have been drawing sketches of people from a very young age. I wouldn’t say that I had this talent as a gift from God. But, what I had within myself as a young kid was a passion for drawing. And this passion was the driving force behind my growth as a portrait artist. What I mean to say here is that in order to learn to draw sketches of real people, one doesn’t really need to have God gifted talent. All that is needed is a strong determination to learn

In this short article, we’ll learn about some useful techniques & tricks to draw realistic portraits of people.

But before we start, I would like to list down the tools that you will need to get started.

·         2H pencil

·         2B pencil

·         4B pencil

·         6B pencil

·         Eraser

·         Kneaded eraser

·         Facial tissue or ear bud, and of course

·         Drawing pad

Now let’s take a look at the three very important concepts that need to be understood in order to draw great looking portraits:

Outlines:
When drawing outlines, we need to focus on the edges. It is particularly easy to draw outlines or contours if we first draw a border or frame on the original picture if it already isn’t there. Then draw the border on the drawing sheet in exactly in the same proportions as the original. It is advisable to use a 2H pencil to draw outlines. You may even increase or decrease the border size if you need to by adjusting the proportions accordingly. Then take the measurements of the distance between the border and the edges of the face and make markings of the edges in the form of tiny dots on the drawing sheet. Finally join all the dots together to complete the outline. Another popular technique to do this is by drawing grids on the drawing sheet. Just measure the proportions inside each grid and draw the outlines accordingly. Choose the technique that you feel comfortable with.

Proportions:
When drawing a portrait, it is absolutely necessary that you draw exactly what you see. You will need to take accurate measurements in order to get the proportions right. If you make the nose too big or the eyes too wide or the chin too long, then your portrait will not have the likeness of the person you are trying to draw. It is a matter of choice, when it comes to select the tool for measuring proportions. Some artists use the pencil they are drawing with, while some use rulers or geometrical dividers, etc. I personally feel comfortable with transparent plastic rulers.

Shading:
In order to make your portrait look realistic, it is absolutely essential to apply proper shading to the sketch. Shading gives your portrait a 3 dimensional look. I would like to discuss three important steps to effective shading.

1. Shade the entire area in medium tone using a 2B pencil and blend it with a tissue paper
2. Then use a kneaded eraser to erase the lighter areas or highlights
3. Finally, shade the darker areas using darker pencils like 4B, 6B or higher depending upon the shade. You may have to redo your highlights a bit if needed

It will take a good amount of practice for a beginner to master these three important concepts, but once you get a hang of it you will be amazed at the quality of portraits that you can draw. Again, what is required really is daily practice. There is no substitute for practice. I have been able to draw realistic portraits like the ones shown below by spending hours and hours in practice.

 

I will discuss the three concepts mentioned above in detail in my future posts.
Thanks for reading !
Prashant.