Tips on Pencil Portrait Drawing - The Line Drawing

By Remi Engels

In this article I will discuss the importance of a line drawing in producing a pencil portrait drawing. I will also discuss the details of rendering such a drawing. We start with a gridded reference image that has the same dimensions as the drawing we will produce. By the way, a gridded image which has the size of your actual drawing, will usually be too large for most printers to handle in one piece. So, print out the image piece-wise on regular 8.5 by 11 inch paper.

The first step is to draw the same grid on your drawing paper that you drew on your reference image. Use an HB or F pencil with a sharp point and draw very lightly. Remember that this grid eventually will have to be erased.

Once we have drawn the grid we are ready to start putting in the contours of the subject. 

The advantages of using a grid are many. Here are a few:

* You can draw the content of one square at a time.

* All proportions and placements are easily discerned.

* Negative spaces become more evident.

* Rendering the correct perspective is greatly simplified.

Here are some guidelines on drawing the outlines (line drawing) of the subject in the photograph:

* For now, only draw lines, i.e., do not do any shading yet.

* Draw lightly and loosely. Use maybe a 2B or 3B sharp pencil. Sharpen your pencils frequently.

* Although you should concentrate on one square, you should not loose sight of the overall structure of the drawing. For example, make sure that the subject matter smoothly transitions from one square to the next. Stand back once and awhile and inspect your progressing drawing from an overall perspective. While concentrating on a particular square, also use your peripheral vision to keep an eye on the neighborhood.

* At this stage, accuracy is of the essence. All drawing at this point is judging lengths and angles within a single square. Use short soft lines which, if needed, you can easily erase. 

* Put a sheet of bond paper under your drawing hand so you avoid smudging of the already finished portion of your drawing or of the grid.

* Also draw in the contours of the shadows and other worthy details you notice on your subject. At this stage your task is to produce a detailed map of your subject. We are actually in the process of readying the drawing for the next phase, i.e., shading.

* Try to see in terms of shapes or masses and draw the contours of these shapes and masses. Drawing is doing two things simultaneously (actually, more than two). On the one hand, you need to concentrate on that one current line you are drawing (its length and angle) but simultaneously you should always be aware that this line is part of a shape.

* Make use of the concept of negative space. Also, once and awhile, turn your reference image as well as your drawing upside down or sideways. This often gives you a better perspective on lengths and angles. 

* In fact, at this stage, try not to be aware that you are drawing a definite subject. Look at each shape as just a blob without meaning but with definite dimensions and a definite orientation. This will help you with seeing and reducing the involuntary introduction of preconceived notions about noses and such.

* Look at your reference image frequently and carefully.

* Make some choices. What is important? What can you leave out? Drawing is often an exercise in elimination of unnecessary detail. 

In this fashion, continue working out one square after another until you have a line drawing of your entire subject. By now, you should already see a fairly good likeness of your subject. Review in detail the entire drawing and make corrections wherever necessary. This is also the time to erase most of the grid. When you are satisfied, you can lightly spray the drawing with workable fixative, just enough so it does not smudge but you can still erase things if you have to.

Remi Engels is a pencil portrait artist and oil painter and expert teacher. Check out his [http://www.remipencilportraits.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=131&Itemid=-]Pencil Portrait Course and his [http://www.remipencilportraits.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=130&Itemid=-]Portrait Print Package Special

Article Source: Tips on Pencil Portrait Drawing - The Line Drawing

How To Draw A Good Portrait

By Darren WK Chow

Drawing portraits can be exceedingly challenging for many art students. But why are portraits so hard to draw? After all, portraits are essentially the same as all other drawings, and are made up of basic shapes and forms. The key lies being able to execute proportions with exact precision.

When you take a closer look at a portrait, you'll observe that there are thousands of combinations possible for portraits. For example, there are noses with many different shapes and sizes. There are eyes with different shapes and colors. There are lips with different thickness and there are all sorts of little details (like eyebags etc.) that are different. This makes it difficult for the artist to apply a fixed formula when drawing portraits.

The same technique for drawing a fixed object, or for drawing still life, can be used again and again. The basic shapes and forms of a table or a chair is easy to duplicate.

But when you put together a combination of all kinds of different features on a face, it's a whole different set of challenge. The nose is too small, the lips are too thick, the eyes look all funny, etc. You get into all sorts of funny problems that you can don't get whether drawing other stuff. That's why drawing portraits can be such a challenge to many art students.

The way around this is to strengthen the drawing foundation. That means drawing by applying sound drawing principles instead of just following rigid formulas. If the artist can get the proportions right, the likeness of the person will emerge. There's no need for other complicated techniques. The artist just have to focus on getting the proportions right.

The other area of concern is that many art students do not have the maturity to make sound decisions about the portraits they are drawing. Note that drawing is not the same as photographing. The drawing need not be exactly the same as the subject. There is room for the artist to make decisions on how the drawing will eventually turn out.

Therefore, a good portraitist will always bear in mind the background and the essence of the subject that he or she is drawing. For instance, if the artist is drawing a business person, he may want to capture the shrewd look on the face. Or if he's drawing a model, he may want the drawing to look Hollywood style. 

These are simple decisions, yet they have such a profound impact on the portraits. So good artists must use their judgment to make such decisions.

Darren Chow is the founder and developer of MyArtPassion.com, an online website that offers free drawing lessons, home study courses, and other drawing related resources.

For more free resources like the one you've just read, please visit MyArtPassion.com [http://www.myartpassion.com] for free online drawing lessons [http://www.myartpassion.com].

Article Source: How To Draw A Good Portrait

Tip on Pencil Portrait Drawing - Six Elements of Portrait Drawing

By Remi Engels

Drawing in general entails four distinct elements: line, value, texture, and form. In the special case of pencil portrait drawing we can refine the list of elements to six: form, proportion, anatomy, texture, value, and planes.

In this article we will give a detailed description of each of those pencil portrait drawing elements.

(1) Form or Shape - The illusion of three-dimensionality in drawing and art in general has been central to Western art for centuries. The carving out of form using line, structure, and value was a vital component of almost all Renaissance art.

On the other hand, oriental and lots of contemporary art emphasize flatness of form although this period in contemporary art is drawing to a close.

All form in drawing can initially be reduced to 4 basic 3-dimensional solids: bricks, cones, cylinders, and spheres. The proper use of these forms together with perspective and value leads to the illusion of 3-dimensionality even though the drawing is, in actuality, located on a 2-dimensional sheet of drawing paper. 

In portrait drawing, the arabesque of the head, the square structure of the head, and all components within the head (nose, eyes, etc.) are all 2- and 3-dimensional forms that contribute to the overall illusion of 3-dimensionality

(2) Proportion - includes all sizing and placements of form. Proportion refers to the concept of relative length and angle size.

Proportion gives answers to these two questions:

1. Given a defined unit of length, how many units is a particular length?

2. How large is this particular angle? Answering these two questions consistently correctly will yield a drawing with the correct proportions and placements of all form. 

(3) Anatomy - refers essentially to the underlying structures of bone and muscle of the head. 

It is important to learn as much as you can about anatomy. There are many books available on anatomy for artists. For a portrait artist it is particularly important to understand the anatomy of the head, neck, and shoulders.

Anatomy studies unfortunately include a lot of Latin terms which makes it somewhat difficult to grasp. The idea is to study slowly and a little bit at a time because it can be quite frustrating. 

(4) Texture - in portrait drawing expresses the range of roughness or smoothness of the forms. The rough texture of a concrete walk way, for example, is quite different from the smoothness of a window. 

There exist several techniques and tricks to help you with the creation of the correct textures. Creating textures is an area in drawing that gives you the opportunity to be very creative and to use every possible type of mark you can make with a pencil. In portrait drawing textures occur in places such as hair, clothing, and skin. 

(5) Value - refers to the variations in light or dark of the pencil marks and hatchings. Powerful portrait drawings employ the full palette of contrasting lights and darks. Beginning artists often fail to achieve this full "stretch" of value, resulting in timid, washed-out drawings.

(6) Planes - produce the sculptural sensibility of a portrait. The head has numerous planes each with a different direction and therefore with a different value. 

The idea is to think of the surface of the head as a collection of discrete planes with a certain direction relative to the light source. You should try to identify each of the planes and draw its correct shape and value. 

The correct handling of planes contributes very much to the likeness of your subject as well as the illusion of 3-dimensionality.

Remi Engels is a pencil portrait artist and oil painter and expert teacher. Check out his [http://www.remipencilportraits.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=131&Itemid=-]Pencil Portrait Course and his [http://www.remipencilportraits.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=130&Itemid=-]Portrait Print Package Special

Article Source: Tip on Pencil Portrait Drawing - Six Elements of Portrait Drawing

Learn How to Draw People - By Drawing Cartoon People

By Mike Monaghan

Have you ever wondered why learning to draw is believed to be difficult? Here's why... it's because everyone tells you so.

Those who can't draw tell you it's hard, those who can draw tell you it's hard, and, most of all, those who teach you to draw tell you it's hard.If you want to learn to draw you already hold the belief that you are going to have to put in a lot of work to learn, practice and master all the special techniques that "gifted" people get for free at birth.

So lets change that belief. Let's say you want to learn how to draw people... Now you could get a book on drawing people - study the anatomy of the human body, learn the general measurements of the head, where the eyes and ears are positioned relative to nose and mouth, how to divide the face up, where all the muscles lie and what happens to those muscles with expression change. You can learn about posture and balance, body proportions, movement, clothing,perspective, and so on, including special study of eyes, hands, feet, hair and other details.

And then there's the really difficult part - learning about shading technique and how to draw a portrait with likeness.

With all these instructions, it's not surprising anyone would give up trying to learn to draw people. But there is another way, an easier way, a quicker way - and that's by drawing cartoon people.

It's funny, but many instructions on drawing cartoon people begin by saying you should first understand drawing real people - but in my view it's better to work the other way round. Why? Because drawing cartoons is fun and easy, and because of this you are motivated and inspired to draw more and often - and the more you draw, the more you improve your observation skills and your drawing ability.

Here's how to go about it in practice. Put all the instruction books, rules and techniques away and start anew. Spend lots of time just looking at people, but look with your sense of humor. See the funny ways people stand, sit walk and talk, how they scrunch up their faces with expressions, the ridiculous ways they have their hair fixed, their personal fashion statements as they promote their individuality and personality to the world.

Viewing people with a perspective of humor will impress all their characteristics much more firmly into your mind, and you'll notice subtle details that you wouldn't have seen otherwise. People are funny, often ridiculous, more often stereotypes of themselves... understanding and recognizing this will help in drawing them.

The next step is to draw. Begin with sketching these characters and their characteristics - quick and easy sketching just for you, for reference (you're not drawing to impress anyone, you're sketching to build up and train your visual vocabulary).

Then start cartooning them. Don't try to draw "cartoons"- just draw the characters as you can remember them, or imagine them, using your reference sketches. Keep them simple, they'll be funny enough and cartoonish enough without any help from standard cartoon-drawing techniques or style.

Learning anything is often a process of practice - the more you do something, the better you get. The trick is to stick at something long enough to get good at it. If something is fun to do, you'll stick at it, and that is the reason cartooning will help you learn to draw. With hours of "fun drawing" instead of laborious "drawing practice", and the deep level of observation and interest you achieve by looking at people through humor-colored glasses, learning to draw will never feel difficult again.

Drawing is easy and cartooning is easy, if you want it to be, and my website http://www.drawingcartoon.net is there to show you how you can become an original cartoon artist.

Or watch me in action on http://www.youtube.com/user/MonaghanMike and be inspired to unleash your own unique drawing talent.

Article Source: Learn How to Draw People - By Drawing Cartoon People

How to Draw a Realistic Portrait

By Igor Lukyanov

Drawing a realistic human portrait is probably one of the most difficult tasks for any artist. Even professional, well-known artists experience difficulties with drawing realistic portraits, not to speak of art students and amateurs who love drawing, enjoy the process and want to learn how to draw portraits.

So what does one need to draw portraits besides desire and a little bit of drawing talent?

• learn the basics of drawing;
• learn the basic proportions of a human face;
• lots of practice!

In order to learn basics of drawing you can purchase and read specialized literature discussing drawing techniques, styles, tools etc.

As to the basic proportions of a human face, they are the following:

• the distance from the chin to the eyes equals the distance from the eyes to the crown of the head (do not forget that you do not have to take into consideration a haircut in this case);
• the distance from the hairline to the eyebrows equals the distance from the eyebrows to the tip of the nose and at the same time equals the distance from the tip of the nose to the chin;
• the distance between eyes is actually the length of an eye itself;
• the width of the nose is the distance between the eyes;
• the length of the mouth is the distance between the eye pupils;
• the length of ears equals the distance from the brows to the mouth line;
• when drawing a half face (profile), the distance from the eye level to the chin equals the distance from the outer corner of an eye to the end of an ear.

The above face proportions are classical for an adult and can slightly vary depending on individual facial peculiarities.

The most common errors in realistic portrait drawing are caused by the failure to observe the above proportions. These errors are usually as follows:

• a truncated skull;
• too large eyes;
• too small nose;
• too small mouth;
• too thin neck;
• too small ears.

However such deviations in classical portrait proportions can be deliberately made for caricatures and cartoons drawing, and being able to make such "correct errors" in this case is also art as it is not an easy thing to accentuate and emphasize necessary details of a portrait in order to create a good looking caricature which at the same time allows model recognizing.

When drawing a realistic portrait, one must pay special attention to the following details of the model's face:

• whether the lip corners are tilted up or down;
• which lip is wider;
• which internal or external corners of the eyes are higher;
• shape of the face and cheekbones;
• strands and hair around the face as they must be drawn very thoroughly and with as much details as possible.

The most important in learning to draw is constant practicing which is a must for improvement your drawing technique. Practicing a lot, you will soon notice that your portraits get more and more beautiful and resembling the model. Good luck in your learning to draw realistic portraits!

Igor Lukyanov is a Ukrainian illustrator and artist. You are kindly invited to visit his personal blog of an illustrator and artist as well as his blog of a fashion illustrator if you want to learn how to draw and enjoy his illustrations, portraits, freehand drawings and other kinds of visual art.

Article Source: How to Draw a Realistic Portrait

Pencil Sketches of Faces

By Darren WK Chow

Why is drawing faces such a great challenge for so many artists? We know we have the image in our head, and often times in our hands in the form of a photo, but we just can't capture it on paper with our pencils.

Have that ever happened to you before? You start drawing a face to find that when you're done, it's nowhere near the person that you're trying to draw?

The problem is that all faces are a unique combination of a set of features. When we take these features apart, we see that there are hundred and one different features. We all have different lips, different noses, different eyes, different ears, different hair, and different face shapes.

And when all these different features come together, it makes the task more difficult for the artist to capture the visual resemblance on paper.

Also, we have to take note of the age of the face that we're drawing. If you're drawing babies, the best time to draw them is when their asleep. Because you can't have them moving around when you draw them.

When drawing babies, keep the drawing simple with few lines and only capture the features of the face.

If you're drawing a child, the features are more defined compared to those of a baby. So you'll have to lock in the features with stronger and darker lines. But the skin is still smooth and gentle. Try not to add to many lines to the face of a child.

Teenagers are young adults. You may approach drawing the face of a teenager in the same way as you would approach drawing the face of an adult. The key to drawing a mature face is to capture the essence of the face.

That means capturing the personality of the face. Some people have a confident look. Some have a shy look, and some have a mischievous look and so on. Try to capture that in your drawing.

Finally, remember not to draw all your faces to look like hollywood stars. Human beings do not look like plastic in real life. So keep your drawings realistic by including any details that make your drawing look more human.

Darren Chow is the founder and developer of MyArtPassion.com, an online website that offers free drawing lessons, home study courses, and other drawing related resources.

For more free resources like the one you've just read, please visit MyArtPassion.com [http://www.myartpassion.com] for free online drawing lessons [http://www.myartpassion.com].

Article Source: Pencil Sketches of Faces

Pencil Drawing - Quick and Easy Drawing Exercises

By Murtaza Habib

A good pencil drawing can be easily achieved if the artist is willing to invest a lot of time and effort into acquiring the relevant techniques. Even those who feel that they have little or no drawing talents at all can very quickly ascertain how to produce a fine pencil drawing.

There are many good ways of learning these techniques such as attending an art class, joining an online art course and of course, reading or watching books and cd. Alternatively, trial and error with some quick and easy drawing exercises can help to kick - start the learning process.

Try these drawing exercises:

1. Have a look around your house and see if there are any items which you would like to draw. It should be something that you are visually attracted to, a flower for example, a ring, or picture frame? Make your choice and then allow yourself ten minutes to be able to draw it. Once you have attempted your pencil drawing, evaluate your work and be honest but fair about the result.

2. Now find a photo in a magazine that you are drawn to. This could be an image of a person, a place or an object. As you flick through the pages, think about how you would try to draw the images on the pages in front of you. Once you have made your choice, try to connect with the picture and then commence your drawing. You have ten minutes to complete the project, and after you have finished, conclude by evaluating how you did.

3. If you have any animals then your next exercise is to draw the family pet. Once again, allow yourself ten minutes to quickly see if you can capture the likeness whilst drawing quickly. Focus on your pencil drawing and pay special attention to the fur or feathers for example. There is no need to draw everything painstakingly, simply draw what you need to be able to capture the likeness.

4. Now find something else in your surroundings and this time, allow yourself half an hour to focus not only on the drawing but to work on light and shade. By allowing yourself a little extra time, you will be able to work on the pencil drawing and watch it develop. The previous exercises will allow you to feel relaxed and be in touch with your drawing technique and this will ensure that you can then produce your best work.

Are you able to bring your creativity on to your canvas? Will you take action step by step, if I help you to learn drawings and paintings until you succeed? Grab 6 lessons on Oil, Acrylic, Watercolor, Fabric Painting, Pencil Drawing, Color Theory. [http://www.paintonmycanvas.com]

'Murtaza Habib' has helped hundreds of newbies to start their painting courses, now you can do it too...

Article Source: Pencil Drawing - Quick and Easy Drawing Exercises

Proportions and Measuring in Drawing Faces and People Made Simple!

By Todd Harris

Proportion and Measuring

Proportion is a word often associated with another word for artists, stress.  But I'm here to share with you that it doesn't have to be a stressful word.

Proportion...How big should the head be?  How long should the legs?  How long should I draw this line?  These are questions, we as artists, face everyday.  There are several tools and methods to help artists with proportions.  

There are certain proportion formulas, such as the figure being a certain many heads tall, or the head of the figure being so many eyes wide.

I like to know these formulas and use them as a guide.  The human form being so individual you can never go strictly off of these formulas alone.  As an artist, it's important to know these formulas to be able to recognize the deviations from the formulas in the model/subject you are drawing.

Measuring is a little bit different for every artist.  It is a tool for proportions not to overlook.  Just as someone aiming a poolstick or firing a gun does it differently than the next person, so goes it for the artist.  Some artists, while measuring, will shut the left eye and some the right, while others will keep both eyes open (just never keep both shut LOL).  You'll need to see what's right for you.  Then, hold your pencil between your thumb and fingers with your fingers wrapped around the pencil.  Measure from the top of your thumb to the end of your pencil.  You can hold your pencil vertical or horizontal for this technique, keeping it at shoulder high.

Your measurement from your thumb to the end of your pencil may only be ½ inch, but on your drawing it could be an inch or more.  All of your measurements are comparative.  For example, if an artist wants to know how long a leg is, he can compare it's length with the length of the subjects head.  Using the measurement method we discussed with the pencil, it's easy to compare.

This is a brief overview on proportions and measuring.  For more information on proportions, measurements, drawing people or faces, and much more...Please see http://www.learning2draw.com or email us at  [mailto:info@learning2draw.com]info@learning2draw.com.

Learning2draw.com is a resource web site that focuses on elevating artists of all levels in figure drawing and drawing faces.  This site will teach you tips, tricks, techniques, and more on how to draw the human figure and make it come alive. Todd Harris is a concept art director for a multi-billion dollar company who was trained in the Florence Academy Method for figure drawing. For more information or for any questions please email  [mailto:info@learning2draw.com]info@learning2draw.com or visit our site at 

Article Source: Proportions and Measuring in Drawing Faces and People Made Simple!

Learn How To Draw Faces Realistically

By Adam Reeder

Drawing a face isn't as hard as it looks. To draw a realistic human face, it takes mapping out the face correctly before you fill in the finer detail. If you would like to get the most out of this article, I recommend sitting down with a pad and paper and drawing each step as you read it.

To begin, start with an egg shaped oval.  Draw a line down the center of this egg.  This line will give you a midpoint for measuring eye separation, nose width, etc.

Next, separate the egg shape into 3 equal portions (horizontal lines) with 2 lines.  The top of the egg will be be the top of the hairline and the bottom of that segment will be the eyebrows.  The second segment goes from the eyebrows to the bottom of the nose.  The third segment goes from the bottom of the nose to the bottom of the chin.

Two of these segments turned sideways will give you the measurement sideways from cheek to cheek.

The measurement of one eye should be equal to the distance between the two eyes.  The corner of each eye should line up with the wings of the nose.

If you divide the third segment (under the nose) in half, with a horizontal line, you have the line for the bottom of the bottom lip.  The corners of the mouth should line up with the middle of the pupil of the eye.

The ears should be visible from a front view as they do not sit flat on the side of your head.  These points can be found by finding the middle segment from the eyebrow to the bottom of the nose.  The ears should only stick out about as far as from the center line of the head to the wing of the nose.

The hair can be drawn by drawing the hair from the edge of the ear up.  The top of the hair is ¾ of one of the segment lengths up from the hair line.

Adam Reeder is a professional artist who is currently working on a masters degree at The San Francisco Academy of Art University.  Visit his website at Adam Reeder.

Article Source: Learn How To Draw Faces Realistically

Face Drawing - Know Basics and Become Expert

By Murtaza Habib

The art of drawing is mainly done in 2 dimensions and it will find perfection when the artist creates all dimensions with equal measurements. Immense concentration is required to learn face drawing.

The key features in this type of drawing are face properties such as eyes, hair and nose. 

The meaning of face drawing is to create the drawing perfectly similar with respect to the face of the person that you want to portray.

For this art you will require some basic things like sketch paper or drawing paper of size 8x10 or 9x12, a pencil having range between HB or B, eraser, scale and many more things.  Make sure that the eraser that you will use should have good quality.

Here are some basic tips about this lucrative drawing method.

- To start the face drawing, first you need to draw an ellipse.

- Next draw a line bisecting this ellipse.

- Draw another line at the other half of the eye line and at the chin bottom. This way you will get the bottom of nose with the help of that line.

- Draw one more bisecting the nose line and the chin. This line will provide the perfect location of mouth in your drawing.

- Draw two different lines at the end to indicate the neck. Make sure that you draw all the lines very faintly, and it should look like an actual face.

Here are some points that need to be checked out once your face drawing gets completed...

1. Check if the tilts at the eyes are proper.

2. The nose is in perfect shape.

3. Lips should have proper thickness as per actual face.

4. The Jaw line is in perfect shape with respect to actual position.

5. Hairline should be at proper height as per the actual picture.

Are you able to bring your creativity on to your canvas? Will you take action step by step, if I help you to learn drawings and paintings until you succeed? Grab 6 lessons on Oil, Acrylic, Watercolor, Fabric Painting, Pencil Drawing, Color Theory.

To take a look at more articles just like this one, click here: Cartoon Drawing [http://www.paintonmycanvas.com/ezine.html]

'Murtaza Habib' has helped hundreds of newbies to start their painting courses, now you can do it too...

Keep visiting Paint on my canvas [http://www.paintonmycanvas.com/ezine.html] for unique articles on drawing and painting.

Article Source: Face Drawing - Know Basics and Become Expert

How to Draw Portraits

By Christopher Guiles

Learning how to draw portraits is one of the most popular topics in art classes and among art students.  This is partly because the artist is saying something about the person of whom they are drawing the portrait of through their artistic depiction of them. Leonardo Da Vinci was once quoted as saying that "the most praiseworthy form of painting is the one that most resembles what it imitates". Consequently, portrait drawing is one of the most honest forms of respect which someone can pay to someone else.

Back to the subject of how to draw portraits and how to do it well, however, even if you've never done one before. An easy way to prepare is by getting a small 8 inch by 10 inch preferably black and white picture of your subject so that you don't have to avert your eyes too far for reference. 

Here's a specific trick/tip in how to draw portraits. You can use something known as grid drawing to replicate the drawing without fear of disproportioning any features. There is a tool which you can use to draw a grid, but you can also just use a ruler. Simply break up the original picture into equivalent boxes with a pencil, then repeat the process on your paper. This allows you to go in on a small scale and recreate piece by piece the original picture. Trace in the grid lightly with a pencil so that you can easily erase it once you're done.

Another tip for how to draw portraits comes with going lightly over facial outlines. If you'll notice, cheekbones, jawbones, most of the bones in the facial structure help to give definition to the face. This is a major part in hammering down the likeness. It's small details like these that people don't immediately realize but play a major role in the overall development of the portrait.

You can use the long end of the side of the tip of your drawing pencil for shading. Shading plays a large role in how to draw portraits as it always gives a nice shadowed effect to a facial portrait and a sense of professionalism. Experiment with the lights and the darks, particularly with juxtaposing the two next to each other. Remember, you have an eraser, so there are no mistakes. Just as you can blend the dark using your pencil, you can get some interesting results by reversing this effect by lightly going over it with your eraser so that the two flow into each other more evenly and realistically.

Learn more tips for how to draw portraits along with hundreds of step by step instructional illustrations at http://yourreviewsite.com/learntodraw/index.html

Article Source: How to Draw Portraits

Drawing Figures - Basic Steps to Drawing Successful Figures

By Murtaza Habib

One of the most difficult aspects of drawing has to be reproducing the human form onto paper and this is because every person is different. If you are an artist who likes a challenge, then drawing figures may be the ideal challenge for you.

There are just so many things to remember when you are drawing figures; actually, the drawing itself is the latter part of the project. The observation of your subject should have happened initially. Drawing well is about your awareness and your observation skills. Following this you need to communicate your observations onto paper and your drawing should be able to capture the essence of the person.

Capturing the adult human form is an exceptionally enjoyable project, even more so if the model is present whilst you sketch their basic outline so as to capture the pose correctly. If they do not wish to sit, then it may be worth taking some photos of them whilst about their daily chores or tasks, make it unobtrusive so that the pictures are natural. Alternatively, make some quick sketches.

Providing you enjoy drawing, have aspirations to be a good artist, and you wish to portray the very essence of the subject you are observing, then your drawings will start to have a realistic feel to them.

When you are thinking about your drawing, think in terms of general composition. Where on the page will be the drawing of the figure be? Will your drawing be in a sitting lying or standing pose? What else will there be in the picture? 

Knowing the answer to these questions will help to ensure that your picture is a success.

In addition, think about how you can best portray the character you are planning to draw. Think in terms of their general characteristics, how you would describe their personality? Are they known for their vivacious smile? Alternatively, are they shy, introverted and tend to look up almost apologetically from under veiled eyelashes?

Here are some basic steps:

* Observe your subject well before even picking up your pencil

* Take some photographs so that you can continue drawing even if the model is not present.

* Make some simple sketches first to help with drawing later.

* Remember to think about the overall composition

* Try to capture all of the main characteristics of the model.

Drawing figures is so much more than just sketching a basic form. It is essential for all artists that the very essence of the person is allowed to come forth and this is what makes for an exceptional work of art.

Are you able to bring your creativity on to your canvas? Will you take action step by step, if I help you to learn drawings and paintings until you succeed? Grab 6 lessons on Oil, Acrylic, Watercolor, Fabric Painting, Pencil Drawing, Color Theory.

==> [http://www.paintonmycanvas.com]

'Murtaza Habib' has helped hundreds of newbies to start their painting courses, now you can do it too...

Article Source: Drawing Figures - Basic Steps to Drawing Successful Figures

How to Draw People - Three Easy Steps Towards a Significant Figure Drawing Improvement

By Todd T Harris

Drawing a circle, a car, a tree, ball all these are basics that we all might be able to draw with our eyes closed but drawing a human head to toe correctly is priceless. 

For an artist, if he can master the art of figure drawing then that's the pinnacle of a difficult art. There are many reasons for this but in simple words it should be understand that can be no carbon copy of one person. The features of a human being are so varying in each individual that replicating a person is a tough task. The head, eyes, features, body structure, etc are different for all humans.

You should consider that a few things could considerably improve your drawings. With strong will a person can be a skillful figure-drawing artist. In case drawing is your routine hobby; a couple tips if inculcated shall help you develop your skills by leaps and bounds. 

Primarily close observation of faces & people leads to perfect drawing. The capability to view and observe correctly is what will help you do a long way in improving you artistically. Have you been able to figure out the right outline of the model's eye? Is the outline of the eye quite thin? Are her eyebrows dipping in the same manner? Is the positioning of her chin right where it should be? Have you drawn the neckline a bit curvier? Is everything that you have drawn a true representation of what the model looks like or have to missed something? 

To be a good figure-drawing artist such observations must be precise. All that matters is how carefully to make the observation. 

The subsequent step in the direction of being a figure-drawing artist is that your beginnings must be big. Admittedly it could sound simple but a large section of artists commit the mistake of placing in a number of details. Begin with - block-in process & place in big shapes. Leave the intricate details such as eye area shading to be done at a latter stage. When you happen to be drawing the large sections focusing is needed on proportions. Is it that the male's body is approximately 7 ½ heads tall etc. Such question should bother you, not the color or shade of the eye area. These are the queries that you would like to find answers for. 

Last but not the least - practice makes a man perfect. When you happen to drawing on a daily basis, a good artist is the biggest critic of his/her own work and knows that steps have to be taken to iron out the flaws. Do attempt to study the features which you aren't at ease with. Be it the eyes or the hands or whatever section you feel hesitant about keep drawing it and certainly there shall be marked improvements. Keep practicing repeatedly. Purchase a nice sketchbook for yourself and carry it along with you and whenever you have the time to draw just do the same. 

Now you know these steps are simple for anyone to follow and surely you shall witness huge improvements in your drawing abilities immediately.

Todd Harris is the creator of AllDrawnOut.com, found at [http://www.alldrawnout.com] a fun and interactive art site that is changing how artists learn how to draw people and figure draw by giving step by step video lessons. He is an art director for Disney and also teaches art classes at a University. He is trained in the Florence Academy Method and has helped thousands online learn how to draw people and improve their art skills. He is also the creator of Learning2draw.com.

Article Source: How to Draw People - Three Easy Steps Towards a Significant Figure Drawing Improvement

How to Draw People - Never Too Late to Learn

By Janet E Meadow

I developed my love for drawing when I was first able to hold a pencil at the age of 4. The first time I was able to bring life to a blank white piece of paper I was addicted. As I grew older and the responsibilities of life began to mount I lost the freedom to express my creative talents on a regular basis and my art talent suffered for it. One day I looked in the mirror and realized that what I loved doing the most was an insignificant part of my daily life.

I decided to enroll in art school and took classes at night after work. The courses were interesting and educational but really didn't teach me the core basics of what I wanted to focus on.

I love to draw figures and find penciling a masterpiece of human anatomy an exhilarating experience. I decided to fast track my education process and hire a private instructor. After one month of instruction I had made some progress but my pocketbook couldn't keep up with the costs involved.

This is when I realized the internet is the perfect place for me to find the information required to learn how to draw people and figures the correct way. After a ton of research online I finally found a technique called Figure Drawing Secrets that has enabled me to achieve my goal!

I am now building a portfolio and am in the process of landing some fantastic freelancing opportunities. I wanted to share my story with those of you who may have given up on your dream of taking your skill set to the next level for personal or professional gain. Good Luck and Happy Drawing to all!

Janet E Meadow - The Drawing Gal

Found an interesting site if you are serious about learning how to draw people [http://www.allinfoexperts.com/howtodrawpeople/index.php] and figures.

Article Source: How to Draw People - Never Too Late to Learn