At some point in your life, you probably have wished you knew how to draw a portrait. Maybe you passed by a store and admired the portraits of celebrities, or wished you had a portrait of your own, or maybe you were looking for the perfect gift for your friend or loved one. A portrait is certainly one of the best presents to give someone, for not only is it cheap when you draw it yourself, but it would forever retain the effort and sentimental value that store- bought presents never have.
For budding artists in the making, learning how to draw a portrait can be extremely challenging. But once you have grasped the basics of how to draw a portrait, it can become the best training ground whether you want to be a professional artist or just want to learn drawing for fun.
The first thing you need to understand in how to draw portraits is that it is a learned skill. Sure, talent can give someone an edge. Maybe someone with a drawing background can learn faster than you do, or maybe you even failed art class back in school, but that doesn't stop you from learning. Like any other skills, it entails a lot of discipline and patience, and once you have those virtues, you know you'll get there.
Before you begin your how to draw a portrait lesson, make sure you have the tools with you. A reference picture, a sketchbook, a drawing pencil which can either be in carbon, charcoal, or graphite depending on your preference, a pencil sharpener, kneaded eraser, a scrap of paper to protect smearing your drawings, and a spray fixative to seal your final output. Once you've learned the hang of how to draw a portrait, you can begin experimenting with other materials such as pastel, oil, and watercolors.
A vital step both begginners and old hands should never forget in how to draw a portrait is to properly outline the proportions and positions of the features. This is critical to prevent crooked and lopsided drawings. You can start making an oval and draw lines to mark the positions of the features.
Next is to start adding the features. Begin with the eyes, then the nose, the mouth, the ears, and the hair. Draw them lightly for you to be able to erase them as necessary and avoid leaving markings.
Check the portrait for any inconsistencies. You can either look at it in the mirror or up in the light in reverse, so you can spot any problems immediately before going with the details. When you're serious about learning how to draw a portrait, you shouldn't get bored or too excited to skip this step.
Once you're sure that your drawing is proportional, you can erase the guidelines and refine the details of the features, such as the eyebrows, eyelashes, pupil, hair strands, etc. Again, check your portrait from time to time to see if something's wrong. If you're satisfied enough, you can begin the shading, which is another important element in portrait drawing. A perfect portrait isn't all about the likeness, but how it captures the life and spirit of its model, and shading is essential to capture that life. Add the finishing touches, and erase or add smears as necessary.
Once you're done, it's either you may feel that your portrait is not good enough, or that it is too good for you to notice the imperfections. That's okay. You can wait for a few days and look at it again, but if you feel like something went wrong, don't get too frustrated. Don't rip up your work and give up, rather, accept your mistakes and correct them. Learning how to draw a portrait isn't an overnight skill. It takes time, a lot of practice, and an open mind to acquire new ideas, tips, and suggestions from seasoned pros or from your own experiences.
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