How To Draw Straight On Faces

example of different head angles

The Basic Forms

To draw the head from any bending y'all must first understand its basic structure. Wait by all the distracting details and visualize the underlying forms. This ability to simplify can be applied to the features of the face up, but when starting the drawing you could await even further. Ignore even the features and simplify to the well-nigh basic form of the head. I utilize a method taught past Andrew Loomis in his book, "Drawing the Head & Easily".

The head deconstructed into its basic forms, is a sphere as the cranium and a cake every bit the jaw and cheek bones.

basic forms

A Sphere every bit the Cranium

The sides of the head are flat, so we can slice off a piece from both sides of the ball. From profile, this aeroplane will be a perfect circle, only when drawing it from any other angle, information technology will appear to be an oval considering of perspective. Divide this oval into quadrants. The vertical line represents the beginning of the jaw. The horizontal line represents the brow line. The elevation and bottom of the oval help you find the hair line and the lesser of the nose.

volume of the cranium

A Block every bit the Jaw and Cheek Bones

Adhere the shape of the jaw. The top volition start at the brow line and the back will showtime at the center of the oval. This is a 3-D volume with a front plane, side planes, and bottom plane (lesser aeroplane is seen from some angles).

volume of the jaw

Constructing From Whatsoever Angle

Stride one – Determine the angle of the ball

The bending of the caput is established at the very beginning of the cartoon with the ball. All three axes must be addressed:

10 Axis - The up and down tilt is established by the angles of the horizontal and vertical lines in the oval. Also, on extreme up tilts and down tilts, the thirds will be foreshortened because of perspective.

rotate x

Y Axis - The direction the head is turning (left or right) is established by the width of the oval. Every bit the head turns towards you, you can encounter more of the front end of the face up and less of the side, and then the oval representing the side volition get narrower. Similarly, when the head turns away from you, more of the side plane is revealed and the oval will appear wider.

rotate y

Z Centrality - The twist is established by the angle of the centre line, the angle of the oval and the placement of the oval on the ball.

rotate z

Step 2 – Find the thirds

Later on establishing the angle of the ball, divide the confront into thirds. The altitude between the hairline and forehead-line should exist the aforementioned as the distance betwixt the brow-line and lesser of the nose. Add that same distance to discover the chin. Observe how the hairline and nose-line align with the elevation and lesser bottom of the oval when wrapped around the face. Imagine the caput as a box. The thirds must be wrapped effectually the side plane and front plane.

find the thirds

Stride 3 – Add the jaw

A common fault at this point is to make the jaw as well long in comparison to the ball. Make sure to measure out your thirds correctly and that they relate correctly to the ball. Notice how the shape of the jaw changes from various angles.

add the jaw

Step 4 – Add the features

With this bones structure properly established, it becomes much easier to add the features in the right identify. Cheque back for more information about specific features in a later post.

add features

- How to Describe Eyes
- How to Draw the Nose
- How to Describe Lips
- How to Describe Ears

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Practice inventing the head from all possible angles. Become a sketchbook and fill an entire page with footling heads. When cartoon without reference photos, y'all quickly realize where your weaknesses are because yous can't rely on copying. You can only piece of work with what you lot know.

UPDATE – 08-17-2012

Made a video version of this tutorial. Subscribe to my YouTube aqueduct ProkoTV for more than videos.