In this article, we will discuss how to draw a portrait of a person step by step with a pencil. Many do not realize that drawing a human head turned at a 3/4 angle is complicated because, in this case, the natural asymmetry of the features is added to by perspective shortening. Therefore, we will learn to draw a portrait of a person specifically in this challenging angle. The difficulty is compounded by the fact that a person, especially an active one, rarely freezes in one pose. The most lively face will result not from a clear profile or frontal drawing and not from a strict head tilt at 3/4. Many people are dreamy and often look up at the sky, while others are always dissatisfied and glance from under their brows. Try to draw portraits from different angles.
 Identify the features
of the structure and characteristic traits of the face of the person we will draw.
Find the compositional placement of the head and outline it on the sheet of paper in the form
of an oval, trying to maintain its proportions and overall shape. |
 Draw the centerline,
which in this head position will appear as an arc. Its position
will determine the degree of head rotation and its perspective shortening.The next main auxiliary line will be the one that crosses the centerline at the level of the root of the nose and the inner corner of the eyes. |
 If the centerline is
arched, then the other auxiliary lines are straight and have
a common vanishing point on the horizon line. They are usually drawn at the level
of the eyebrows, the base of the nose, and the mouth opening. Determine the proportional
relationship between the facial and cranial parts. Separate them by marking the temporal line,
the outer edge of the eye socket, the angle of the cheekbone, and the angle of the lower
jaw. |
 With light lines, outline
the prism at the nose, the eye sockets, the mouth opening, the ear, etc., using the bridge of the nose as a reference to check the placement
of each detail of the head. Be sure to consider the fact that when the head is turned,
the part of the face turned away from the viewer will be depicted in
perspective shortening. When depicting the eye in 3/4, remember that in such a
position its proportions change dramatically: in general terms, it resembles
a square. The pupil and iris in perspective appear as
ellipses. |
 When drawing the lips, all
measurements are taken from the centerline - the length of the nearest half of the lips,
the length of the other half, the thickness of the lips, etc. Do not forget that the lips are located
on the jaw and correspond to its shape. During the drawing process, constantly
compare the sizes of all details with the overall size of the head. |
 Gradually, draw the lines in the sketch
with more pressure. Outline all the details of the face, clarifying
the character of the model, and highlight its most characteristic features. |
 Add tone, initially
in a generalized way, then detail where necessary. |
 Highlight the foreground.
Carefully work on all areas of the nose to bring it to the forefront. In
general terms, outline the muscles of the neck. You can show the direction of the eyelashes,
highlight some hairs of the
brows. |
