How I Finally Got Good at Drawing the Face - 3 Tips that took me out of Beginner Hell, by oridays on YouTube. 12 min 4 s.
- Video length
- 12 min 4 s
- Time to do it
- 2 hours
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Steps
- 9
What you need
Steps
Set up a reference board with photos of real heads from the front, side and three-quarter views. Keep it open while you draw so you compare your lines to a real head.
Draw the head as a simple box first. Sketch a cube in perspective, then round off the corners to suggest the skull and jaw.
Place the features on the box. Mark a center line down the front, a horizontal line for the eyes, and smaller marks for the nose and mouth.
Check the box against your reference. Look at where the ears sit, how far the eyes are apart, and how the jaw angles back toward the neck.
Practice head turnarounds. Draw the same character from front, three-quarter, side and back views on one page.
Keep the features consistent between views. Use the same eye line, nose length and jaw shape in every angle so the head reads as one person.
Study anatomy to understand what sits under the skin. Look at skull and muscle references, then sketch the main forms of the face.
Do short anatomy studies, five to ten minutes each. Focus on one area at a time, such as the cheekbone or the eye socket, instead of the whole head.
Repeat the box and turnaround practice regularly. Two months of steady sessions is a realistic window to see clear progress.
Tips and common mistakes
Draw the box lightly so you can erase it once the features are in place.
Keep your turnaround views on one page so mismatched proportions are easy to spot.
Use photo references rather than only other drawings, since copied mistakes pile up.
Some anatomy references show nude figures, so pick resources you are comfortable with.
Questions
Do I need a drawing app to do this?
No. A pencil and paper work fine. A digital app like Clip Studio Paint helps with layers and easy erasing, but the method is the same.
How long until my faces look better?
Expect a few weeks of regular practice before changes show. The creator spent about two months of focused study to move past the beginner stage.
What is a head turnaround?
It is the same head drawn from several angles, usually front, side, three-quarter and back. It trains you to think of the head as a 3D object.
This guide was drafted from the video's details and general task knowledge. It has not been checked against the full video. Check the video and relevant product instructions before following a procedure. Report a correction.
