How to draw your character’s face consistently. EVERY TIME!, by Joshua Adeoye on YouTube. 3 min 20 s.
- Video length
- 3 min 20 s
- Time to do it
- 30 minutes
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Steps
- 8
What you need
Steps
Draw a reference sheet of your character's face from the front, three-quarter and side view. Keep the head height and the spacing of the features identical on all three.
Start every drawing with a construction head: a circle for the cranium, a jaw shape below it, and a vertical centre line for the nose and brow.
Mark the eye line halfway down the head, the nose line halfway between the eye line and the chin, and the mouth line about a third below the nose.
Use one eye width as your measuring unit. Most faces fit about five eye widths across, with one eye width of space between the eyes.
Write down the features that make the face yours: eyebrow angle, eye shape, nose width, lip thickness, ear size, hairline and any scars.
Keep the canvas zoom and the head size the same each time, so you compare shapes rather than scale.
Flip the canvas or hold the paper up to a mirror. Any feature that suddenly jumps has drifted from your reference.
Put the new drawing beside the reference sheet and fix the two or three features that are furthest off. Then draw the face again from scratch.
Tips and common mistakes
Draw the whole head before adding any detail, because starting with the eyes pulls the rest of the face out of proportion.
Keep the reference sheet open beside the drawing instead of working from memory.
Repeat the same face in short two-minute sketches, since speed shows you which landmarks you are still guessing.
Change only one feature at a time when you update the design, so the character still reads as the same person.
Questions
How long does it take to draw a consistent face?
With a reference sheet, a clean construction sketch takes about 10 to 15 minutes. Expect a few weeks of short daily practice before the proportions feel automatic.
Do I need a drawing app?
No. Pencil and paper work fine, though a drawing app makes flipping the canvas and saving a template layer easier.
Why does my character look different in every drawing?
Usually the head height, eye line or eye spacing drifts. Measure those three against your reference before you add any details.
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.
