Lesson #5: How to Draw Portraits

Free Drawing Lessons

Lesson #5: How to Draw a Portrait

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Secrets of Drawing a Portrait

I'm starting with a photo of my kids and I want to draw a portrait. The way to do this is to first create some basic 3-D shapes to put in place of the different body parts. I use ball shapes for the head, then draw a line down for the spine, and use a large cylinder for the torso. Here's an example:

how-to-draw-horse


 

Step #2 Add major appendages- arms, legs

Now I'm adding the arms and legs, again using cylinders. One cylinder for the upper arm, one for the lower arm, then a sort of mitten shape for the hand. I keep it really loose at this stage.

When the kids watched me making their portrait at this stage, they asked, "Are you really drawing our portrait or are you just playing?" Great question. It should look like you're having fun!

how-to-draw-a-horse


Step 3: Add Details

Here you start adding some minor details such as the face. To do this, it can be useful to create a "t" across the head, which gives you the placement of the eyes and nose. Remember that kids' eyes sit lower on the head... in other words, the tops of their heads are much bigger relative to adults, and their faces are sort of compressed down on the bottom portion of their heads.

Then start filling out or reshaping minor volumes, such as clothing, hands, etc.

how-to-draw-portrait


Step 4: Shading & Final Details

Now you can add some cool, interesting shading. Try using hatch lines in the direction of the material you're drawing, such as hair with hatch lines going in the direction of the hair, or drawing lines across clothing as though they are wrapping across the shape of the body. Have fun drawing!

how-to-draw-a-horse-


Learn more with award-winning Drawing Power! DVDs:

DVD-001 Ultimate Drawing Tool-kit
DVD-002 Ultimate Dinosaur Drawing
DVD-003 Pirate Drawing Adventure
DVD-004 Safari Animal Drawing
DVD-005 My Ultimate Room
DVD-006 Wizards, Castles & Dragons
DVD-007 Undersea Animal Drawing

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