Tutorial #1 - drawing the human head

Drawing the human head
5 easy steps. 

Covering proportions and construction.
Front View.

The high-breed system.
By Vladimir zachodin

Step 1:

Draw a circle starting with vertical and horizontal lines crossing each other.

Vertical line will be the centre line of the head.

The horizontal line will be the eye brows line.

.

Step 2:

Breakdown of marking points.

A =hair line

B = eye brows line

C = nose Line.

D = chin base line.

First draw a point to mark the hair line (Mark A). 

The point should be located approximately  on the upper third of the top half of the  circle.

Next, draw a point to mark the nose line (Mark C).

Measure the distance between point A to point B, and  use the same distance you just measured to place the nose line (Mark C).

Next, draw a point to mark the chin line (Mark D). The distance of point D from Point C should be equal to the distance between points A to B and B to C.

Notice: This first layout gives us the 3 main masses of the face. The first third from the top down, the forehead details should be fitted. Central third.  Here the eyes, nose and part of the eyebrows should be fitted. Lower third mass. Here the mouth, and the chin should be fitted.

 

Step 3:

Draw a vertical line from the top edge of the circle all the way down to the chin line.

Next, find the centre point on this vertical line. from there, draw horizontal line across the width of the circle (main mass of the head)  as shown in the example. This horizontal line is the eye line, in which the eyes will be drawn on it.

Next, draw vertical line at each side of the circle, the line should start approximately one third from the top half of the circle.

Notice: the measurement  distance of the vertical centre line, is the overall length from the top edge of the circle, all the way down to the chin point (Mark D).

Step 4:

Proportions of facial parts. nose , mouth and eyes. 

Divide the eye line into 5 equal segments. That should give you the distance between the eyes, the approximate size of the eyes and the width of the nose.

Next, divide each eye segments in to thirds. Then mark the third segment closest to the nose line, and project vertical lines all the way down to the chin line. These lines represent the borders of the mouth and chin line.
Notice: normally the mouth borders will ran from the centres of the eyes. however, for esthetic reasons we use the thirds. 

And finally draw the jaw as a light curve line. starting at the edge of the head side,  connecting all the way down to the chin line.

Step 5:

Preliminary construction of facial features.

As we have all the proportions marked down, we now, start with first stages of face construction.

Eyes; draw the eyes within the borders we marked,  as an oval ball shape, not entirely round. And position them approximately 2 thirds above the eye line.

Nose; next, draw a round ball on the nose mark line. The centre of the ball should be the marking point of the nose line,(size of the ball should be one third of the distance between the centre point of the eye line, and the nose line).

Mouth and chin; next, draw the mouth Starting with the upper lip. draw a light curve arch connecting between the 2 edges of the mouth. Do the same with the lower lip. Make sure that the upper lip is thinner than the lower lip. You can achieve that by adjusting the degree of the curve.

Next, move to the chin marking point. Use this point as reference point to the centre point for the circle you are about to draw. Now, draw with a light line a circle. The edges of the circle should not go over the borders of the mouth. As shown. That will be our stage one of chin construction.

Ears; the ears will be positioned between the brow line and the nose line. Therefore, move to the brow line, and extend it little bit on each side of the head to mark the height of the ears. Do the same with the nose line and draw with segmented lines an ear shape as shown.

 Jaw and Cheek; draw a light curved line, starting from the edge of the brow line all the way down to the edge of the chin. As shown. These lines give the preliminary description of the jaw and cheeks.

Please follow me on the next tutorial, which will be about drawing the human head in motion - tutorial #2.