Portrait Drawing Basics

A tutorial on how to measure facial proportions and putting design into action

To start out drawing portraits, one must get used to having a general idea where facial features go and proportions. While you don’t have to do all of this right now as you watch, I wanted to show how there is a step-by-step process to drawing portraits to demystify it and make it a lot more accessible for practice.

While following this guide without an actual reference (photo or illustration of a face) can result in what looks like a police sketch, having these tips in mind while sketching is invaluable. In the video below, you’ll find all of these principles tied together in addition to how to adapt as you go along.