HOW TO DRAW IN 14 MINUTES😱😱! CLICK TO FIND OUT!

       ☞Creating Portraits☜  
November 28

By Veronica Ramsey

Hello!
I've always been drawn to art and have been in love with it for a long time.
Pencil drawings have always been a favorite of mine because not everything is just black and white.
Feel free to pencil in your ideas and comments!

When drawing its always good to have

• Paper (maybe multiple, I like to start over if it doesn't look the way I want it to look)
• Pencil 
• Both mechanical and wooden pencils work
• NO erasable/invisible ink/permanent pens
• Eraser
• This could be attached to the pencil or separate 

Portraits are a difficult because its easy to judge yourself harshly about what the portrait looks like. There is always the person/picture to compare to and its easy to get carried away. Feel proud for what you drew! Remember: Not everyone could be a Picasso or a Michelangelo. 

I will be drawing someone on the internet. Feel free to follow her on Instagram @melissacalma. Shes pretty cool.

1. Draw an oval with a vertical line  down the middle. Then add a horizontal line in the middle of the vertical line. This will help when creating a symmetrical face.

2. Create a nose down the vertical line. The nose can be complicated but it is important to remember the simple features of the nose. The nostrils and length and width of the nose is different from person to person. Try to find good points to focus on when drawing the nose; such
as the length from eyebrows to the tip of the nose, the nostrils, and the bridge of the nose. From the nose you can add the eyebrows and the lips according to the nose. Lips are usually slightly longer than the width of the nose and there is a small indent in the corners of the mouth.

3. Now its time to add the eyes. Eyes are definitely something many people enjoy drawing but its difficult to make it the same shape. This is when the lines help. You can make the eyes the same by using measurements. No need to use a ruler. Use your judgement and adjust when needed.  This is also a time to add shading marks. Look around the eyes, nose, cheekbones and forehead


4. Shading is very important when it comes to portraits. Look at the face you are drawing. Where is the light coming from and point out the lights and darks of the person face. When shading, shade in circles or swirls to create a smoother tone.

5. Finally, adding definition to the hair and lips. The top lip is usually always darker than the bottom lip. The rule of thumb when shading lips is light on the cleft, dark on the top lip, light on the bottom lip, and dark underneath the bottom lip. Drawing hair is definitely time consuming because you must look at the hair and notice the indents and the lights/darks. Use short strokes and build up on the dark areas.

I decided to not fill in the rest of the hair for two reasons

1. Negative space is always pleasing to the eye. Being able to see a small portion of a pattern will allow your brain to see what the rest of the pattern would look like. The shape of the hair would allow you to imagine the rest of it, giving you a little closure. In Betty Edwards book "Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain", Edwards talks about how shape is calming to the brain as well. 

"...the compositional problem is solved: the spaces and shapes are unified by giving equal importance to every puzzle piece" 

2. I was quite lazy and did not have the energy to continue. 

There you go! Quick, easy, simple steps on how to draw a person. Drawing portraits has many benefits including recognition of human faces, strengthen proportional relationships, and prove to yourself and friends that you can draw. Edwards has said herself, "The more clearly you see, the better you draw, and the more you will express yourself."

How do you express yourself? Or in depth and tell me why do you want to express yourself. Tell me why you feel the need to show yourself to the world and how it affects your life everyday.

Edwards, Betty. Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain: A Course in Enhancing Creativity and Artistic Confidence. Los Angeles: J.P. Tarcher, 1979. Print.