HOW TO DRAW A SELF PORTRAIT

Step One: Loosely draw a circle at the top of your paper

Step Two: Loosely draw an elongated U shape connected to & underneath the circle –

these two shapes together will be the outline of your face.

Step Three: Measure roughly halfway between the top of your head and the bottom of

your chin and draw a line. This line is the “eye line” and represents where the eyes go.

Step Four: Draw five oval shapes on the eye line; make sure they are all the same size!

Step Five: Draw a short line roughly halfway between the eye line and the bottom of

the chin. This is the nose line & represents where the bottom of the nose (nostrils) go.

Step Six: Draw another short line roughly halfway between the nose line and the

bottom of the chin. This is the mouth line and represents where the middle of the lips

should go (where the two lips touch in the middle).

Step Seven: Make small dash marks along the face outline on the eye line and nose

line, this will represent where the ears will go.

Step Eight: Make two neck lines which should start right beneath the ears along the jaw.

Step Nine: Fill in eye details.

Step Ten: Add eyebrows, following the contours of your brow bone.

Step Eleven: Start shading in your nose. Sometimes it’s easier to draw out the darkest

parts and then outline where the other value will be added later. (You can measure the

width of your nose by drawing a line straight down from the inside corners of your eyes)

Step 12: Draw the inside of your mouth (where your two lips meet) using the mouth line

as a guide. (The width of your mouth can be measured by drawing a line from the

center of your pupil straight down)

Step 13: Draw the contours of your mouth.

Step 14: Add value to lips. Shade the darkest areas fully and outline where other value

areas will be.

Step 15: At this point it is safe to erase the pencil lines that you no longer need.

Step 16: Draw the outline of your hair. Keep in mind that your hair has thickness, so it

should be drawn away from the original outline of your head.

Step 17: Outline areas of different value, this will make it easier to go in later and add

the actual shading, or value.

Step 18: Start shading your portrait paying attention to the lightest lights and darkest

darks, then using all of your values in between.

Step 19: Complete all shading and values with your pencil and blending tool.

Step 20: Add any small details with a sharpened pencil or pointed eraser.