Shop Subscribe

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Schoolyard Blog | Teacher Resources | School Specialty

Classroom must haves for teachers plus essential teacher supplies, lesson plans and activities.

schoolyard-logo
  • Education Essentials
  • Inspiration & Planning
  • Learning Spaces
  • Topics
  • Search
  • < Previous post
    Next post >
    Drawing Faces 101

    Arts & Crafts
    School Specialty • Sep 6, 2016 • Last Modified: Jun 16, 2022

    Drawing Faces 101

    There’s almost nothing more rewarding than drawing a great face (unless it’s drawing great hands, but that’s for another post). Your students will delight in creating a life-like head and it’s really not that difficult. In fact, we’ve broken it down for you in a few simple steps.

    Drawing a Front-View and Side Profile: Steps for Students

    Giving your students simple steps to follow when drawing the human face can make the process less intimidating. Use these tips and illustrations to help your students get started and feel successful in the art room:

    Shop: Drawing Supplies & Tools

    To Draw Front View: 5 Steps

    1. Draw a circle. Add a vertical line down the center, extending beyond the bottom of the circle, as shown below.

    Drawing Faces: Step 1

    2. Beginning at the hairline (just below the top of the circle), sketch four horizontal lines, creating three equal sections. The bottom section will extend beyond the circle.

    Drawing Faces: Step 2

    3. Since heads aren’t actually round, flatten the sides out to create the flat, planed sides of the head.

    Drawing Faces: Step 3

    4. Now it’s time to add your features:

    Drawing Faces: Step 4

    a.  Sketch in the hairline around the top line.

    b.  Add the brow line, beginning at the second line. The brows extend all the way to the flat side planes, beginning their downward curve at the start of the flat planes.

    c.  Sketch the bottom of the nose at the third line. The nose fills the area between lines 2 and 3, with the top of the bridge beginning at the second line and the bottom of the nostrils ending at the third. The underside of the nose is a triangle shape, and remember that the nostrils are wider than the bridge.

    d.  Add the ears – they fill the same space as the nose, but on the sides of the head (obviously).

    e.  The eyes are just below the brow line, with the inside of each eye shape beginning on the same vertical line as the outside edge of the nostril.

    f.  The top of the mouth begins a third of the way between lines 3 and 4. The left side of the mouth begins below the center of the left eye and extends below the center of the right eye.

    g.  The chin ends at the bottom line. Follow the flattened side planes of the face to form a chin according to your desired jaw shape (round, square, etc)..

    h.  Add a neck.

    5. Add shading to define the planes and add detail to complete your face.

    Drawing Faces: Step 5

    4 Steps to Draw a Profile

    1. Follow steps 1 and 2 above.

    2. The ear fits between lines 2 and 3, beginning behind the center vertical line.

    Drawing Profile Faces: Step 2

    3. Follow the feature proportions above, with the features extending beyond the circle to one side or the other.

    Drawing Profile Faces: Step 3

    4. Complete with detail and shading.

    Drawing Profile Faces: Step 4

    More Art Room How-To’s and 101 Posts

    Looking for more simple steps and information to share with your art students as they learn a new concept or practice a new technique? Check out the other Art 101 posts on the tag page or visit the Arts & Crafts category to see what’s new. Also be sure to stop by the online store to find thousands of high quality art supplies and tools for every student and project.

    Read More: Art 101

    Shop All: Art Supplies

    Have you taught your students how to draw faces? Do you have any tips or tricks to share with your fellow art teachers? Let us know in the comments below.
    Updated 12/10/2018

    Tagged With: 101 Art Series, Drawing

    Recommended

    Crayola Partners with School Specialty for Crayola Creativity Week

    News

    Crayola Partners with School Specialty for Crayola Creativity Week

    Simple Everyday Ways to Help Kids Practice Math: Winter Edition

    Math

    Simple Everyday Ways to Help Kids Practice Math: Winter Edition

    Designing Effective Specialty Spaces in Schools

    Learning Spaces

    Designing Effective Specialty Spaces in Schools

    9 Easy Halloween Costumes for Teachers

    Celebrations & Themes

    9 Easy Halloween Costumes for Teachers

    Explore The Schoolyard

    Education Essentials

    Inspiration & Planning

    Learning Spaces

     

    TopicsShop Subscribe

    Copyright © 2023 School Specialty, LLC. All rights reserved. Privacy Statement · Social Media Statement · Do Not Sell My Personal Information - CA Resident Only

  • CATEGORIES

    • Education Essentials
    • Inspiration & Planning
    • Learning Spaces
  • TOPICS

    • Arts & Crafts
    • Early Childhood
    • Special Needs
    • Physical Education
    • Educational Technology
    • Student Resources
    • Organization & Storage
    • Classroom Management
    • STEAM & STEM
    • 21st Century Learning
    • Reading & Literacy
    • Healthy Students
    • Teacher Life
    • Back to School
    • Celebrations & Seasons
    • Out of School
    • News
    • Math
    • Science
    • Topics
    • Shop
    • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • LinkedIn
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube