How to draw realistic facial features

Nose

Learning how to draw a nose should be your first task, as it’s the easiest facial feature to recreate using pencil and paper. There are a variety of methods that can be used, depending on whether you’re drawing a face straight on or in profile.

Using a basic grid of three squares across and two squares down, you can ensure the nose remains in proportion, with one nostril in the bottom left hand box and the other in bottom right. In profile, use a larger grid: the nostril should sit across the middle squares towards the bottom to ensure you get the proportions correct.

For a more basic nose, draw a triangle with a diamond shape at the bottom, before sketching in nostrils and adding shade across the top and bottom to make it more detailed. Shading the nose to look darker underneath will ensure it looks more realistic.

Mouth

Working out how to draw a mouth varies depending on whether the subject has theirs open or closed. Open mouths with teeth showing are a lot harder to capture than those which are closed.

To capture the basic outline of a pair of lips, draw a horizontal axis and then a triangle across the middle. This will give you space to draw a curve above the line within the triangle to represent the drop in the middle of the upper lip. The area below the line should be used for the fuller, lower lip. Remember that the upper lip tends to be darker and should be shaded accordingly. It’s also important to keep in mind that lips do not appear well–defined unless the subject is wearing makeup.

Teeth can be difficult to capture. Remember that there shouldn’t be a hard line between each one. Instead use shading and light lines so they don’t appear wholly separate from each other. Teeth towards the back of the mouth should be shaded darker, with a grid used to ensure they each tooth sits in proportion to the other and the perspective doesn’t become warped.

Eyebrows

Eyebrows can easily be an afterthought, but getting them right is essential if you want to learn how to draw a portrait properly.

Rather than drawing in the hair immediately, eyebrows should be drawn in as a simple shape from the top of the brow bone. Shading is key here, as is using a softer pencil that will allow you to accentuate darker tones and draw in hairs to give the face a more detailed feel. This should be done using thin strokes, with hair becoming thicker and more tapered towards the far end of the eyebrow.

Add thickness to give a face a more defined and rugged look or opt for a thinner eyebrow if you’re aiming for a more feminine style.