Hello, welcome to this new tutorial to learn how to draw portraits. I'm going to give you some tips for drawing facial features, coloring tips, and Clip Studio Paint tools to create your portraits.

Here we go. I've added a video with an explanatory part and some speedpainting.

Face Anatomy

Here are some proportion tips. This is a basic canon for a young adult. Each person has unique anatomy and beauty, but by understanding and building on this base, you can then play with deformations and stylize your drawings.

 

The basis of portraits is observation. The more you practice, the easier this exercise will become.

 

Good luck and have fun.

 

When drawing a portrait, observe:

 

-The shape of the eyes

-The space between them

-The shape of the face: is it angular, elongated, round, square, or oval?

-The shape of the nose, its size. Is it hooked, elongated, small, or wide?

-The size and shape of the eyebrows

-The shape of the mouth (are the lips thin, thick...)

-The shape, hairline, length, and texture of the hair

Other elements such as moles, freckles, birthmarks, jewelry, piercings, etc.

 

Proportions differ with age.

 

1: The face is divided into 3 equal parts.

The 1:3 part includes the forehead to the eyebrows,

The 2:3 part includes the eyebrows to the tip of the nose,

The 3:3 part includes the tip of the nose to the end of the chin.

 

 

2: The nostrils are located between the inner corners of the two eyes.

3: The placement and size of the eyes are also divided into 3/3. One eye takes 1/3, leave the space of one eye in the middle, and redraw an eye of the same size on the other side.

 

4: The bottom of the ear is at the tip of the nose; to achieve this, you can draw a line to correctly place your ears, and the top of the ear is in the middle of the eyebrow.

 

5: The corners of the lips are located in the middle of each eye's pupil.

 

6: The lower part of the face can be divided into 2:2. The tip of the nose and the mouth make up 1/2, and from the mouth to the chin makes up 1/2.

Face Angles

Knowing how to draw a face from the front or in profile is basic, but the head can move and change angles. A face changes shape depending on its position.

 

Personally, I use cross-based constructions on an oval to correctly place my elements.

 

My eyes will be placed on the horizontal line, and the vertical line will allow me to divide the face and correctly place all elements such as the eyes, nose, and mouth.

 

 

 

The head can be compared to a sphere. The advantage of drawing in three dimensions with placement markers is that it will make it easier for you to place facial features in the correct perspective.

 

A low-angle shot (contre-plongée) is a representation where the viewpoint is below the subject.

A high-angle shot (plongée) is a representation where the viewpoint is above the subject.

 

Drawing in high-angle and low-angle is a difficult exercise that requires a lot of observation because we will have many foreshortenings, hidden elements, and an impression of distortion.

I took a photo of my face from different angles using my markers so that you can see the placement of the eyes, nose, mouth, and ear according to the different angles.

 

When the face is in a three-quarter position, the elements are no longer centered but shifted slightly to the left. (It will be to the right if the head is turned to the right.)

 

In a profile view, the skull appears even more prominent and well-rounded. Only one eye is visible, and the ear is fully visible.

 

In a high-angle view, the skull rounds, and the eyes and neck will be less visible or almost invisible, depending on the degree of the angle.

 

In a low-angle view, the face is slightly compressed, the facial features will be flattened and move upwards, and the distance between the mouth and chin will appear wider, while the forehead will be reduced. The neck will also lengthen.

Baby/Elderly Person

Proportions differ slightly depending on the age of the model.

 

We can base it on the canon, but some differences exist.

 

(below are photos of myself, my sister as babies, and my grandfather)

To draw a baby's face, the basics are the same; only a few characteristics change (each baby is different, some characteristics may not be present from one baby to another):

 

-Ears are lower and protrude more.

-The face is much rounder.

-Most babies have little body hair, whether it's hair or eyebrows. Eyebrows lengthen and thicken with age.

-Eyes are larger, and the distance between them is slightly greater than one eye.

-A baby's forehead seems larger, facial features are lower. 1/2 forehead, 2/2 eyes, nose, lips, chin.

-With age, the nose lengthens.

 

 

To draw elderly people: under-eye bags, fatty deposits around the chin, the lowering of the mobile eyelid over the eye, or lines around the mouth are all indications of age.

 

Drawing wrinkles is not enough; you need to understand how wrinkles form, how the skin is stretched, and whether it impacts the placement and shape of the eyes, mouth, or chin? Observe.

Facial Features

Here are some mini tutorials to learn how to draw the different facial features such as the nose, ears, eyes, mouth, and hair.

The nose is very different from one individual to another.

It can be short, long, pointed, upturned, round, broken...

Nostrils can also have different shapes. Observe your model carefully.

 

Here is a step-by-step guide to constructing a nose and coloring it, along with examples of noses in profile, front view, high-angle, low-angle, or three-quarter view.

 

To draw a nose in profile, you can draw a diagonal line and use it to correctly place the tip of the nose as well as the chin, or use shapes.

Here is a step-by-step guide to different angles of an ear.

 

The first is a front-view ear.

The second is a 3/4-view ear.

The last is a back-view ear.

 

The shape of the ear differs depending on the angle of your face.

Here is a step-by-step guide to creating semi-realistic lips, from sketch to color.

 

For the mouth, you don't have to make them realistic; you can simplify your mouths, exaggerate the amplitude and desired expression, and detail the teeth or not, depending on your drawing style.

 

Eyes, just like eyebrows and the mouth, are a part of the face that allows for expression and are unique to each individual.

 

Observe the shape of your model carefully. Are they rather elongated, round, almond-shaped, or drooping? Define the color and reflections, the length of the eyelashes, and the shape of the eyebrows.

 

Tip: For more realism, do not put pure white in your eye; use a light gray or beige, and do not forget to create the light reflection in the eyes to give them more life.

 

 

Hair is, for me, the most fun part of a portrait.

 

Observe the hairline, and each strand will originate from that point. (see first line)

Also understand the nature of your model's hair.

Is the hair straight, wavy, curly, or frizzy?

Here are some hairstyles

 

And a step-by-step guide to learning how to color hair

 

1: base colors

2: light shadow on the bottom

3: hair strands on a layer in Multiply mode

4: use of the blender

5: repeat parts 3 and 4

6: apply highlights on a layer in Add (Glow) mode.

Tips and Aids

I'm going to show you some tips I use to create portraits with Clip Studio Paint tools.

 

The grid technique allows for the utmost accuracy and for traditional artists to enlarge or reduce the format of a work.

 

To get the grid:

 

-View

-Grid

To modify the size and layout of the grid, click on:

 

-Grid/Ruler Settings

• A new window will open, where you can modify certain parameters of your grid.

Then, you can place your model and your sheet on two separate sheets and have a visual of both by dragging the photograph under your canvas.

The second technique is that of reference points.

 

To use this technique, place markers around the eyes, for the shape of the face, eyebrows, around the nose, mouth, chin, forehead, and hairline. You can place fewer markers or more, depending on your preference.

 

There is also the decal technique, if you want to practice coloring without bothering with reproduction techniques.

You can also use the 3D models available in Clip Studio Paint.

 

You will find them in your materials -3 D - Pose.

Or draw by observation.

 

Use the techniques you are most comfortable with. The main thing is to have fun.

Coloring Techniques

I took photos of my face from different angles. In this part of the tutorial, I will try to show you several types of coloring.

 

-Realistic

-Detailed

-Animated/simple

-Halftones

-Blue shadows

-Sun

I do my sketches, lines, and flat colors. At first, I wanted to use the same coloring for all my drawings, but eventually, I opted for several techniques. So I shouldn't have colored the part where I wanted to use halftones.

Here is the result of my experiments, some portraits of friends, and a self-portrait made a few weeks ago.

Step-by-step

Here is a step-by-step guide to some of the coloring techniques presented above.

 

As well as a palette of color nuances for skin coloring.

1: G-Pen with a color darker than the base tone.

 

2: blender to soften the color

 

3: G-Pen on a layer in Multiply mode to reinforce shadows

1: use of diluted watercolor, smooth watercolor, and dense watercolor to give texture

 

2: G-Pen with blue to reinforce shadows

 

3: blender to soften the blue

 

1: use of lighter tones with diluted watercolor, smooth watercolor, and dense watercolor

 

2: use of the G-Pen with very dark brown to create hair shadows

 

3: use of beige with the G-Pen on a layer in Add (Glow) mode to add light to the hair.

1: I shade the t-shirt with gray and the G-Pen.

 

2: I accentuate my shadows with the G-Pen on a layer in Multiply mode.

 

3: I add light on a layer in Add (Glow) mode with the G-Pen.

 

4: I correct certain elements like the chin and line art strokes to give a painted look by going over them with diluted watercolor, smooth watercolor, and dense watercolor.

To halftone my portrait, I use:

 

1: the G-Pen with gray

 

2: I slightly soften my shadows on the left with the blender.

 

3: I go to the layer properties and click on the checkerboard. My flat gray has turned into halftones.

1: I use my flat colors.

 

2: On a new layer, I use the G-Pen with a dark blue.

 

3: With the light coming from the left, I erase the blue part in certain areas.

 

1: With the blender, I soften the blue towards the left.

 

2: I apply a more defined shadow with a layer in Multiply mode towards the right of the neck as well as on the nostrils.

 

3: I apply a pinkish shadow on the left and very dark blue on the left with the airbrush.

For a highly contrasted ambiance with bright light coming from above.

 

1: flat colors

 

2: new layer, use of the G-Pen with red

 

3: new layer in Multiply mode, apply shadows with a burgundy and the G-Pen tool

 

1: blender to soften shadows

 

2: with the pen and airbrush, I put a bright light on a layer in Add (Glow) mode.

 

3: I erase what overflows or put my layer in clipping mask mode.

Caricature/Chibi/Manga

To create a portrait, it doesn't necessarily have to be hyper-realistic to recognize the model. You can use any drawing style, and the portrait can still be recognizable.

 

It's enough to observe carefully and note the details and particularities of your model.

For my self-portrait, I noted:

 

Almond-shaped eyes, a round face, a short and round nose, and for the hairstyle, my hair is very short and spiky. My skin is fair. With these elements, I can create as many portraits with different styles as I want, and I will always be recognizable in each of them.

 

Examples below.

 

I hope this tutorial has helped you better understand portraits and that I have been able to help you.

 

Have a good day and take care, kisses.