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Start Art 8 20 www.painters-online.co.uk How to draw portraits Basic head shapes There are some techniques you can use to help produce an anatomically accurate drawing from the outset. For the front view, first draw two overlapping circles: the larger circle encompasses the upper part of the skull to the bottom of the nose; the smaller circle extends up from the jaw line to the eye sockets. The pattern for the profile is similar but this time egg shapes are used rather than circles.These overlap one another at an angle. With the half profile, you move between these two drawing aids according to the view. Then you can sketch the possible positions of the eyes, nose, mouth and ears, hairline and throat using the guidelines as needed. Initially, just work using thin lines, which can easily be rubbed out with an eraser if necessary. Then you will need to adopt the proportions of the sitter. If, in front view, the head is looking downwards or the angle of vision is from above, the upper circle is elongated into an oval and the lower half of the face is pushed underneath.The reverse is true for an angle of vision from below. Proportions The proportions of the head concern the relationships in terms of size and shape of the head as a whole and the inner shapes (eyes, nose, mouth and ears). Despite individual differences, the proportions fall within a standard range, with the result that the average human head can be divided into a general grid.You should learn the most important generalised dimensions for the front view: l The head is around one and a half times as high as it is wide at the level of the cheeks. l The eyes are on the horizontal midline of the whole head. l The width of the eyes goes five times into the width of the head at the level of the eyes. l The tip of the nose sits roughly in the middle between the eyebrows and the chin. l The dividing line between the lips is at roughly a third of the distance from the nose to the chin. l The bottom edge of the lower lip is roughly in the middle of the nose and chin. l The ear is as long as the nose; it sits between the eyebrows and the tip of the nose. The shape of the head in the front view is based on two overlapping circles. The shape of the head in profile is based on two overlapping egg shapes. To draw successful portraits you need to select the elements to include and the less important ones to leave out. Renate Klein offers some basic advice to get you started