How to Draw a Human Head

Co-authored by Veronica Winters

Last Updated: November 7, 2024

Drawing the human head would be easier if you carefully follow your guidelines. Draw a line with a curve at the end and then a line going upwards for the face. Afterwards, lightly drawing a line horizontally in the middle and a vertical line for where you want the eyes to be, would be the guideline for the facial features. After you draw your eyes, draw the lips and nose, small or stretched out. Follow this tutorial if you want to learn how make a human head like an artist.

Method 1

Method 1 of 2:

Forward Facing Head

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Add also thin guidelines such as a vertical line and two horizontal lines to serve as a guide in drawing the eyes and mouth of the model.
In drawing the eyes draw a pointy oblong shape with four circles in it, add also some wavy eyelashes since for this picture the model used is a young woman.

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Then in the middle of the face and along the vertical guideline draw now his/ her nose. In drawing the nose, remember to make the lines broken to achieve an effect.
Outline your drawing with a black pen or marker and then apply an amount of shading on your drawing using a charcoal pencil or a regular pencil. And then apply a minimal amount of color by coloring the lips and eyes.

Method 2

Method 2 of 2:

Profile Human Head

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Start this step by drawing a bald human head and by drawing the contours of the model’s nose and lips. Add also an oblong shape for the ear.
Draw the eye by drawing first a triangular shape.
Draw the lips of the model by copying the shape of a heart positioned horizontally.
Outline your drawing with a black pen or marker; add some pencil shading and then apply a minimal amount of color.

Expert Q&A

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Question

What should I do if I make a small mistake and want to change the eyes or the lips on the head I drew?

Veronica Winters
Figurative Artist
Veronica Winters is a Figurative Artist who owns an online art gallery and studio in Naples, Florida. With over 20 years of experience, Veronica specializes in surreal figurative oil paintings and colored pencil drawings. In 2022, she won the Award for Distinction at the 30th Annual Colored Pencil Society of America International Exhibition. Veronica is also a published author of two art books: How to Color Like an Artist and The Colored Pencil Manual. She received her BFA in Studio Art at Oklahoma State University and her MFA in Painting at Pennsylvania State University. Veronica also studied classical drawing at the Grand Central Academy of Art and the Art Students League of New York.

Veronica Winters

Figurative Artist

Expert Answer

A Tombow mono eraser is a great tool to use for quick fixes. Because it's so small, it helps when you need a lot of precision to touch up tiny areas like the eyes in your drawing

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When I'm drawing heads, how can I make the eyes look more realistic?

Veronica Winters
Figurative Artist
Veronica Winters is a Figurative Artist who owns an online art gallery and studio in Naples, Florida. With over 20 years of experience, Veronica specializes in surreal figurative oil paintings and colored pencil drawings. In 2022, she won the Award for Distinction at the 30th Annual Colored Pencil Society of America International Exhibition. Veronica is also a published author of two art books: How to Color Like an Artist and The Colored Pencil Manual. She received her BFA in Studio Art at Oklahoma State University and her MFA in Painting at Pennsylvania State University. Veronica also studied classical drawing at the Grand Central Academy of Art and the Art Students League of New York.

Veronica Winters

Figurative Artist

Expert Answer

To draw realistic eyes, look at photos of how light passes through the eye as well as what parts are shaded. The top part of the eye is always in the shadow. The shadow is cast by the eyelid. Students usually don't include this shadow, which can make the eyes they draw look less realistic. The bottom part of the eye is always lighter because the light passes through it. Remember, the eye itself is a ball covered by the eyelids. Make it round! The pupil should be round too. The pupil and iris become more oval-like when the eye rotates in space. Observe where you have a highlight in the eye⁠—it's the brightest spot on the eye. Adding a tiny highlight to the eye is crucial for making it look really "alive" and realistic. Photographers often exaggerate the brightness of it to make the eyes more expressive. Finally, don't forget to look at the top and bottom shapes of the eye carefully because they are not the same. Students often draw and paint almond-shaped eyes without paying attention to the unique curvature of the top and bottom "outline" of the eye.

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Question

What if I want to get better at drawing heads? For example, I'd like to draw heads from different angles or perspectives. I'm thinking of working on a comic book, so this is important!

Veronica Winters
Figurative Artist
Veronica Winters is a Figurative Artist who owns an online art gallery and studio in Naples, Florida. With over 20 years of experience, Veronica specializes in surreal figurative oil paintings and colored pencil drawings. In 2022, she won the Award for Distinction at the 30th Annual Colored Pencil Society of America International Exhibition. Veronica is also a published author of two art books: How to Color Like an Artist and The Colored Pencil Manual. She received her BFA in Studio Art at Oklahoma State University and her MFA in Painting at Pennsylvania State University. Veronica also studied classical drawing at the Grand Central Academy of Art and the Art Students League of New York.

Veronica Winters

Figurative Artist

Expert Answer

Subject, color, composition, contrast and creativity or unique vision are all important elements in creating art. But if you want to focus on one thing, it's your composition. Besides a common rule of thirds, study art for other ways to compose the image. For example, the use of triangles and circles was very popular during the Renaissance, while the bird's eye view was borrowed from Japanese impressionists. The use of diagonals between figures and shapes have been explored by artists for centuries, so look for different ways they're used in illustrations. Basically, a new vantage point can give a very unique composition to a standard subject and give you so much to work with.

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Tips

Try going lightly with your pencil, so you can easily rub out any mistakes.

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It is okay if you mess up. Nobody is perfect.

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If you make a mistake, do not be upset. Try again, taking things lightly.

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Warnings

You should always use a pencil rather than a pen because you will not be able to erase any mistakes you make.

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Some artists believe that there are no mistakes in drawing. A small "mistake" can add character to a drawing if it is blended in properly to the drawing.

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Things You'll Need

A blank piece of good drawing paper
A pencil, these will vary from the usual #2 to a variety of special artists pencils
A pen (if you want)
A good eraser
A photo of who you want to draw (or you can freestyle)