How to draw portraits from photographs. How to draw a realistic portrait from a photograph

Probably every child loves to draw. This is an exciting, exciting activity in which children can express themselves and reveal themselves as individuals. As they grow older, the drawings of little artists also change.

They become meaningful, childish carelessness is replaced realistic images. Perhaps it's time to teach children how to draw a portrait. The right approach will give a good result, because drawing a portrait step by step is not at all difficult.

Step by step instructions

Once you are sure that the children are in the right mood, you can start creating. To do this, you will need to prepare a sheet of paper, a well-sharpened pencil and an eraser, with which you can eliminate minor errors in the future masterpiece, completed in stages.

Let's draw a portrait step by step:

• To begin, take a sheet of paper and mark its center. Then we draw an oval of the future face. It should resemble an inverted egg. After this, the oval will need to be divided dotted lines so that children have the opportunity to navigate when depicting parts of the face.

Therefore, we draw one vertical line and 2 horizontal lines on the drawing. Using a vertical line, we delimit the left and right parts of the face, and horizontal marks divide the face into 3 parts: forehead and eyebrows, eyes and nose, mouth and chin.

• Let's move on to the next stage, where we draw the eyebrows and eyes. Eyebrows are two arches located parallel to each other. They are depicted above the top horizontal line. At the next stage, the eyebrows can be given any shape.

Under the same line we draw eyes, the shape of which can be chosen arbitrarily. The eyes are depicted as two mirrored arcs, between which there is a round iris and pupil.

In order for children to have a realistic drawing, it is necessary to draw eyelashes on the lower and upper eyelids. The length of the eyelashes on the upper eyelid should be greater than on the lower eyelid.

• Draw the nose. This stage needs to be given Special attention, since it is the nose that most children fail to do. In order to give it the correct shape, make it proportional, it is recommended to start drawing the nose from inside eyebrows A thin arc is drawn down, indicating the crown of the nose.

After this, the wings of the nose and nostrils are drawn, all excess is erased with an eraser, and the lines are drawn with a pencil.

• At the very bottom of the face we draw a mouth. It will be depicted as a lower arcuate line and two arcuate lines located on top. The upper and lower parts of the mouth are connected and outlined with a pencil. Using a slightly curved horizontal line, draw a line dividing the upper and lower lip.

• The stage at which the portrait, depicted in stages, will be supplemented with finishing touches, involves the depiction of ears, shoulders and hair. In order for the drawing to be correct and all parts of the face to be proportional, it is necessary to follow the recommendations for their depiction.

So, the ears should be at the same level as the nose. After finishing the shoulders, you can move on to the hair. If the portrait depicts a man, then the hair will be short; if it is a woman, then you can come up with any haircut, hairstyle, hair length.

Having drawn the portrait step by step, use an eraser to erase minor errors, straighten the lines with a simple pencil, and also remove all marks that were made on the initial stage drawing. If desired, the portrait can be supplemented with elements such as freckles and birthmarks.

Given step-by-step instruction easy for children. It allows you to master the basic skills of depicting a person’s face, learn to draw its parts correctly, observing the recommended proportions. The portrait turns out realistic, because it is made according to all the rules.

It is not difficult to instill in children a love of creativity if you approach this issue correctly. If you share the desire young artists to drawing, to support their endeavors, they will certainly master their favorite pastime, because the support and understanding of their parents in this matter comes first.

One of the most complex species art it is. The physique needs to be studied in detail in parts. We have already looked at some elements. Before you begin, be sure to read these few tips from professional artists:

1. First you need to think about the approximate location of all the elements
2. For sketches, take a sharpened pencil of medium hardness (I used HB and 2B, write in the comments which pencils you used), which will allow you to sketch thin lines.
3. Do not erase the sketch lines until the desired result is clearly visible.
4. Maintain proportions
5. Please note that the face has a pointed shape at the bottom and a more rounded shape at the top.
6. Practice! The more you practice, the better you will learn to convey the necessary emotions and nuances of human facial expressions.

Now let's move on to the lesson.

How to draw a person's face step by step:

Step one. This face is oval shaped. First, let's make an oval and divide it with lines. A vertical line crosses it exactly in the middle, and horizontal lines are located as follows. The first divides the face just below half, and the second another half from the remaining lower part of the face. We cannot give exact sizes, since everyone's face is different. But the task of these lines is to outline (this is the vertical line), as well as the location of the lips (the horizontal bottom line). Don't forget that you'll have to erase them later, so don't press the stylus too hard on the paper. If you press hard on the paper, it will become deformed, and the drawing will look like a girl who is preparing for plastic surgery. (Will ) Step two. Make approximate strokes in the place where. And also add lines for , and halfway between the nose and chin. Make the line that marks the lower lip wider. Step three. Let's move on to drawing. They are located just above the nose. The outer edges of the nose indicate where the inner corners of the eyes will go. Make a sketch as shown in the picture. Consider one more thing here important factor. Human anatomy is designed in such a way that the distance between the eyes is equal to the size of another eye. This is indicated by a red arrow in the figure. Now let's add the eyebrows. Tip: Even if one eyebrow is raised and the eyebrows are the same height, start drawing from the inside (points closer to the nose). To get an idea of ​​how high the eyebrows are, add another dummy eye above the left eye - this should give you more or less the correct height for the eyebrows. Step 4. Add a mouth. In the previous lesson we already covered some points. For example, we tried to depict . But there's another one important point, a lot of questions aspiring artists have about how big a mouth should be? Mentally draw two lines from the inner edges of your eyes down. This will be the approximate size of the mouth; when smiling it may be a little wider. Step 5. Now we erase the auxiliary lines that we made in the first two steps. Let's see what we got. In principle, the sketch is ready. Now all that remains is to decorate and add shadows. Step six. Give your face shape more specificity. Pay attention to the cheekbones and the shape of the chin. This woman has a strong chin, but try not to let it get too strong, otherwise she will turn into a man. Sketch in the black pupils and add eyelids. requires concentration. This is the mirror of the soul. Look closely at the animation. You will see in what order it is best to do this. The last step. With a simple pencil add shadows to give the drawing volume and make it more realistic. That's all. We will look in more detail about other parts of the human body in the following lessons. Also leave your works and write comments about how only we have such lessons, see for yourself.

If you've never painted a portrait before, do as Van Gogh did - paint yourself! Armed with a sketch pad or even office paper taped to hard cardboard, a Conte pencil or piece of charcoal (a soft pencil will do), and a mirror, sit in front of the mirror and carefully examine your facial features. Arrange your workplace so that the light falls from one side. If you are right-handed, the light source should be to your left and slightly above you.

Find a piece of paper larger than your head so that your drawing is the same size as the subject you are portraying. in this case- you yourself. Keep your head level while drawing. Use your eyes, not your head, to look down at the paper. Don't turn your head from side to side. There are several approaches that artists take. I'll start with the approach of my favorite portrait artist, Richard Schmid: look at one of your eyes. Study it carefully. You'll first draw the eye and work your way out from there, matching proportions and taking careful measurements.

See how the upper eyelid relates to the lower. Is there a noticeable crease above the eyeball or not? Are your eyebrows thick or sparse, arched, straight or sloping? Using very light pressure, draw an oval on the paper that roughly represents the proportions and shape of your left eye.

Don't worry about the rest of the head, hair or neck for now, but leave room for them on the paper for later. For the first time, drawing a face is easier if you look directly at the mirror. Most faces are fairly symmetrical, but still not completely symmetrical. Pay attention to the distance from the right to the left eye. Using the width of the eye as a basic unit of measurement, measure the width of the space between the eyes and carefully draw the outline, eyelid and iris of the left eye, then mark the space between the eyes, then draw the outline and details of the right eye. Mark the direction and width of the eyebrows.

Draw a very light vertical line down the center of the space between the eyes, down to the bottom of the chin, and up to the hairline. This will help your drawing remain symmetrical.

Measure a unit of the width of the eye and compare this distance with the distance between the inner corner of the eye and the lower edge of the nose. Make a short, light line at the edge of the nose. Match the width of the eye with the width of the nose. Make marks indicating the width of the nose on either side of the vertical line. Then match the distance between the edge of the nose and the dividing line of the lips. Watch these proportions! Calculating them correctly ensures a good portrait and likeness.

Find the width of your cheekbones and mark them with a light mark, then move towards your ears. Ears are very difficult to draw; they are completely unique for each person. The top of the ear will usually be somewhere around the level of the eyebrows, but again, look carefully before drawing. Every person's face is unique!

Label the features of the chin and jawbone.

Mark the height and width of the hair and carefully draw its outline, adding tone to indicate the lightness or darkness of the hair. Don't worry about the details! When you look at someone's hair, you notice color and shape, not individual hairs. The same should be true in your drawing.

Once you have your proportions mapped out, look at the highlights and shadows on your subject. Lightly shade dark areas to create a sense of dimension. Work on the darkest areas first - usually the iris. Leave a white, curved spot of light on the iris. Notice that the eyeball is curved and that one side eyeball somewhat shaded. Look carefully at the proportions and location of the light spots.

Pay attention to the shape and proportions of the upper and lower eyelids. Don't worry about the eyelashes - they can be outlined slightly with a darker line later.

Define the shape of the skull and the curves of the flesh covering it, gradually shading the sides of the face and jaw, the eye sockets, the depression in the skull above the eyes, then highlight the lighter areas in the tone of the hair.

Lightly shade the shadow side of the nose and try to capture its unique shape, especially the tip. This is another one characteristic feature faces.

SAMPLE PHOTO

When I am given the task of drawing a picture from a photograph of a portrait, I choose a self-portrait. It's always better to draw from life as and when you can, in photographs the picture can sometimes be distorted. However, it is not always possible or convenient to force people to pose, and this is where photographs definitely help. I tried to choose the most interesting photo, I don’t really look like myself here, but I really like the bright colors here. sunlight, so I choose this photo! (Fig. 1)

SKETCH

I don’t always start with a sketch, but when I have to draw from a photograph (and, in fact, a self-portrait), it helps to be a little more accurate. Sometimes I start with something I just outline general forms and lines, but in this case, I just started with a very simple sketch.

It is needed in order to correctly measure the main facial features: eyes, nose, mouth, etc. And another layer with just lines over all parts of the face, then duplicated. (Fig. 2-3)

(Straight lines can be drawn by holding down the Shift key while drawing a line with a brush) After that, I roughly draw in the rest by eye. You can use custom meshes if you prefer, but I personally try to keep things simple and perfect on a basic sketch. At this stage, the drawing looks lousy, of course, but the base is already ready, so you can move on to coloring!

BRUSHES

Exists great amount various brushes on the Internet and, although some of them, in my opinion, are very good, there is nothing better than a regular round brush. This is what I'll be using, the basic hard round brush that comes with all versions of Photoshop. (Fig. 4)

BASIC COLORS

When it comes to choosing colors when drawing from a photo, I think it's best to leave the thought of using a Color picker. Photos may be very mosaic and colors may be distorted. random selection colors won't give you a real idea of ​​tones, especially when it comes to skin, for example! Therefore, use only your abilities and experiment, trying to achieve the most approximate result, and here getting to the point is not the most important thing.

I will be adding so much throughout the process. different colors that in the end it won't matter. The next step is to add some basic tones on the normal layer below the sketch (the sketch layer itself is switched to Multiply mode, which makes it almost transparent). (Fig. 5)

From now on, everything will be drawn on top of the sketch and the base colors already applied. In my work, I always merge layers as needed, so I don't have to get confused large quantities layers. Most of the time, though, I'll be adding new elements on separate layers. I'm not a purist! If something goes wrong, it won't be a disaster for me.

As for whether or not to use multiple layers in your work, it's entirely up to you, do what's comfortable for you personally. At this point I start adding base highlights to better define the lines of the face. (Fig. 6)

Don't worry if at this stage your drawing doesn't look like the original yet; It's still too early and things will look a lot better as we go along. In the meantime, everything looks quite messy, the strokes are very noticeable and uneven, but it's all about finding the right colors and shapes. Try not to get hung up on softening the lines of the picture just yet.

COLORS

One of the most common questions I get is how I “know” what colors to choose. To be honest, I don't know, I just try to match them, and pay attention to the surroundings, and only then choose a specific color. Photography serves a good helper and it is much easier to work with than relying on your intuition. However, in 90% of cases I am not completely satisfied with the result of the chosen colors and in the end I have to change them. Color palette, selected at the very beginning of the work and the one that turns out at the very end are two completely different things. So if you don't like the color you choose, don't worry. Photoshop is your friend and it definitely has its benefits. (Fig. 7-8)

One of the invaluable tools for me is Color balance. I usually duplicate the entire image and then adjust the colors if I don't like them, which is absolutely always the case. This tool is very useful if you want to change the colors of a painting slightly or significantly. It will also greatly help balance the colors if they don't quite go together. (Fig. 9)

You will probably notice how the tones in my drawing change throughout the work. Sometimes I change and undo changes in search of the desired effect. Yes, that’s how fickle I am!

Elaboration

Once the base colors and lights are established, I spend the rest of my time working on the details. In this process I rarely get stuck in one area, I jump between in different parts drawing so that I don't get bored of working on the same thing for too long. This also helps when returning to previous areas to notice small defects and correct them. It is also obvious that the picture has become softer. At the very beginning everything was too rough, but we softened them as we worked through them. (Fig. 10-12)

LAYER MODES

During my work I used several different types layers. These are mainly the Normal and Overlay modes. I probably don't need to say anything about Normal mode, but Overlay is a very useful thing. This is very good way increasing contrast. My sample photo has a very bright light source. Therefore, during the drawing process, I applied a couple of layers in Overlay mode. I do right side facial skin much brighter, overlaying the same skin tone, but in Overlay mode. This really helps add contrast and the glow caused by the bright sunlight. This mode also helps add a very vibrant red/orange that comes through when the skin contrasts with the light.

The Opacity of layers always varies, it all depends on which level suits best. Constantly experiment with layers and choose what works! (Fig. 13-14)

The dark side of the face still looks flat compared to the lit side. To fix this, I will add a brighter tone to the layer in Overlay mode to slightly highlight the structure of the face, cheeks, eyebrow area, etc. I chose light green because when Blended the colors are very saturated. If I had chosen a skin tone, the result would have been bright orange. Green will not lead to such an effect, and will go well with the overall skin tone. (Fig. 15)

TURN!

Another way to control any minor errors is to rotate (Flip) the image. When working with a photograph, I know what the result will be, but it still wouldn’t hurt to unfold the drawing about once an hour.

Errors are always caught, so it's much easier to fix them as you go... instead of finding out when you're done that everything looks terrible when you rotate the image! (Image – Image rotation – Flip canvas horizontally) (Fig. 16)

MIXING

I'm pretty sure the most frequently asked question is about how I mix paints to create smooth transitions from one color to another. I always have a hard time answering this question because I never “actively” mix two colors. My method is to layer color on top, stroke by stroke, in different tones until they are almost invisible. (Fig. 17) I would not recommend blurring the colors; in my opinion this completely takes the life out of the painting and ends up making it look "messy" so don't be afraid if the image is a little rough, just keep working on it! Choose a tone that will go with both colors you want to combine, apply brush strokes and they will blend naturally. If you have difficulty, try using a brush with a softer edge. While I don't recommend using Airbrushes (again, it's everyone's choice!), soft-edged brushes can help blend colors. They can also be useful when you need to reduce the opacity of your brush a little. Sometimes 100% opacity can be overkill. While I almost always change my opacity from 100%, this is all about finding your method that will produce the best results.

HAIR

Using the same standard round brush, we create the basic shape of the hair. Then, in the same manner, we begin to apply lighter tones. I don't draw the hair as a group of hairs, instead I create curls and try to represent as closely as possible the natural position and formation of the strands. Then I add individual hairs just to give the hair a fuller effect. (Fig. 18-20)

I added another layer in Overlay mode and filled it with a light brown color, which will give the hair a beautiful shine from where the sunlight hits it. After this there is a process of coloring and repetition. Just keep adding strands, highlights, and a few stray hairs until you get the finished image.

FINAL TOUCHES/DETAILS

Adding the finishing touches always takes up the majority of the painting process for me. This is also a process that cannot be left to the “last” stages. I work on details throughout the entire work on the painting, it is a very smooth process for me and very enjoyable, I really love details! This is where everything unnecessary is cut off.

For me, the process of detailing is the process of bringing order to lines, such as, for example, a jawline against a dark background of hair. At this stage I can also pay more attention to the details of the eyes, eyebrows, nose and lips, etc. I use the same brush, just smaller. And I usually zoom in a lot when I'm working on details like this. After these procedures, the image becomes noticeably cleaner and much easier to work with further. (Fig. 21-22)

CHANGES

You may have noticed that there are some differences in my work from the original. The first change concerns the hair. In fact, they looked absolutely terrible! I wasn't too keen on drawing hair like this, so use your artist rights. If you think something should be changed, change it! After all, this is just a sample and not an instruction that needs to be followed immediately. Here you will see other changes made. (Fig. 23-24)

Below are enlarged cutouts. (Fig. 25-26) At this stage the work is almost complete. I cropped the image a little and tried to add a few more bright colors, pink and blue to highlight blue eyes and a soft pink tint to the skin. I probably don’t need to say that this is not in the sample photo, but I just do it the way I like.

Help you draw a portrait of a girl simple recommendations. The drawing can be given as a gift or hung on the wall at home and admired by the mysterious stranger.

Schematic representation of a face

Before drawing a portrait of a girl, create the contours of her face. It is ovoid in shape, slightly pointed towards the chin. Please note that near the temples the oval will be slightly concave.

To make them symmetrical and correct, you need to divide them into sectors. Draw a vertical line that will divide the face in half. Do not press hard on the pencil when you draw this and subsequent construction lines.

Next, you need to draw 2 horizontal segments - from the right to the left side of the face. They should divide the oval into three parts. Each girl’s face is purely individual, so the distance between these two stripes can be different. If you have a young lady, lower the top line a little. If the distance between the chin and the tip of the nose is significant, then slightly raise the lower transverse line upward.

These two horizontal lines divided the face into 3 sectors. The forehead and eyes will be located in the top, the nose in the middle, and the mouth and chin in the bottom. Here are the girls, starting with the diagram.

Eyes are the mirror of the soul

Now you can start drawing the eyes. They must be symmetrical about the vertical axis. Position them so that the lower eyelids are on the upper transverse segment. The distance between the two eyes should be such that another one fits between them. Imagine it there and start drawing the important part of the face.

Each eye consists of three semicircular lines. The lower eyelid is made of one, and the upper eyelid is made of two. In the middle between the eyelids there are round pupils; draw a small circle inside them - this is the lens of the eye. Now imagine that he is the sun. From the lens to the pupil, draw rays in a circle, placing them close to each other. If you are thinking about how to draw a portrait of a girl so that it turns out to be the most realistic, do not forget about this technique. Then the eyes will look like real ones.

Make their outer corner slightly slanted and the inner corner narrow so that this part of the face turns out beautiful. Long fluffy eyelashes will help achieve this. You will create them using dashed pencil lines. Eyebrows follow the shape upper eyelid, depict them like this - and it’s time to move on to other facial features.

We draw a portrait of a girl step by step with a pencil - nose and lips

Focusing on the vertical line, draw the nose. It is located between two horizontal segments. Draw two large lines from the inner corners of the eyes downwards. They end on the lower horizontal segment. This guide will help create a nose of the correct shape. At its tip, draw two nostrils. Now you can erase these two small lines so that the nose does not turn out too wide. It is enough if only the nostrils are visible.

The mouth is also symmetrical relative to the vertical line; it is located in the middle of the lower (third) sector. Draw two barely noticeable lines from the middle of the pupils to this place. They will help define the corners of the mouth. Draw a small horizontal line from the right to the left corner. It divides the lips into lower and upper. The lower one is semicircular, the upper one also begins curved line, but in the middle she makes two small symmetrical bends so that the lips form a “bow”.

Framing a portrait

At this stage, you need to erase the auxiliary lines and draw the main lines a little more clearly. When drawing the contour of the face, stop between the second and third transverse lines. On both sides, make an oval of the face in this place, slightly concave inward, so that the cheeks are not too round and the cheekbones are defined.

Now you can start creating your hairstyle. A girl may have an open forehead and her hair pulled back into a ponytail. Then you need to draw her ears. Their top part starts at the line of the eyebrows, place the lobes slightly above the horizontal line of the nostrils.

How to draw a portrait of a girl so that she looks realistic? Make a few light strokes along the contour of the face - from the left eyebrow, through the chin, to the right. Leave your forehead light. Apply strokes from the upper eyelid, across the bridge of the nose, down to the nostrils to define the nose. Small lines under the lower lip will show that it is plump. Cover the lips themselves with barely noticeable strokes. Here's how to draw a portrait of a girl.