Using your eraser make the small highlights in the eyes that give them their sparkle. The amount of 'sparkle' should differ from one eye to the other. Sometimes you would 'sparkle' one eye only as the other might be in shade. Careful observation is the key.
You can suggest some eyelashes at this stage. Next we will construct the pyramid that will give us our 'design' for our nose. All you will need to do in the future is to remember these basic structures when doing your portraits.
The 'length' of the nose will obviously differ between individuals ... but not too much. The distance between the eyes will often vary slightly as well but once you know the approximate distances as I have given you you can make the minor adjustments yourself.
With a little shading and careful edges on the base of the nose you will be able to suggest the shape. Try not to include too many details at this stage. Next we will look at the lips ...
Lips are best visualized as part of a cylinder as they 'wrap around' the face. Here I have dawn the 'classic' shape with mouth closed. Using similar proportions construct your own as shown below.
Now add a little bit of shading and complete your drawing as shown.
HOMEWORK  Painting Rosesback to start |
