Sketch Session: Full Frontal Faces ( a "Draw With Me" replay)

This is the first pose from a live sketching session where the focus was on drawing likenesses — front view. We used supplied photos as reference sources.

Do you want to draw with me during my next virtual live sketch session — on the third Friday of the month? I offer them on the third Friday. Click this link to add yourself to my new list.
https://alvalyn.com/sketchsession/

This is not an instructional drawing tutorial, but you'll be able to observe how I begin and build a portrait from scratch. This is the order I generally follow, starting with structure, larger shapes and then work into the detailed refinements.

Place the center vertical and horizontal axes and determine the position of the top of the head and the base of the chin.
Place the structural lines.
Position the eye line (axis)
Analyze the shape of the eyes
Position the eyebrows
Shape the nose
Mouth: analyzing width, shape, angles, proportion
Framing the face using big shapes: hair , neck and shoulders, ears
Refining contours and building out planes using shading

My approach to drawing is to analyze what I see — using my whole brain, and comparing and contrasting shape, scale, proportion, and direction.

I'm not too worried about style. I draw loosely — known as loose sketching — which results in a certain energy and vitality in the figure than carefully rendered academic technique yields.

Interested in joining my next virtual live sketch session? I offer them on the third Friday. Join my free newsletter list to get notified.
https://alvalyn.com/sketchsession/

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CHECK OUT THESE OTHER SKETCHBOOK SESSIONS

Drawing Small Scale Faces (various ethnicities) https://youtu.be/YTq6msLPkMo

Portrait Sketch of Bonita at 102
https://youtu.be/vVyWXZ-tROw

Portrait Drawing Tutorial: Pencil Sketching
https://youtu.be/rnMHdZqXznA

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Alvalyn Lundgren is a practicing designer and illustrator who also teaches design and design practice.