portrait Drawing Tutorial

Drawing A Portrait From Memory

Hi,I'm not a very skilled artist to begin with, but since i've drawn portraits from memory or imagination for a long time, i feel i have found some easy ways,which I'd like to share with you...

Tutorial category: portrait  
Tutorial type: Step-by-step   
Submitted by: kalyani
Tools used: RMD Java Draw,Pencil tool

This tutorial is based on:
AGirlFromMemory by kalyani

 

Step 1

First,let's begin with the eyes. This is an easy way of drawing an eye.

Use a pencil or any brush with low opacity, around 8-12,low, and the size 8-12. This way, u can correct wat u draw by drawing over it again and again, this works like guidelines,and adds depth too .
If u want a sketch-like effect, these lines will help, if u like realistic style, u can blend the lines using blend or smudge tool.
I've not drawn perfect lines because this is just a basic sketch. Draw smooth lines if u wish to add colors..

Practice drawing eyes, draw on every piece of paper that comes ur way to attain perfection. Observing helps a lot too..

 

Step 2

Now that we know about eyes, lets begin our drawing..

I've drawn two eyes,using low opacity... wherever the shape didn't feel right, i corrected it by drawing over it again..
Apparently they're not well proportioned, we'll worry about that later.
The suggestion of iris has also been added,we'll perfect it later when v begin the shading..

 

 

Step 3

Now,the nose. According to me, a nose becomes a nose only with proper shading.
1. Two parallel lines to form the bridge ;)
2. See how i've drawn the nose (the lower part) a few curving lines.. that may be varied in size to create different type of noses.
3. Finally, we add shading, with low opacity, adding depths,leaving the tip so that it looks a bit 3d.

Btw,This nose is very much like my own, thats what happens when u observe a lot. But do observe ok :)

 

Step 4

Now,We add a nose to our main sketch. It looks horrible now, but v'll fix it as v go on, hopefully.. ;)

One thing to keep in mind is,make sure the nose isn't too rounded... because it'll look like a child's.
Add a bit of depth on the nostrils, use low opacity in all these basic stages...So u can correct any mistakes easily

 

Step 5

okey, mouth time. look, its very easy too, right?

U can make the upper lip sharper if u draw sharp,straight lines,however, all my lips look the same... :)
U can draw full lips if u extend the lines a bit.. Its really easy, practice a lot on paper, use cheap paper so u can draw freely and u wont get frustrated if anything goes wrong..
Practice whenever and wherever possible. Also observe the lips of movie stars :D

I've used low opacity throughout... fine lines have been added too.. Please note how depths have been added to various places to make it realistic.

 

 

Step 6

Ok,back to our drawing. i added a mouth too..
Now we have a somewhat ugly face in front of us...
Lets try to fix her face..!!

 

Step 7

Next step, is to contain the contents of this face using an outline so things wont run thiswayandthat.
I've used a bigger brush this time,cos otherwise it'll take a lot of time, keeping the opacity low, i made the outline of the face. Now this part is bit tricky, thats why i added the loose hair !! I can't even begin to imagine how it'd look otherwise.... draw and draw until u get an ok outline...

 

Step 8

Ok.. Now shading.
I feel that a sketch wont look interesting without a lot of light and shade... so I imagined the light is falling from the upper right side.. and drew the shadows accordingly (not very perfect.. )
To know about lights and shades, u have to look at many pictures, drawings.. and observe even while u're watching movies.
I can confidently tell that I'm not perfect myself,thats what happens when u dont use a reference.
Now, the face looks weird because the eyes are drawn a bit too high.. the face looks too long.. It has to be fixed too.

 

Step 9

I Brought down the eyes, by carefully adding more white to it,for this a point brush and high opacity white has been used,
And now add lil details to eyes,fine lines,lashes,depths,and bit of low opacity black to the white so it wont look Too White :)

 

Step 10

So frightened eyes are ready!
With a big brush, low opacity.. shade the sin.More dark on the left because of the way the light falls.
At this point, I realize i made the mistake of making the face look too muscular by adding shadows boldly on the left. Dont make that mistake :)

 

Step 11

now thats adding detail to the lips. Fine lines, depths.. final attempt to make it realistic :)

Note that the left part of the nose has shadows because of the light falling from right. The more direct and strong light is... the more bold the shadows.

 

Step 12

Details.. final touches..

 

Step 13

Not perfect, I know :) Didn't give much attention to hair because its a sketch.. We're done !