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How to Draw a Face (for Beginners)

9/12/2017

60 Comments

 
How to Draw a Face Easy Tutorial for Beginners
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​*​This post contains affiliate links. I receive small commissions for purchases made through these links at no extra cost to you. These commissions help me keep this site up and running, in order for me to keep providing helpful and inspiring art content. :)


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Have you ever finished a drawing of a face just to notice that something is off, but you can't tell exactly what it is? Why is it important to start with forwards-facing portraits before moving on to different angles?

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In this post/YouTube video, I'll be explaining how I create my quick and simple face sketches. 

It's essential for the beginner artist looking to start with portraits to learn about basic facial proportions and the effective placement of facial elements within the head shape before moving on to adding any sort of realistic shading or texture.

Why?

Because that preliminary outline sketch is the foundation for everything else and, if proportions/shapes/etc. are not achieved effectively, then the entire drawing is going to be off no matter how long we spend on creating beautiful shading and detail. 

And, most often than not, it's going to be best for the beginner to get started with forwards-facing portraits, as they are the easiest way to learn about facial proportions.

Once we start getting into drawing heads at different angles, foreshortening and knowledge on perspective comes into play to varying degrees, shapes are distorted or hidden, etc., which takes the challenge up a notch. 

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In this post, I've included a section briefly explaining how I draw each individual facial element (eyes, nose, lips, ears and hair) and have also included some notes about how features can be modified when drawing either male or female characters. 

Before we start, it's important to keep in mind that facial elements come in all shapes and sizes. So long as you stay within these general guidelines I'll be providing, you can and I actually encourage you to experiment by making face shapes, noses, lips, and all the rest in slightly different shapes and sizes.
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For this tutorial, you'll need:
-A pencil (I recommend an HB)
-Sketchbook or paper of any kind
-Eraser
​-Ruler


I've used all of these products below and highly recommend them! Click on the images to find out more about them at www.consumercrafts.com.
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Picture
Canson Spiral-bound Sketchbook 11 x 14 inches 100 sheets $9.72
Prismacolor Premier Turquoise Drawing Pencils
Prismacolor Premier Turquoise Medium Graphite Pencil Set $8.97
Milan Erasers
Milan Erasers Triangular 2 pack $1.49



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If you enjoyed this video and found it helpful, make sure to subscribe to my YouTube channel. I share a brand new video every week with art tips, drawing and painting tutorials and mindset/productivity tips for artists. *Subscribe HERE*


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​1. Drawing the head shape

The way I draw the initial head shape is by starting with a large circle (1). I then make a vertical line dividing the face in half (2) and add a centered, small horizontal line a bit below the circle, which will be the chin (3).

*The shorter you make this horizontal line, the narrower/pointer your chin will be. The wider you draw this horizontal line, the wider your chin will be. The further down from the circle you draw it, the longer the face will be. The closer to the circle, the rounder the face. 
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Once that is ready, draw two vertical lines down the left and right sides of the large circle (4). At the point at which these vertical lines touch the circle, I draw two curved lines downwards, connecting them to each side of the chin line (5).

​At this point, you can erase the vertical lines running down the sides of the head, as well as the bottom half of the circle. Leave the vertical line dividing the face where it is. 
How to draw the head shape
How to draw the head shape.

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2. Adding your guidelines

As I had mentioned before, when drawing faces, it's essential to be aware of placement and size of facial features within the head shape. In order to achieve this, we will add guidelines that will help us along the way.

Make sure to add in these guidelines as lightly as possible, so that you're able to erase them when you no longer need them!

Aside from the vertical line we already have dividing our face width in half (which will help us place the nose in the appropriate place), we will add a horizontal line dividing our face length in half. This will be the line that tells us where to place our eyes.

​This line will then be divided into five parts. The width of five eyes should fit along this line. Eyes should be drawn in the ¨2nd¨ and ¨4th¨ sections of this line.

The nose line will be placed halfway down the eye line and the chin. Finally, the mouth line will be placed halfway down the nose line and the chin. *Some artists divide this lower section (between the nose line and the chin line) into three equal parts once again. The first new guideline is where the opening of the mouth will be, in this case. 

If you'd like to place a few guidelines for your ears, they start a bit above the eye line and end at the nose line. 


​
How to Draw a Simple Face Tutorial for Beginners
Facial proportions. Placing your guidelines.


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Watercolor and sketching online classes
Check out my FREE Patreon-exclusive tutorial and class samples here.
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Sketchbook Challenge

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2. Drawing the different facial elements

We are all good so far, but many of us (myself included) have trouble drawing at least one of the facial elements, whether it's the eyes, eyebrows, nose, lips, ears or hair.

Do not attempt to leave something out simply because you think you're not going to be able to draw it properly. Remember, practice makes perfect and if you want to ever be able to create a realistic drawing, you have to start at some point.
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Here's a brief description of how I go about drawing simple versions of all of these necessary facial elements, as well as some tips to distinguish female features from male features.
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How to draw eyes and eyebrows
How do draw simple eyes and eyebrows.
How to draw a nose
How to draw a simple nose.
How to draw lips
How to draw simple lips.
How to draw ears
How to draw simple ears.

Once you have finished drawing your facial elements, erase all your guidelines. 


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​3. Adding in the hair

There are many different ways to draw hair, depending on the hair style you'd like your character to have. It can be long, short, straight, curly, wavy, etc.

Remember, though, that hair has volume. Because of this, it should be drawn slightly above the head shape. 

​I cannot go into all the different hair styles here, but I strongly encourage you to experiment with different types of line (curved, straight, wavy, etc.) in order to transmit the characteristics you'd like. 
How to draw hair
How to draw simple hair.

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​4. Bringing it all together
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By this point, your face should be completed. Here are two examples I have drawn for you showing the differences between male and female characteristics. 
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Complete male and female faces by Erika Lancaster. Soft graphite in Canson paper sketchbook.

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​5. Final Details
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Add as many details (textures, shading, etc.) as you'd like. I personally don't add many details to this type of face drawing and prefer the sketchy look. 

For tips on how to make a drawing look realistic, visit my blog post titled 
6 Essential Tips for Realistic Drawing.
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Essential Tips for Realistic Drawing
Pen and Ink Sketching Shading Techniques
Essential Sketching Tips for Beginner Artists
60 Comments
cate link
12/18/2017 02:55:57 pm

This is a great tutorial! I'm going to practice my drawing skills now :)

Reply
Erika Lancaster
4/5/2018 02:30:48 pm

Yay!!! I'm glad you found it helpful! Is there anything else you'd like to learn to draw? I'm always looking for ideas that people would like to see. :)

Reply
mello
4/26/2020 09:15:51 pm

its kinda hard still

Servesh
10/2/2020 03:37:26 am

Hi erika mam. I am so pleased that I can Also draw an perfect drawing.all thanks to you and your steps. The steps you given are so easy that an 6 year old boy can draw drawing. Just an small request that can you make some superheroes drawings.
Regards,
Servesh

Reply
Erika Lancaster link
10/2/2020 10:12:58 am

Hi, Servesh!
Thanks so much for checking out this blog post. I'm so glad to hear that you found it helpful. :)
I don't do fan art tutorials, but I'll definitely consider something similar in the future.
I appreciate your suggestion!
Wish you tons of progress and enjoyment in your art journey.

Erika
12/18/2017 07:09:55 pm

Yay!!! I'm glad you found it helpful! Is there anything else you'd like to learn to draw? I'm always looking for ideas that people would like to see. :)

Reply
Artmania
10/25/2020 04:22:48 pm

Ears

Reply
Erika Lancaster link
11/2/2020 10:49:34 am

Hi, there!
I'm thinking you're requesting a tutorial on ears?
Thanks for checking this one out and I'll take note of your request.
Have a great day! :)

Monica link
2/1/2018 04:10:23 pm

This is fantastic advice. It has melted away my frustrations and I'm painting again with patience and enthusiasm. I would love to see how you approach painting flowers and animals. Now I'm craving a toasted paninni!

Reply
Erika Lancaster
2/2/2018 08:22:17 am

Hi Monica!! I hope you're having a wonderful day!!
Thank you SO much for taking time to comment. Your words are very much appreciated and I love knowing that my work is helping out in some way. :)
I love painting food, for some reason! I will make sure to keep in mind my approach for painting flowers and animals for a future post/YouTube video! Thanks so much for the suggestion!
Have a great one and keep on making art!

Reply
Joslynn
2/10/2018 07:32:13 pm

Hey Erica, I'm working on it! 👍🏼😌 I just started today, hope to send you a good pic!

Reply
Erika Lancaster
2/11/2018 09:59:18 am

Excellent Joslynn!
Take however long you need. I'll be waiting! :)

Reply
Teryn
2/15/2018 11:15:25 pm

Thank you for the detailed instructions! I’m thrilled to
Try this out with my students tomorrow!

Reply
Erika Lancaster
2/24/2018 06:30:08 pm

Teryn hi!!
You're very welcome! I hope your students are able to get something out of these. Mine always seem to struggle with facial proportions!
Have a great weekend and hope to have you back here soon! :)

Reply
Julia
2/21/2018 10:02:57 am

Thank you so much for this information. I am an elementary school teacher— and small children often get frustrated that they “can’t draw.” They absolutely LOVE drawing animals or “things” using step-by-step instructions and ending up with a product that surprises and delights them! They will be thrilled with this guide on how to draw faces!!

Reply
Erika Lancaster
2/24/2018 06:25:44 pm

Hi Julia,
OHH! Yeah! Little ones can get so emotional! But they're SO happy when they're able to achieve something they never thought they would be able to, huh?
I hope that you're able to use these and that your students get something out of these drawing exercises! Do stay in touch! :)

Reply
Nikki
3/4/2018 09:54:54 am

As a dabbler, I'd given up drawing human faces. I thought they were just too hard. Thanks for inspiring the to give it another go. And for the valuable tips!

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Erika Lancaster
3/5/2018 07:47:21 am

Hi Nikki,
Please don't give up! If you get tired of drawing faces, then continue drawing something else that is easier for you and these skills will help you when you get back to it. Have you tried drawing objects or still life compositions?
Whatever you do, don't give up on art or drawing entirely. Faces (and any part of the human anatomy) are hard, even for skilled artists.
Hope to see you back here, soon!

Reply
Sam
3/29/2018 04:09:49 am

Good tutorial for beginners

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Erika Lancaster
4/5/2018 02:33:48 pm

Thanks so much for taking time to comment Sam!
I'm glad you found this helpful!

Have you checked out my tutorial for drawing faces at 3/4's angles? I created this especially for those looking to take it a step further:
http://www.erikalancaster.com/art-blog/how-to-effectively-draw-faces-at-a-34s-angle-my-4-step-process-and-practice-freebies

Have a great day! :)

Reply
Xela
6/14/2018 09:36:35 am

Thank you so much for these guidelines. This is so helpful and you have done a very thorough and fantastic job with this.

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Erika Lancaster
6/15/2018 09:48:28 am

Hi Xela,
Thanks so much for your kind words! I'm very happy to hear that you found this post useful. :) I do like being as thorough as possible, whenever I can!

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Dewey Harrison
8/15/2018 11:01:22 pm

Best tutorial I have found on Pinterest.

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Erika Lancaster
8/16/2018 08:33:21 am

Hi Dewey,

I'm happy to hear you found this tutorial helpful! Thanks so much for checking it out and taking time to comment. :)

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Anarael
1/24/2019 09:24:24 am

I think that this tutorial will help me a lot, because I have been trying to do some portraits and this would help
Thanks :)

Reply
Erika Lancaster
1/25/2019 08:48:20 am

Hey there Anarael,

I'm so happy to hear you found this tutorial helpful! :)
All the best to you in your portrait-drawing and please do stay in touch. I'd love to hear how it goes for you!
Thanks so much for checking this post out and for leaving a comment!

Reply
Candice Love Badger
3/18/2019 08:24:14 pm

I just want to say I have really placed my focus on drawing but I was just doing eyes that were blacked out out outlined dark and all white. I try and draw pictures in my phone of my nieces nephews and my kids and grand daughter but they come out either side ways or something is always either 2 big or to small. I enjoyed you tourtial but I really am ready to draw portrait of me my kids and granddaughter. One of my mom dad sis and brothers in one for now but I can not get nothing right on it. Hopefully you can give me pointers and I will be watching more of ur shows. I wish you could draw my portrait on a tourtial and I follow you while you do. That would be awesome. Anyways thanks for existing.. I hope that don't sound bad but u rick honestly. Thanks .. Candice

Reply
Erika Lancaster
3/19/2019 09:36:54 am

Hi Candice,
First and foremost, I want to thank you for checking out my blog post and for taking time to comment. :)
In regards to your message, I want to say that drawing portraits that actually resemble a person is hard (even for skilled artists).
The reason I say this, is because I don't want you to get frustrated with yourself if your results aren't turning out as expected. In my years teaching, I've noticed a lot of beginner artists tend to jump over Art Fundamentals thinking that they're going to be able to take on more complex pieces easily and get very frustrated when things don't turn out as expected.
Not to mention, the higher level of realism (if you want a portrait drawing to resemble a person then it has to have high levels of realism), the longer the work is going to take you to finish.
Drawing a portrait that actually resembles someone entails you to understand correct facial proportions, as well as have high level of understanding of art fundamentals such as value, lighting and form. All this, plus knowing how to properly use the drawing medium on hand.
So, I want to ask you, how long have you been studying facial proportions? Have you practiced drawing faces at angles? Have you practiced realism, in any way (starting with still life drawings)? Are you able to draw from direct observation? Have you taken time to study each individual facial feature so that you're able to understand and visualize their specific structures?
I'm leaving you links to two other blog posts that I want you to check out if you haven't already:
Drawing Faces at 3/4's Angle
https://www.erikalancaster.com/art-blog/how-to-effectively-draw-faces-at-a-34s-angle-my-4-step-process-and-practice-freebies
6 Essential Tips for Realistic Drawing
https://www.erikalancaster.com/art-blog/6-essential-tips-for-realistic-drawing
How to Draw Realistic Eyes
https://www.erikalancaster.com/art-blog/how-to-draw-realistic-eyes-my-process-and-essential-tips

I hope these help and thank you again for your message, Candice! Feel free to email me your work at hello@erikalancaster.com and I'll do my best to send over some suggestions, as well as exercises I feel will help you.

All the best to you in your artistic journey, and do stay in touch!

Erika

Reply
Lara
3/23/2019 10:12:59 am

Hello Erica, i want to let you know that with you tutorial i was able to draw a proper face for the first time in my life. Thank you so much! I will practice a lot more now i found you.
Best wishes from Lara

Reply
Erika Lancaster
3/27/2019 09:20:36 am

Hi Lara,
Firstly, I'd just like to thank you for visiting my blog and taking time to write me a comment. It truly means the world to me. :)
You have no idea how happy it makes me to hear that you found this helpful and were finally able to draw a face! That's amazing! You deserve a big congratulations because faces, and any part of the human figure, are very complex to draw or paint.
It fills my heart with joy to hear that you're going to continue practicing. I would love to know how your artistic journey progresses!

Much love and inspiration,

Erika

Reply
D
11/8/2019 05:11:39 pm

Do you have any tutorials that aren't this, how do i put it.. two dimensional?

Reply
Erika Lancaster link
11/8/2019 06:47:52 pm

Hi, D! :)

Thanks so much for checking out my blog post. It really means the world.

Once you know about these basic facial proportions, I would recommend starting to understand the head as a three-dimensional structure that can be seen from different angles and perspectives.

I learned a lot from Andrew Loomis's book Drawing the Head and Hands, which you can search for on Google and download for free.

Here's a post on drawing a face at 3/4's Angle, which is the angle I'd recommend jumping to next.

How to Draw Faces at a 3/4's Angle - My 4 Step Process
https://www.erikalancaster.com/art-blog/how-to-effectively-draw-faces-at-a-34s-angle-my-4-step-process-and-practice-freebies

I always recommend being able to create a preliminary sketch that shows decent proportions before jumping on to any kind of shading, especially when we're trying to draw any part of the human anatomy.

This is a great exercise you can do to practice rendering your different values (in order to create a sense of three-dimensionality), once you've understood facial proportions and the structure of the head: https://youtu.be/OKPCDSXk_Pk

Hope this helps and have a great weekend,

Erika

Reply
Paula Grootelaar
11/13/2019 08:22:40 pm

Thank you so much for this very helpful video...now to go and do it myself. You made it look so much easier to get the scale right. Many many thanks!

Reply
Erika Lancaster link
11/14/2019 11:20:50 pm

Hi, Paula!

Thanks so much for checking out this blog post and taking time to comment. :)
Means the world.
So happy you found it helpful.

Wish you tons of progress and enjoyment in your artistic journey.

Erika

Reply
Cassie link
11/24/2019 05:52:58 pm

I love how you're trying to make drawing faces simple. Thank you. It's wonderful of you to take the time. I used to draw Veronica and Archie type comics of my high school class back in the day and friends just reminded me of that and said they were good lol (I'm 67 now) I'm going to get back at drawing because of your and their encouraging me to. I feel like I could get much better as I continue to practice (and I have more time these days).

Reply
Erika Lancaster link
11/28/2019 02:02:23 pm

Hi, Cassie!

Thanks SO much for checking out this blog post and taking time to leave your valuable comment. It means the world.

I'm so glad to hear that you found this one helpful and, even more, that you're getting inspired to get back into drawing! Go for it!

You'll definitely get better and better as you move forward!

Wish you a lovely Thanksgiving weekend and a holiday season that's full of love, joy and peace.

All the best to you in your artistic journey!

Erika

Reply
Mary
1/12/2020 06:57:39 pm

Thank you Erika I found this very helpful I just started a year ago self teaching myself to paint and I'm drawn to faces, which I thought would be the toughest thing to do but I'm doing it. I needed some of these tips - thank you!
M

Reply
Erika Lancaster link
1/17/2020 02:37:28 pm

Hello Mary,

Thanks so much for checking out this blog post. :)
I'm so happy you found some useful nuggets in it, and I'm so happy to hear that you're making progress with your artistic goals.

Wish you tons of enjoyment in your art journey,

Erika

Reply
Cheryl Jones -DIx
4/10/2020 11:42:45 pm

I'm wanting to learn how to draw faces. I went through your video back and forth. It was helpful though I still struggle with my proportions. Practice makes better! Thanks

Reply
Erika Lancaster link
4/13/2020 09:10:13 am

Hi, Cheryl! :)
Thanks so much for checking out this post and leaving a comment. Means the world.
I'm glad you found it helpful. You're totally right. It's all about that practice!
Achieving believable proportions is tough.
I've found that learning about proportions, as well as practicing my observational skills to see what faces actually look like in real life via reference photos as well as seeing people that I have in front of me, is really helpful.
Today, I'm constantly visually measuring things out and comparing elements to each other in terms of length, width, location within space (the head in this case), the angles created, etc.
I do the same when drawing everything else, too! Including still life arrangements.
Thanks again and have a lovely day,
Erika

Reply
Argentina Alvarez
5/27/2020 08:13:12 pm

Hi Erika,
I have really found your tips helpful. I am a current college student and i wanted to know if you would allow me to reference your blog this semester.
Thank you

Reply
Erika Lancaster link
5/28/2020 09:48:20 am

Hi, Argentina!
Thanks so much for checking out this blog post. So happy you found it helpful. :)
Feel free to reference it in your assignment.
Wish you tons of progress and enjoyment in your art journey.
Erika

Reply
Annetjie Van Staden
6/3/2020 08:47:40 am

Very helpful.

Reply
Erika Lancaster link
6/3/2020 05:14:18 pm

Thanks so much for checking this one out, Annetjie!
Glad to hear you found it helpful.
Wish you tons of enjoyment and progress in your art journey.
Erika

Reply
Lullia
6/15/2020 05:14:28 pm

It’s very helpful and make me want to continue drawing

Reply
Erika Lancaster link
6/22/2020 07:21:42 pm

So happy to hear you found it helpful, Lullia!
Thanks for reading.
I wish you tons of progress and enjoyment in your art journey. :)

Reply
Mystery artist
8/15/2020 02:56:43 pm

Wow! i love art and always thought i was useless until i found this website! the face turtorial really helped me as for me faces i drew always looked like monekys! thanks for the great art tips and turtorials!

Reply
Erika Lancaster link
8/16/2020 09:13:11 am

Hi, there!
Happy to hear you found this tutorial helpful. :) Thanks so much for popping by and have a lovely day!

Reply
Susan Dubay link
8/24/2020 12:09:57 pm

Hi Erika! With the pandemic and basically staying home, I've been trying to find things to keep me busy. I'm 68 yrs old & retired. I did a few paint by numbers but grew tired of that. I decided to try my hand at sketching. Your tutorial on face sketching made me want to keep on sketching. My first face came out "okay"....but my husband said it was great for my first one. The nose was the hardest feature for me. Thanks for your help. I look forward to keeping on!

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Erika Lancaster link
8/25/2020 02:39:25 pm

Hi, Susan!
So happy, first and foremost, that you're taking care of yourself during this challenging period and that you're doing what you can to stay productive/creative.
It's also fantastic to hear that you're giving freehand sketching a go! Drawing, at least in my opinion, is the basis for all kinds of art.
We can learn a lot of Art Fundamentals via drawing such as Perspective, Proportion (which is so important when it comes to drawing portraits and the human figure), Light Behaviour and Shading, etc.
It's also such a great way to develop our hand/eye coordination and fine motor skills, and really helps us stay consistent during times we're unable to take out our paint!
The nose is also the hardest feature for me! It's a tricky one!
Keep on keeping on, Susan! You'll learn something new with every single piece you work on.
Stay safe!

Reply
Deepthi
12/20/2020 05:27:41 am

Very good for beginners,likedvit vety much.

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Erika Lancaster link
12/28/2020 10:15:19 am

Hi, there!
Thanks so much for checking this one out. :)
Glad it was helpful.

Reply
adeolu
1/1/2021 02:30:37 pm

Thank you very much... been looking for a website to better my experience and I found it. Thanks

Reply
Erika Lancaster link
1/2/2021 08:05:02 am

Hi, there!
Glad you found this post helpful. :)
Thanks so much for checking it out and leaving a comment!
Have a lovely day.

Reply
Khads
2/3/2021 03:03:46 pm

Thank you soo very much. I am not fully trained in Visual Arts but I do love the subject. And so I try always to look for great resources to help myself and thd students whom I teach.

Reply
Erika Lancaster link
2/6/2021 09:45:28 am

Hi, there!
Thanks so much for checking out this post. Glad to hear that it was helpful.
Enjoy your teaching! :)

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Joan
9/20/2021 01:00:16 am

Tutorial was very helpful. It wasn't too "fast"so that I got lost as to where my lines should go. Thanks!

Reply
Erika Lancaster link
9/30/2021 10:24:35 am

Hi, Joan!
Glad you found this one helpful. :)
Thanks so much for popping by.
Wish you tons of progress and enjoyment as you move forward in your art journey.

Reply
Alexis link
11/25/2021 04:11:19 am

I've always wanted to learn more about drawing faces and this is very helpful. Thanks, Erika!

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Erika Lancaster link
12/2/2021 03:23:34 pm

Hey, Alexis!
Glad this one was helpful!
Thanks so much for checking it out. :)
Wish you tons of progress and enjoyment in your journey.
Take good care.

Reply



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