It will give your drawings a more dynamic range and make your subjects pop off the paper. If you need to. Since most colored pencil artwork is done from photographs, you must become a good photographer to catch the right light with your camera. Finally, just have fun with it! Also, the bottom edge of the lower lip often blends into the skin tone, so avoid a distinct outline there. I make a straight line to line up the eyes on it, and then strive to make the eyes of the same size and shape, so they appear identical. Without a teacher to help, you may keep making the same mistakes longer than if you were in a class situation.
If their head is on an angle, this results in strange distortions in the picture. Be aware of small, fuzzy snapshots. Try practicing graded and continuous shading so you're more comfortable with building up these shadows. For that I draw equal circles first and then partially cover the circles by the eyelids. The Fix: Use more convex shaped scumbling—like crescent shapes and scribbly calligraphic marks—to draw the shadows in and around clusters of foliage. If both you and your subject are relaxed, the photo (and the drawing) will be much better in the end. Instead, consider a paper with a smooth surface like a Bristol board or sheets. While these can be handy for light shading, they are too hard to draw with. I always draw the eyes first. Your reference photos will be much better if you take some time to work with your pet and capture their true personality. When you are teaching yourself to draw using books and the internet, it can be difficult to know how to improve your skills. Use a good, smooth paper and a range of pencils. It’s a very common mistake to draw the eyelids of the same size and shape converging in a corner. The Fix: Does your drawing look like the forehead is too small, or the back of the head is flat? The Fix: Always begin a portrait drawing by sketching guidelines to ensure that the features are on the same angle as the rest of the face. Many artists choose to draw separate lines for the top, middle, and bottom of the eyes, the bottom of the nose, and one that indicates the center of the lips. When you understand that a face is divided into thirds and know the amount of space to leave for the foreheads of both adults and children, you will see a lot of improvement in your portraits. Artist Helen South works in graphite, charcoal, watercolor, and mixed media.
Let's explore the most common mistakes that beginners make. Head proportions are one of the most difficult things to get right when drawing people. From this perspective, their head seems much bigger than their body and they often have a rather odd expression. Vary your point of view. If your aim is to draw a portrait realistically, you’ve got to become observant and catch all the elements you see particular to that person. I love the glowing light one hour before the sunset. We often focus so much on a person's features—their eyes, nose, lips, and hair—that we draw these elements too big. Its pinks, golden yellows and purples make the skin look fresh. Pick the drawing paper that’s smooth to the touch, and avoid using the sketch paper as your primary drawing paper. A child's skin is very clean and delicate, so your shading technique should follow suit. Quite often, you can leave the middle of the lower eyelid white to act as a highlight. This will only muddy up the portrait and distract from the most important features, which are the child's eyes and smile. The skin tone of each person depends on his/her general skin color, the reflected light, and the color temperature. You can block in a child's face using the same approach as you would for an adult.
Instead of shading one area with all the colors you’ve got, try to layer your colors slowly, mainly one at a time. When working with older children, divide the face into similar increments to help you place the features. Damage to the paper surface can make areas appear flat and lifeless. Get DIY project ideas and easy-to-follow crafts to help you spruce up your space.