Blog 1: Mastering Portrait Drawing: 6 Essential Proportions for a Frontal Face

Drawing a realistic portrait starts with understanding proportion. Whether you're a beginner or a seasoned artist refining your technique, getting facial features in the right place is essential to capturing likeness and harmony. In this post, we’ll walk through six foundational rules to help you construct a proportional frontal portrait with confidence.

🎨 1. The Eyes Sit at the Skull’s Midpoint

It’s a common misconception that the eyes are placed in the upper half of the head—but they're actually right in the middle! When sketching the head, mark the halfway point vertically; this is where the eyes belong.

🧠 2. The Face Is 5 Eyes Wide

Here’s a classic art school trick: you can fit five eye widths across the face. The actual eyes take up the first and fifth spaces, with one eye-width between them and one on either side. This helps in gauging facial width and spacing features symmetrically.

👁 3. Eyes Are One Eye-Width Apart

This tip complements the previous one. The space between the two eyes is typically equal to the width of one eye. Keep this in mind to avoid making your subject look cross-eyed or too spaced out.

👃 4. The Nose Ends Where the Eyes Begin

To place the nose accurately, look to the inner corners of the eyes. Draw a line straight down, and that’s roughly where the nose should end. This keeps the facial structure balanced and realistic.

👂 5. Ears Fit Between Eyebrows and Nose

The top of the ears generally aligns with the eyebrows, and the bottom aligns with the nose. Use these landmarks when placing the ears, especially if you're drawing the face straight on.

👄 6. Lips Align with the Pupils

If you're wondering how wide the mouth should be, here’s your guide: the corners of the lips usually fall vertically beneath the center of the pupils. This subtle alignment helps create natural-looking expressions.

Final Thoughts:
Portrait drawing can feel overwhelming at first, but with these proportional guides, you’ll have a reliable framework to build on. Practice these six core concepts until they become second nature, and you’ll start seeing more harmony and realism in your work.

✏️ Looking for more tips and tutorials? Follow @wonderdeeart for inspiring art and practical guides like this one.

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