How to Draw a Face in Black and White

Drawing faces is a completely natural artistic instinct; I know you've spent hours studying the face, or you've always told yourself you should. After all, some would say that you need to know how to draw faces in order to become a great artist.

Today, join me in this article where we will explore the human face with the intention of gathering the necessary knowledge to be able to draw it in black and white.

Understanding facial proportions

The human face is fascinating for many reasons, and you may have noticed that it has proportional relationships that apply to almost everyone. Therefore, we will devote this first section to observing these measurements.

Build the base of the face

- For this model, you can start with a circle divided vertically and horizontally.
- Divide each part into three equal sections.
- Draw lines that cross the section farthest from the center; this way you will get a square.
- In the lower part, add an additional section of the same size as the others within the circle; it is in this shaded area that we will place the face of our character.

- Divide each section in half and draw a grid in the lower part of the circle; this is where we will place the distinctive features of the face.
- In the shaded area, you will find the sectors that we will use to place the eyes, nose, and mouth.
- Return to the first diagram: observe how each line aligns with a sector of the grid you have made.

Measure the proportions of the face

With this diagram, you can draw a face using exact measurements of proportions. Now, here are the size relationships:

- The front measures two sections of the upper part of the circle.
- The eyes are generally located at the halfway point of the total height of the head, while the eyebrows align with the central line of the circle.
- You've probably heard this before: the distance between the eyes is exactly equal to the width of one eye.
- The alignment of the lips matches our irises when we look straight ahead.
- The top of the ear aligns with the eyebrows, while the bottom part aligns with the tip of the nose.

These are general aspects, but I'm sure that if you continue to compare the features of your own face to each other, you will find even more size relationships.

Observe the features

The human face has certain features that protrude, and others that are recessed; understanding the shapes of the face helps us to place the shadows more easily. Here is another diagram that divides the face into sections to understand the behavior of these features.

Step-by-step guide to drawing a face in black and white

Let's put all this into practice with an actual example.

Start by looking for references on the internet or, if you prefer, take pictures yourself; choose one of your references and observe its proportions, as well as the influence of light on the features. Don't forget to interpret this according to the angle: we almost never see a face entirely from the front.

Draw the sketch of the face

Once you have your reference in front of you, draw a central line, then another at the eyebrow level, and follow the previous steps: you will see that as you draw the lines, the features will start to fit into place.

Take your pencils and paper; gently sketch the guide lines of the main features; remember to use the same "units of measurement" that you have defined.

Let's start by drawing a head in three-quarter view, depending on the position of your model. To do this, draw a circle, then a smaller circle inside, divided along two axes. The horizontal axis will be used to place the eyebrow line, while the vertical axis will give you the reference for drawing the jawline.

Taking into account the curvature and tilt of the model, place the grid marks as you see in the example. I know it's not entirely intuitive, but observe the lines of the vertical axis: they are the same as in our initial diagram.

On the other hand, on the horizontal axis, we only see two markers, because the excess part has already been removed.

It then becomes much simpler to subdivide the sections to construct the grid, keeping in mind that some lines are hidden on the non-visible side of the face. If it helps, shade the T-zone of the face as in the diagram: you will more easily identify the construction lines for placing the eyes, nose, and mouth.

Draw the facial features

Position the eyes, taking into account the depth of the socket. Use the eyebrow as a reference, as its position is more stable. The final position of the eye will be placed on the guide line just below.

Drawing a nose at this angle is always a challenge. So use the guide line to define its extent and tilt, and prevent it from looking distorted or askew. With the three-quarter perspective, one corner of the right eye will be partially hidden by the bridge of the nose, and you will also see only one nostril.

For the mouth, we will use the lower strip. However, if you look closely at the example, you will notice that it elongates and deforms due to the smile, becoming wider than intended in the initial diagram.

Finally, draw additional features such as the ear, located at the intersection of the circle and the jaw, and partially hidden by the hair. For the hair, I recommend first determining the general shape of the strands before going into detail.

The sketch is now complete! All that’s left to do is erase or remove the construction lines to see the clean drawing. That said, reviewing and refining certain details while observing the model is an excellent habit to get into in order to preserve the essence of the person represented.

Add shadows and tonal values

A preliminary step that I like to apply is drawing a layer in a neutral tone. This makes it easier to identify the darker tones of the shadows and the lighter tones of reflections of light.

Start by shading the deepest areas, such as the hair, pupils, outlines of the eyes, nostrils, lip joins, and any other features you identify.

Next, identify the mid-tone shadows, filling in the largest part of the face except for the lightest areas.

Add volume to the black and white face drawing

Observe which areas need soft transitions; blend them to create softer volumes, but remember that some shadows are strong, their contrast being necessary to give solidity to the portrait.

Let's start with the eyes. Notice that the cavity between the eye, the eyebrow, and the bridge of the nose is much darker; therefore, we will add more shadow there. Similarly, we will enhance the volume of the lower eyelid by applying more shadow on the side opposite the inner corner of the eye.

We move towards the nose, where creating volume can be somewhat complex. Let's start with the nostrils, darkening the lower part and surrounding the upper part with a shadow that intensifies towards the edge. Above it, draw a small triangle that extends towards the ridge, and add some delicate shadows to define the rounded tip.

Notice also how the outline is drawn with a very fine, almost imperceptible line.

Our next step will be the lips. Start by applying an even coat to darken them; in this case, it's not about shadow but color value. We don't have any red available, so a darker gray mimics it perfectly.

Paint the upper lip slightly darker than the lower one and add more shadow as you approach the corners.

Don't forget to leave space for reflections on the lower lip.

Drawing an ear is always a challenge. The good news is that hair covers most of it. So, we will start with a medium shade and deep shadows to clearly define the different planes. In this area, gradients should be almost non-existent.

The cheeks, forehead, and chin, although simpler in terms of details, are essential for adding realism to the face. We slightly darken the cheekbone area to give it volume, as well as a soft shadow to define the smile and other small details, like the subtle relief under the eye.

When it comes to the hair, it has areas of contrast: highlights and shadows alternate due to the characteristic shape of this material. Create very dark strands and, between them, variations of tones using elongated strokes.

Add lights and reflections to the drawing

Portraying light accurately provides very authentic realism. Use an eraser, a white pencil, or a gel pen to add white to very specific areas:

The sparkle of the eyes and the earring is essential.

The lower lip also has very subtle highlights; if you want to give it a wet look, you can intensify the contrast.

The tip of the nose and the edge of the septum are also affected by light.

And there you have it: this tutorial has come to an end. I hope these general tips and the diagrams will help you better understand the face, its features, and the influence of light. Now, it's up to you to continue practicing to get closer to the results you desire.

Writer: Bryam