How to Draw a Nose from the Front

Hello everyone, the nose is a key element of the face and, although it is often more discreet than the eyes or the mouth, it plays an essential role in the overall structure of the face. It can sometimes seem difficult to draw from the front, so through this article we will see that having some knowledge will help you to accomplish this task much more easily.

SIMPLIFIED ANATOMY OF THE NOSE

The front view drawing is slightly more complex than the profile or 3/4 view, because the volume of facial features is "flattened". In the case of the nose, which is usually the most prominent feature, it is especially important to accurately render it.

For this, it is essential to understand at least the basics of its structure. We will not delve into detailed anatomy, but a simple understanding of the main shapes will suffice to achieve a proportionate and realistic nose.

The nose is mainly made up of cartilage, set on a bony prominence of our skull. You can feel the bone by touching the bridge of your nose. This bone varies in prominence from person to person and plays a key role in the prominence of the nose.

For example, when a person has a bump on their nose, it comes from the junction between the bone and the cartilage. The rest of the nose's volume is formed by a kind of "ball" of cartilage at the tip, and it is on this part that we will focus to accurately recreate the volume. Finally, the nostrils complete this simplified anatomy, and from the front, they are essential to understand that it is indeed a nose.

DRAWING A NOSE FROM THE FRONT STEP BY STEP

Let's see how to draw a nose from the front using a structure to build it.

We start by drawing a trapezoid.

Two more trapezoids are drawn at the ends.

We draw two lines to finish creating the volume of the nose.

We add a circle for the volume of the cartilage at the tip of the nose.

We trace the shape of the nasal ridge.

We add the volume of the nostrils.

We add curves for the opening of the nostrils.

We add an arch to complete the volume of the nose.

To complete the nose, you can add shading to the nostrils and erase some structures.

We all have different noses. By varying certain parameters, exaggerating or slightly distorting them, you can achieve a wide variety of front-facing noses while maintaining consistent volume.

You may notice that these are rather "realistic" noses. If you choose to draw in a manga or cartoon style, you can simplify these noses to the extreme.

SHADING THE NOSE FROM THE FRONT

You can choose to only draw the structure of the nose, but if you wish to shade it, it is important to keep in mind the volume of the nose.

The bridge of the nose is a flat surface, the surfaces that join the nose to the rest of the face are sloped, and they will often be darker. The nostrils and the tip of the nose, on the other hand, function like spheres.

We begin by shading the sides.

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We shade the base of the nose avoiding the tip.

We shade the nostrils and the tip on the principle of the sphere.

We intensify the shading to better define the volumes.

To conclude, by following a guiding structure when you build your noses, you will be sure to maintain volume even from the front. Then, you can have fun varying the parameters to create unique noses. When you shade, always think of the volume of the nose, and most importantly, have fun! 😊

Writer and Illustrator: Chloé Pouteau