How to Make a Realistic Drawing

In drawing, there are different styles ranging from those closest to reality to those furthest from it. Today we will focus on realistic drawing. It may seem complicated at first, but in this exercise we will learn how to create a drawing that is close to reality by studying a portrait. Of course, this method can be applied to any subject, be it a portrait, a landscape, a full-length person or anything else.

WHAT ARE THE PREREQUISITES FOR MAKING A REALISTIC DRAWING?

To create our portrait, we will need a reference photo. You can use any photo, but the simplest option to start with is a high-contrast black and white photo. As realistic drawing relies on your observational skills, a black and white and highly contrasted image will allow you to better visualize the volumes, shadows, and lights.

For this tutorial, I chose this photo, but you can choose any photo you like.

In terms of materials, you are free to use whatever you want. Pencils, markers, colours or even digital, you can create a portrait with any medium. However, if this is your first realistic portrait, I recommend using the technique you feel most comfortable with.

DRAWING A REALISTIC PORTRAIT STEP BY STEP

The first step in our portrait is to analyze and understand the shapes as a whole. We will focus on the major shapes of the portrait before drawing the details. The key here is to always go from the general to the specific. A drawing that works in its main forms is more likely to be corrected and is easier to correct or modify than a drawing in which every detail has been addressed independently.

So I make a first sketch that allows me to roughly shape the large areas of my portrait: face, hair, bust... The important thing is to be able to see the main sections. They will serve as anchor points for adding details later.

Once finished, I add markers. These markers are lines that help me see the orientation of my volumes or give me the level of future detail placements. Also use the larger shapes as measuring points.

With the markers added, it is now possible to place the small elements. Place them roughly for now: the goal here is to be able to manage their size and placement. So, I designate areas for eyes, mouth, nose...

It is of course possible to do the same for the elements on the bust or clothes. As in the previous step, I use the installed elements to measure. It is often practical to use the width of an eye as a unit of measurement, for example.

 

I can now continue to refine my shapes, much like a sculptor would. Little by little, I add shapes and landmarks for the different parts of my face. At this stage, don't hesitate to represent the open volumes of your face too: the planes of the cheek, the nose, or even the forehead. Unlike the eyes and mouth, they cannot be represented by contour lines in the final drawing, but are very important for adding depth to the portrait later on.

 

Congratulations, your sketch is complete! It will serve as the basis for the next step: adding volume.

GIVE VOLUME TO THE DRAWING

Now that our sketch is complete, we will use it as a basis for adding our volumes. The goal here will be to identify the different values present in our reference in order to reproduce them in our portrait. We will use the same method as for the sketch, i.e. going from the general to the specific.

The first step is to identify the mid-tones. Medium tones represent the average colour of the subject. They are the elements that are neither too shadowy nor too light. If you use an opaque paint (gouache, acrylic) or digital paint, you can cover the sketch with medium tones. If you work with pencil, watercolour or any other translucent technique, think about preserving the whites: you must leave the lighter areas free to keep the whites of the paper for the brighter parts.

 

Once the basis of the midtones has been established, we can draw the shadows and highlights. First, we will determine the shadow areas using a slightly darker midtone value and the light areas using a slightly lighter midtone value. The aim is to have an overall view of the shadows and highlights in our portrait.

 

SHAPING YOUR REALISTIC DRAWING

It is at this stage that you will shape your portrait. It is very important here to pay attention to the different types of edges of your shapes. An edge is the contour that defines an area of value. It is possible to have soft or hard edges depending on the volume. Rounder volumes like the cheeks or the forehead will have soft edges, that is, graded edges.

Conversely, sharper volumes such as the eyelids, mouth, or even the silhouette of your portrait will have hard edges, that is, crisp, similar to the contour lines of a line drawing.

 

As mentioned above, we will apply the same procedure as for the sketch: blur from the general to the particular. Take a value darker than the shadows to determine the darkest areas and repeat the operation until all shadows are covered.

Do the same for the lights, this time taking lighter and lighter values. Pay attention to the edges: it is easy to be tempted to have gradients everywhere, but it is the best way to end up with a smooth, blurred or low-contrast drawing. Keep the edges hard by relying on the contours of the inner shapes of your sketch to maintain legibility!

 

The rendering phase is clearly the longest, so take your time. Observe the model carefully and always proceed from the general to the specific to avoid getting lost. It is also important to take the time to observe your drawing to maintain an overall vision. Do not hesitate to step away from it occasionally to see it in its entirety, or to zoom out if you are working digitally.

Finally, you need to know when to stop to avoid "overworking" your portrait. If the sketch is no longer visible, then your rendering should be finished. Overworking your rendering can harm the final quality of your portrait.

That's it, your portrait is finished! If you want to go further, you can do the same thing, but this time in colour. Remember to define the areas according to the colours you see and apply the same rendering method as described in the article.

You can also choose to draw another realistic subject, such as an object or a landscape. With this method, you should be able to represent anything!

Finally, don't forget that realistic drawing requires a lot of observation and time, so be patient! Your results will only be better.

Written and illustrated by Louis Grieves