Diagram of a human head. "how to draw a head from different angles"

BASIC FORMS

To draw a head at any angle, you must first understand its basic structure. Look at all the obvious details and draw the basic shapes. You can simplify the details of the face so that you can easily develop and refine them later. But we ignore these little things and prepare the simplest base of the head. I use the Andrew Loomis method described in his book “Drawing the Head & Hands.

The head is formed from two figures: a sphere - the cranium, and a polygonal block that imitates the jaw and cheekbones.

SKULL IN THE FORM OF A SPHERE

The head is flat on both sides, so you can safely cut off the side parts of the sphere. In profile it will be a perfect circle, but at any other angle the shape will be oval because the perspective changes. Divide this oval into four equal parts. The vertical line is the beginning of the jaw line. The horizontal line runs along the line of the eyebrows. The upper and lower borders of the oval will help you find the hairline and the bottom of the nose.

JAW AND CHEEKS IN THE SHAPE OF A BLOCK

We attach the shape of the jaw. The upper part will start from the brow line, and the back part will move away from the center of the oval. In the figure you see a three-dimensional image of the base of the head with the front and side planes (the lower part is visible at some angles).

HEAD ANGLE

STEP 1 - SET THE ANGLE

The angle of inclination is set in the very first step with the ball. We draw three axes:

X-axis - head tilts up and down are determined by the angle of inclination of the horizontal and vertical lines of the oval. With a strong tilt or lift, the head will be in foreshortening due to perspective.

Y-axis- head rotation (left or right) is transmitted by changing the width of the oval. When the head is turned more towards you, you see more of the front and less of the side, so the oval that is on the side of the face will narrow. Also, when the head turns away from you, you see mostly the side part, and the oval becomes much wider.

Z-axis– head tilts to the side are determined by the angle of inclination of the central line, the angle of the oval and its position on the sphere.

STEP 2 - FIND THIRD

After choosing the angle of the ball, divide the face into thirds. The distance from the hairline to the eyebrow line should be equal to the distance between the eyebrow line and the bottom of the nose. Add the same segment, and get the line of the chin. Note that the hairline and the bottom of the nose run parallel to the top and bottom of the oval when drawn around the head. Imagine your head as a box. Thirds should pass both on the side and on the front plane.

STEP 3 - ADD THE JAW

A common mistake in this area is to have the jaw too long in relation to the ball. Make sure you mark all thirds correctly. Notice how the shape of the jaw changes depending on the angle of inclination.

STEP 4 - ADD FACE DETAILS

When the foundation is laid correctly, it becomes much easier to finish drawing the details of the face in the right places. I will tell you about every detail of the face (eyes, nose, lips, ears) in the next lessons, don't miss it!

Practice drawing heads from completely different angles. Take your sketchbook and sketch it with small heads. Do not use photo samples for this, then you can easily find your weak points.

This is a rather difficult lesson, so it may take you quite a lot of effort to repeat it. If the first time you didn’t manage to draw a head, don’t despair and try again. Try your best to complete this lesson. If, however, it still doesn’t work out, you can try to complete the lesson “”. But I believe that you will succeed.

What you need

In order to draw the head, we may need:

• Paper. It is better to take medium-grained special paper: it will be much more pleasant for novice artists to draw on this particular paper.
• Sharpened pencils. I advise you to take several degrees of hardness, each must be used for different purposes.
• Eraser.
• Stick for rubbing hatching. You can use plain paper rolled into a cone. She will rub the shading, turning it into a monotonous color.
• A little patience.
• Good mood.

Step by step lesson

Different parts of the body and human organs should be drawn with a certain degree of realism. This is required by academic drawing. Also, he strongly recommends drawing the head from life or, in extreme cases, from a photograph. This is the only way to achieve high realism and elaboration.

By the way, in addition to this lesson, I advise you to turn your attention to the lesson "". It will help improve your mastery or just give you a little pleasure.

All complex drawings must be created with forward thinking and vision. The subject should not only be a form on a sheet. You must draw it in volume, that is, creating it from simple geometric bodies as if they are on top of each other: here is a ball on a cube, and here are two balls side by side. All living and non-living things on earth consist of these primitive forms.

Tip: sketch with as light strokes as possible. The thicker the strokes of the sketch, the more difficult it will be to erase them later.

The first step, or rather zero, is always to mark a sheet of paper. This will give you an idea of ​​where exactly the drawing will be. If you place the drawing on half of the sheet, you can use the other half for another drawing. Here is an example of a sheet layout in the center:

In various specialized institutions (art schools, for example), it is recommended to study the complete structure of the head - from muscles to hair - in order to be able to draw it correctly. But there is one little secret here: even if by some miracle you manage to learn on your own absolutely all the terms even indirectly related to the structure of the head, you still won’t be able to draw the head as it should be. And all because such institutions have at their disposal a large number of supervisors (teachers, in the sense) who correct and guide students during work.

Our task (before learning how to draw portraits) is to independently (without teachers at hand) learn to coordinate our actions, understand the very essence of the drawing process, be able to see our mistakes and correct them correctly. That is why, we will slightly go around the standard familiar system and begin to form the points of a kind of instruction, which will help us solve our problem:

First, we need to understand the workflow in creating a head on paper.

And, finally, learn how to draw the head correctly without unnecessary strain, understand the essence of this process and be able to eliminate your mistakes.

Well, dear amateur draftsmen, are you ready? Ready for work? Then go ahead and with a song (it is desirable to sing mentally, there is nothing to alert the neighbors!)

To get started, we, as always, need to find everything that may be required. In this case, this is an easel, charcoal, A2 paper, nature, a chair (or a paper clip - this is from your nature of envy ...). For nature, we catch a restless and trusted friend, or we convince a grandmother with her knitting to move to a stool with you, or we ask our grandfather to tell you about something interesting (in the process, of course, we work). If you have assiduous brothers and sisters - and they can be attached. But, you should not start drawing the head by drawing the head of your favorite parrot ... In extreme cases (well, very extreme - if there is absolutely no way out and not a single living soul is nearby), you can use a ready-made reproduction or a photo (which we attach to an easel in the upper left corner). Everything is? Is there nature? We continue, or rather, start drawing.

Drawing a head with a pencil

First of all, we make constructive sketches with charcoal - and let it not come out very neatly, don't worry, these are just sketches:

We are looking for the main ratios of the proportions of height and width - for this we compose the shoulders, neck and head on paper. Here our eye is hard at work.

Now we need to find the volumes of what we put together separately (head, neck, shoulder girdle)

Remember how at the very beginning, being still unintelligent novice draftsmen, you worked hard on drawing three-dimensional cubes, cylinders, etc. ? So, look at your nature and understand that this is not a head, but just one of the varieties of form. Right now we must realize and accept that the head is an inanimate object, then it will be easier to draw.

The next step is to observe your nature and sketch this very volume of the head. You should not immediately draw tiny wrinkles, bristles and cilia - better pay attention to the fact that we are drawing a three-dimensional image, not a flat one. And from this it follows that we need to feel the volume of the head, to feel all the protruding parts of the face and the head in general.

Draw, stop wasting time reading my scribbles - pencils in teeth and go, you must understand the very essence of the process. And as you will understand, I will still be here.

In order to draw a head with a pencil, we need to hold on to something. These may be points that, if you look, are immediately visible - they mean the most protruding places in the head area. Next, you need to highlight the main planes - they are formed using a variety of kinks in the form.

The most prominent points and, accordingly, the planes make up the structure of the volume of the head - these are constructive moments. The cheekbones, nose (or nasal prism - after all, the shape of the nose resembles a prism), forehead, chin, balls in the eye sockets stand out most brightly with our gaze. To find the height of the head, we simply need to find the highest point on the skull and the lowest, most protruding point on the chin.

Now it is important to distribute the main chiaroscuro. To do this, you need to squint your eyes and look at nature, then you can distribute the basic chiaroscuro over the planes of the head. By the way, if you are good at distributing shadows along the edges of the simplest geometric shapes, then I’ll tell you a secret that the head can be inscribed in a cube, so ... And act according to the same system of distribution of light and shadow.

The main thing you have to understand at this stage of the work is that the head is the same form, which has such characteristics as depth and width plus planes and faces (as in a cube). That is, it is affected by all the same patterns as before (I hope you remember, it was about active and inactive, distant and approximate).

head shape

Let's move on to the next point. One of the previous paragraphs talked about the mysterious design points, thanks to which the shape of the head is determined. It is these points that give us the proportional ratios of the planes on the volume of the head. If you have realized the importance of these points, then with due reverence and trepidation we proceed to their consideration, analysis and distribution.

• The first thing that rushes to us immediately is, of course, the orbital cavities and eye sockets.
• The second thing we immediately pay attention to is the zygomatic point on the left and right.
• Now it's the turn of the frontal bumps.
• Chin (or rather, the point of the chin)
• Angle of the mandible
• Now one of the most important is the highest point on the skull of our nature.
• Finally, temporal points

The parietal tubercles are the most convex, according to the textbooks, in the width of the bone, which are located at the back of the head.

Well, that's all for a start with the points - they need to be drawn and memorized well, otherwise you will have to repeat this material again. Now look again at the picture above, see? In addition to dots, there are also colored lines. Are you wondering what they mean and how to call them? Patience, my dears, now we will analyze them.

These lines are called axes, which, quite logically, schematically divide the human head into different specific areas. In the next figure, already more “humanized”, and not bone, we can consider both our points and axes.

The first line is red - it divides the head into two equal halves, in other words, this is the axis of symmetry.

The line of the superciliary arches is highlighted in blue, which divides the head into the upper cranial and lower facial regions.

The green line is the one that divides the head into the facial and occipital regions and it passes exactly through the highest point of the skull and through the ears

The yellow line is usually used to determine the turn of the head (you know, this is very important for the drawing), that is, this is the axis of a three-quarter turn.

Neck cylinder on which the head is mounted

And one more axis, it is turquoise in color, which passes through the lower points of the ears and the lower line of the nose. It shows the lower part of the nasal prism.

BUT! All this is given to you, novice draftsmen, solely for familiarization and so that you better understand the structure of the head. And we will learn to draw according to an easier version of the above - these are blanks. So, we draw rectangular blanks in three positions at once: front view, side view and three-quarter rotation.

These rectangular blanks have everything we need: axes, points, proportional ratios of different areas of the head, and, in fact, the most important thing is the structure. That is, as an example of proportional relationships, the height from the level of the eyebrows to the level of the lower line of the nose is equal to the height of the ear, or the mouth and the lower corner of the jaw are located on the same line. But even here the laws of perspective can be applied: that part of the face that is closer to us retains its original sizes and shapes, and the one that is in the distance (in a turn, for example) will be a little (a little, dear artists, a little, and not as always …) distort in size, become smaller.

Fixing the result of drawing the head

Now the final: we fix what we just read. To do this, we will need to work together with a blank. Now our main assistant in drawing is a blank, it is like a template, some kind of prototype of a real head. It's much easier to learn from it.

You are already drawing the head of a person, that is, the composition is outlined and a place for the head, the main volumes too.

The second step will be the search for proportional relationships of the head, its shape and character. This will be a sketch of the base of the head, our unpretentious blank.

Now the vertical axis - it's just itching to divide the head into equal areas (well, not necessarily equal - it depends on all sorts of turns and angles). This axis is determined by the location of the nose and gives us as many as two important points: the highest and the lowest.

Since we also determine the turn of the head, we need to find the line of a three-quarter turn - it would be very useful for us. To do this, visually find the location of the zygomatic bone and draw a line through the zygomatic point. We'll deal with it later, so for now it's enough just to outline it a little.

So the turn of the line of superciliary arches has come. Here we just need to use the eye and determine how much space the forehead and, and how much the face takes up to the chin. Woo-a-la! Ready.

Now you need to select the line of the lower pyramid of the nose. To do this, it is better to use this pattern: the line of the superciliary arches and the line of the lower prism of the nose divide the head into identical parts. But at the same time, the features of the drawn head must also be taken into account.

The next stage is the search for a line dividing the head into the occipital and facial parts. We already remember that it passes through the ear hole and the highest point. Now take a closer look: at the intersection of the three-quarter turn line and the previous line, there is a temporal point that we outlined earlier. If you have not yet seen the shape of the head, then adjust all the lines with the help of an eye.

Well, we already have enough points and lines to start marking the nose, the place for which has already been cleared and found.

The same with the ear - and there is a place for it (it would be strange if this place did not exist, agree). Its height is equal to the distance between the line of the superciliary arches and the line of the lower prism of the nose, and it itself passes through the line dividing the head into the front and back of the head. Better take a look at the picture, I think it is clearer than all these twisted phrases.

There is very little left...

The next step is to search for the zygomatic points, but since they are clamped, one might say, in the lines, it will not be difficult to find them. And the corner of the lower jaw - it is located at the intersection (again at the intersection) of the line of the mouth and the line dividing the head into the back and front (you understand what I mean). Well, now he can even find his mouth

It remains to find a little and among this “little” a place for the eyes, superciliary tubercles (well, the places that are especially protruding on the eyebrows - I decipher). And now it's time to look for frontal bumps (that is, protruding points on the forehead). It is no less easy to look for them, one has only to draw lines from the superciliary arch to the most convex points of the forehead. TA-dah! You already have frontal tubercles. But, in order to better understand them, you need to tie these points to the highest point and to the temporal ones.

And finally, if the angle allows us to see the parietal tubercle - the most convex part on the back of the head.

Now twist the blanks, use the lines and dots that you remember. For example, something like this:

Review that again. that we have already passed here, and rotate the blanks, taking into account all the design details. For starters, it would be nice if you get blanks in three familiar positions: profile, face, and three-quarter.

Have you played enough? Ready for some scary serious work? Catch your nature and return to the place. Now we will gradually transfer what we have learned on blanks to our long-suffering nature. Look at it with new eyes. Examine the head from all angles and try to evaluate it as an inanimate object, to understand its "device" ... Abstract from the person of the owner of the head.

The next task is simply to transfer all the previously studied constructive axes and points to the already living, quite curious one, asking questions like “And how? Looks like it worked out?" Of course, not literally - visually (I'm afraid your nature will not be funny at all if you draw her head and face with multi-colored pencils).

Now that you are in diligent search, I will tell you something about proportions. Ideal proportions are considered to be the so-called "Greek" proportions, because it was the inhabitants of Ancient Greece who identified the ideal proportions of the body. But the ideal proportions are somewhat different from those that each person has - it is these discrepancies that allow people to maintain their individuality. But you can check the correct proportions by connecting all the most important parts of the face or constructive points located one opposite the other - their connection will pass through the ear hole.

Practice

Now the practical part - we transfer our knowledge to the drawing of nature:

So, we are working on the composition, we find a place for the head, neck, shoulders. We work according to the principle: the indentation from the edge of the paper (tablet) in front of the front part (in front!) Is greater than above the occipital part, and at the top the indentation is less than at the bottom.

Now we find a place separately for each subject of the composition: the neck, shoulder girdle and, accordingly, the head.

Do you remember our pig? We are now drawing a blank, but taking into account all the proportional features of our nature. Do not forget that our neck is not just a strange rectangle, it is a cylinder - that is, it is voluminous, as are the shoulders.

The pig is already in place, now we are working with it using the following sub-items:

• a) Find the lowest and highest points using an axis dividing the head into two equal parts.
• b) Three-quarter turn line - remember this one? Since it passes through the zygomatic point (of course, you have not forgotten this yet!), We will first have to find this very point and outline it.
• c) Further along the plan is the line of the superciliary arches. It can be drawn along the level of the eyebrows (a little further) and plus one more detail, which we will arbitrarily call the break point of the superciliary arches. This point is exactly where the eyebrows change their direction.
• d) Now turn the lower line of the nose prism. We carry it out, as in the case of the superciliary arches, at the level of the nose, only further. Defocus your gaze on your nature, do not look specifically at it. And try not to change the angle of your observation.
• e) Temporal point, which is quite clearly visible in our nature. There are already three points on the same line (temporal, high and ear hole) and it lies in the shape of the head
• f) Ears and nose. The height of the ear has already been found using lines, but we take the shape from our nature. The nose is a little more difficult. It is necessary to outline the total volume of the nose schematically with a pyramid and there already deal with the features. But! Not a single form in our nature lives by itself, it passes, crawls and flows into something else. Smoothness, comrades, and plasticity, remember this - here the nose, for example, is connected to the superciliary arches.
• g) We complete the search for zygomatic points (yes, it lasted all this time!).
• h) Determine the place for the mouth and find the angle of the lower jaw according to the shape
• i) Finally, we find the line for the eyes, which goes somewhere around the corners of the eyes. In order for them to be drawn correctly, there should be enough space between the eyes for one more (it is not necessary to draw the third eye, but it is better not to draw at all for now)
• j) And now we come to the frontal tubercles. They are found with the help of lines that you draw from the brow ridges to the most convex areas of the forehead of a person - these lines are located symmetrically to the central axis. And from them we draw lines to the temporal points and to the highest point. Hurray for us!

I think the question: "How to draw a head" - was at least a little disclosed for you, thank you for being with us!

In order to draw a head from any angle, it is necessary to understand its basic structure and make a constructive construction of the human head in stages.
To begin with, we ignore the details and prepare the simplest base of the head.
The scheme (blank) (which we will talk about in the second lesson) helps to build an image of the shape of the head.

Lesson #1

You will need a sheet of paper, pencil or charcoal. And the most important thing is nature.

Drawing from nature is always preferable. Place someone in front of you who can give you enough time - your grandmother or grandfather. It's good if you study with your friend - you can draw and pose in turn.
If there is no opportunity to draw from nature, then use a photograph, certainly of very good quality. However, be aware that photography is a bad friend and is best used as a last resort.

Let's start. Nature is before us. Or a photograph.
We make constructive sketches. Don't worry about cleanliness...

1. Compose the person's head, as well as the neck (shoulders are also possible) on the plane of the sheet. To begin with, we use the eye and at the same time check ourselves.
2. We find the main volume of the head, neck and shoulder girdle. Imagine that in front of you is not a person, or rather not his head, in front of you, first of all, the form, volume. Try to keep an eye on this volume. We need to transfer this volume to the sheet plane. We start with the image of the main volumes and planes. No details, now there are no eyes, no cilia.
Do not forget about the three-dimensional image of the form. Try to feel the design of the shape of the front part. Pay attention to the protruding parts of the skeleton. At this stage, you need to understand if you see the construction of this volume.
Still reading?... Draw! Now it is important to understand the process itself. Carefully study the form, note and capture all your sensations.

So, in order to draw a person's head, you need to catch on, find something with which you need to start work.
First, we find the main points (which will be discussed later). Secondly, we find the main planes formed by the breaks in the form.
The points, planes and breaks that we catch are not really random. This is the structure of the human head, its constructive moments. This is what forms the characteristic volume of the head and the individual characteristics of a person.

Looking at nature, the first thing we find by the highest point on the skull and the protruding point on the chin is the height of the head, then we highlight: the balls of the eyes in the sockets, the pyramid of the nose, the zygomatic points, the protruding volume of the chin and the plane of the forehead.
In the course of this exercise, I hope you understood that the head is the same volume that has faces and planes, main points, height, width, depth and chiaroscuro.

Lesson #2

Structural points allow you to determine the proportional ratios of all planes of the volume of the human head. They form the shape of the head.
Let's analyze in detail all the constructive points:

1. Eye sockets and eye sockets
2. zygomatic points
3. Frontal tubercles
4. chin point
5. Angle (point) of the lower jaw
6. The highest point on the skull
7. Temporal points (how they are formed, we will say below)
8. Parietal tubercles on the back of the head

Axes dividing the head into certain parts:

1. The line dividing the head vertically into two symmetrical parts is red.
2. The line dividing the head into the upper cranial part and the lower facial part runs along the superciliary arches - blue.
3. The line dividing the head into the occipital and facial parts passes through the highest point of the skull and ear openings - green.
4. The line that further defines the three-quarter turn of the head passes through the zygomatic and temporal points, as well as the parietal tubercle - yellow.
5. The line that defines the lower part of the pyramid of the nose passes through the lower line of the nose, and the lower points of the ears are turquoise.

Blanks. Blanks or templates can be rectangular or oval. Rectangular blanks in this case give us the simplest and most understandable idea of ​​the proportions of the human head.
The figure shows three positions at once: in three quarters, in profile and full face.
The main design points and lines reveal some patterns.
Usually the height of the ear is equal to the distance between the line of the superciliary arch and the lower part of the nose.
The mouth is located on the same line with the point that defines the angle of the lower jaw.
The head is conditionally divided into three parts of the same height: from a point on the chin to the bottom of the nose = from the bottom of the nose to the superciliary ridges = from the superciliary arches to a point that is two fingers above the frontal tubercles.
Don't forget the rules of perspective. In the three-quarter position the head that is closer to us will have true dimensions, and the one that is farther away will be distorted in size down.

Let's work with the blank matrix and consolidate the knowledge gained.
Operating procedure:
​ 1. We outline the composition on a sheet of paper, draw the main volumes.
2. Let's define the main proportions, shape and character of the head. Perhaps the head will be round or pear-shaped.
3. Let's draw a vertical axis. To do this, it is necessary to determine the rotation of the head and, accordingly, the position of the nose, since the line will pass along it. The axis will divide our workpiece into right and left parts. As a result, we will get the highest point of the skull and the point of the chin.
4. Let's finally decide on the turn of the head. This will help us three-quarter turn line. First, we outline the zygomatic point, we will correct its exact location later. And draw a line through it.
5. brow line. Visually determine how much space is needed for the skull and how much for the front. Draw a line with perspective.

6. The line of the lower part of the pyramid of the nose. As we noted above - the line of the superciliary arch and the line of the lower part of the nose divide the head into three equal parts(ideally). We use this pattern, taking into account the individual characteristics

nature.
7. The line dividing the head into the occipital and facial parts. We draw it according to the shape of the head, passing through the highest point of the skull and ear holes.
8.temporal point- a convex place on the human skull. It will automatically be determined at the intersection of the line dividing the head into the occipital and facial parts, and the line of the three-quarter turn.

9. We outline the nose. The place for it is already set. The nose bridge will be located at the level of the upper eyelid(about the location of the eyes - below)
10. We outline the ear. The height of the ear is equal to the distance between the lines of the superciliary arch and the lower part of the nose.

11. Correcting cheekbones. They are located at the level of the middle of the nose on the line of the three-quarter turn.
12. mouth line situated at a distance of two thirds from the tip of the chin to the base of the nose. The length of the mouth (ideally) is the distance between the point of the chin and the line of the mouth.
13. Point of the lower jaw. It lies at the intersection of the line of the mouth and the line dividing the head into the occipital and facial parts.
14. Let's define a place for the eyes. Line the eye is located approximately in the middle between the highest point of the skull and the point of the chin. The dimensions of the palpebral fissures are equal to the distance between the inner corners of the eyes. That is between the eyes one could place another exactly the same eye. Don't forget about perspective contractions of shapes and distances!
15. Frontal tubercles- two convex protrusions in the upper part of the frontal bone. determined visually. From the frontal tubercles to the highest point on the skull, lines can be drawn along the shape of the head (to feel the volume).
16. If this involves the angle of the head, we determine the most convex part on the back of the head - parietal tubercle.

Usually in books, and I'm talking about good drawing books, the material in which you can really be guided by the study of head drawing, training - how to learn how to draw a human head, a portrait - begins with the fact that first the book introduces you to the very structure of the head - bones, muscles and so on. It seems to be believed (I'm talking about books) that only after studying all the names of the muscles, their functions, structure, you can actually start drawing the head itself. But how to understand the progress of work, the step-by-step training? Try to learn the terminology and belonging of all the muscles for yourself - you won’t be able to stand it until the middle of the list, or you will “stupidly” force yourself. This is because, along with the book, you definitely need the presence of a teacher who will coordinate your every step, step by step. This is the teacher's secret. It would never occur to anyone to tell you in a book how to learn to draw on your own, since it is quite difficult, and you will have to break the very education system in this area.

I would like to help you understand the drawing of a human head so that you can coordinate your further actions yourself, understand your mistakes that arise, understand the virtues you have gained and choose your own further course of action. I want you to become as independent as possible both in learning and in drawing as such. Then you can analyze any book yourself, choose what you need at this stage, and even see errors in it. Believe me, I'm not a super-duper draftsman at all, because I don't practice all the time. But I sometimes notice mistakes even in good drawing books, as I perfectly understand the very essence of the process.

It's okay, there are a lot of books, and there are good ones, and you can take a lot of positive things out of them. But still, how to learn to draw a human head - on your own? Or start learning? How to understand what to do, how to understand the very course of work: when one action provokes another and it is difficult to get confused and retreat from the path? We set ourselves the task: we need to develop a course of action by which, first of all, we can understand the progress of work on the drawing of the head, the second is to draw, and the third is to independently reproduce the entire drawing process, understanding it perfectly and knowing what is needed for this use. Shall we try? Well, we've already started. The preface is over.

So, if you are here, then most likely you are studying at home, on your own. In our arsenal, probably not everyone has tools - a human skull, a plaster head of David or a bust of Laocoön or similar, plaster elements of the head ... especially when you live in remote corners of Russia and you need to drive 200 km to the nearest regional center in search of them. ... but I want to learn and somehow I need to. As always, we will get out of this situation ourselves.

We will use the same path as before. Where did we start? We started from the basic but easy to understand and continued to the complex, but after the passed it was no longer so incomprehensible, as we built logically understandable steps. Let's do the same here. No one will immediately tell you about plastanatomy of the human head. You will study it at the institutes if you need to. To do this, there is a given discipline of the same name - human plastanatomy. Well, or continue learning on your own - it's more difficult, but also quite possible.

Now you will need to draw a human head. You can draw from life - the best. Sit your grandmother in front of you, grandfather, who can give you time, plant a friend. It’s good if you study together and have the opportunity to draw nature one by one. If this is not the case, use a picture, photograph, where to go, but as good as possible. Maybe you have a good reproduction. But remember: photographs and reproductions are your enemy, and you need to be very careful with the enemy. They should only be used as a last resort.

Found nature, planted? We found the corresponding picture - we fix it on the easel at the top left. We fasten a sheet of A2 from the wallpaper to the easel and take the coal.

Now we draw a human head - constructive sketches, as it turns out, we don’t worry about cleanliness. Begin...

1. Arrange the head of a person (do not forget about the neck and it is possible with shoulders) in the plane of the sheet - to find the main proportional ratios of height and width, we use an eye and check ourselves.

2. We find the main volumes of the head, neck, shoulder girdle. The eye is working in full force, check your actions several times.

3. Now we recall the previous lessons. Remember how we drew a cube with you, then geometric shapes, how we did exercises to develop logical thinking. Now look: before us is not a frightening person, or rather his head. Before us is form, volume and nothing more. He doesn't bite (just kidding). At this stage, the human head for us is an inanimate object.

Now try to observe this volume and transfer all this volume to the plane of the sheet. As it turns out, let's just see what we can do now. Just start not with details, but with the main volumes and planes. Enough basic ones, do not split the shape, do not draw eyes and cilia, they are not there now. You can immediately warn your nature that, most likely, she will not see what she expects from you and will not exclaim, “Oh, how it looks!” - this will not happen.

Do not forget about the three-dimensional image of the form. You do not draw a flat picture, feel how the volume, for example, the ball of the back of the head "wraps" into space. Feel the design of the shape of the front part, this will help the visible protruding parts of the skeleton. And you can try to analyze the invisible ones yourself. Try. I need to know (and you first need to understand for yourself) how you can see the construction of this volume.

If you are too lazy to work with me, it may be difficult for you to catch some of the subtleties that I will talk about later. You must clearly understand the entire workflow. What we do, how and why. So, take pencils and try to draw a person's head now, we'll talk later. I'll wait.

So, what has this joint work given us? The main thing: we understand that in order to draw a person’s head, its volume, you first need to “cling” to something, understand where to start, start drawing a shape, how to “catch” the volume, how to build it. There is something to cling to. Firstly, these may be some points that are immediately visible upon examination, their presence makes it clear that there are strongly protruding areas on the volume of the head, both large and smaller. In the picture you can see how I find the total volume of the head, how I find these main points - they are highlighted the most. Second, I find the main planes, which are formed by breaks in the form. You can see how I am trying to find proportions using imaginary three points - you can see how they form angles.

Meaning: in the process of work, one can understand that the points and planes that we “capture” most, the breaks, are not found by chance. These are the constructive moments of the human head. This is its structure, which forms the characteristic volume of both the head itself and the proportions of each person individually.

Now, it’s easier to say that the cheekbones, or zygomatic points, are most noticed by us, then the nose, which forms a pyramid from its main planes (there is a pyramid at the base of the nose or is also called a prism), the plane of the forehead, the protruding volume of the chin, the balls of the eyes located in the eye sockets. And we found the very height of the head by its characteristic points - the highest point on the skull and the protruding point on the chin.

Well, at the end of our work, you can also designate light and shadow. That's how you see, common main planes. To do this, you do not need to look "forward" to nature, squint your eyes and you will clearly see the main light and shadow. I will only note that the human head can also be inscribed in a cube, hence it will not be a problem to find a shadow - both the total volume of the head, and the nose and eye sockets in particular.

At this stage of the work, I can add that you have begun to study, "probe" the proportional ratios of the parts of the skeleton of the human head. You understood the main thing, I hope that the human head is the same volume where planes and edges exist, the so-called constructive points, chiaroscuro, height, depth and width. And with all this, you can successfully draw a human head, like everything that we drew before. You also realized that even a head can fit into a cube, as evidenced by the distribution of light and shadow. This means that here, too, what is closer to us will be more active, what is further away will go into the air. That is, we will know how the light is distributed in the form.

Everything, at this stage we have completed our task, if it is difficult for you to understand what we have just done, work it out again.

How to draw a human head

We continue ... From the previous work, we realized that there are some constructive points that form the shape of a human head. In drawing the head, they are very important. It is on them that the proportional ratios of all planes of the volume of the head are found, and the volume of the head is built on them. Now we will analyze them in detail and add something else. As long as we read and catch the essence.

Shown here are the main structural points of the human skull. Let's parse:

1. The very first thing that falls into the field of view of the drawing is, of course, the eye sockets and orbital cavities.

2. They are followed by zygomatic points,

3. and frontal tubercles.

4. Chin point,

5. point (angle) of the lower jaw.

7. Let's pay attention to the temporal point. The temporal bones, (in books) are considered not the most convex in width on the skull, "books" are considered the most convex in width - the parietal tubercles. But the books don't say that the parietal tubercles are rarely "used" in a drawing. Watch people, the structure of their skull, draw at least sketches and you will understand this. You will also understand that there are points more significant for drawing - temporal points, which, by the way, are very often located wider than the parietal ones. It is this system of learning that insists on the introduction to the arsenal for building the human head - temporal points. How they are formed will be discussed further.

8. And the most convex in width bones - on the occipital part of the skull - the brain box - the parietal tubercles, they form another characteristic point, are used depending on the nature of the rotation of the head in space.

While these points are enough, you need to work through and, if possible, remember. Next, pay attention to the multi-colored lines that cut through the human head. These axes divide, schematically divide the human head into certain parts.

Let's look at the next figure. All the constructive points that we have just considered are saved here, you can compare, this drawing is no longer deprived of "muscle mass", such drawings-schemes are quite suitable for us and do not interfere with assimilation of information. We will bring beauty later.

So, let's continue talking about the axes that divide the human head into certain parts. We look and compare pictures.

1. The axis of symmetry is shown in red, which divides the head into two equal halves.

2. The line of the superciliary arches is shown as a synonym; it runs along the line of the superciliary arches and the lower part of the occiput. Divides the head into an upper cranial part and a lower facial part.

3. The line dividing the head into the front part and the occipital part is shown in green. It passes through the highest point on the skull and through the ear openings.

4. The yellow line is the three-quarter turn line, a very important line by which you can accurately determine the turn of the head. It passes primarily through the zygomatic point and the temporal point. I repeat, along this line we will determine the turn of the head.

5. Do not forget about the cylinder of the neck, on which the human head "sits".

6. There is another axis that defines the lower part of the pyramid of the nose and it naturally passes through the lower line of the nose and along the lower points of the ears. It is shown in turquoise.

All the diagrams that you saw, you can just view for now. This is for visual assimilation of understanding the design of the head. And below I give a somewhat simplified "version" of what is happening. It is better to start learning to draw a head and study the presence of constructive points, axes and main planes and the proportions of the head from drawing blanks. Just now, let's move on to our blanks.

Look: I draw blanks in three positions at once - front, side and three-quarter turn and designate constructive points and axes.

For easier understanding, you can start with blanks in the form of a rectangle. The head can be inscribed in a square, but this is done simply for a better understanding of the distribution of chiaroscuro. In fact, the head fits into a rectangle. But this does not change the essence of the matter. But in oval-shaped blanks, a structure similar to the structure of the head is clearly visible - it is very good to enter a ball or oval into the cranial part. More close to natural form.

Shown here are the main design points in each of the head turns. The main axes that divide the head into parts are shown. Also, already looking at these diagrams, you can see that there are clear proportional ratios of the parts of the head. I will add more: the structure is clearly visible. For example: the height between the superciliary arch and the line that defines the lower part of the pyramid of the nose is equal to the height of the ear, the ear is usually located within these limits. More: on the same line is the mouth and the angle of the lower jaw. Understanding this, you can consciously draw the head, knowing its design features in advance, that is, if you outline the mouth, then you can check its location by drawing an arc along its corners and the point of the lower jaw. Above and below the line of the mouth, you already refrain from sketching. Of course, people are different, as are the shapes of their mouths, but these are the basics. You won't get far from them anyway.

By the way, you can introduce elements of perspective into your work. The figure shows how to achieve it. The part of the head that is closest to us will have the original dimensions. Everything that will go into space will be slightly (do not overdo it) distorted in size down.

It's time to fix the material, it remains to draw sketches of the human head in the form of blanks, for now we draw according to the idea, nature can distract and frighten you (just kidding =)) with details. Who is stronger, of course, I don’t mind - draw from nature and immediately compare the drawing of a blank with a living head. But still, I advise you to work without nature for the time being, according to your imagination. Now we need to look for these most constructive points and axes. The theoretical part is over, now draw with me.

A blank can become for us a kind of tool, a prototype, a template, a matrix in drawing a human head. By studying the human head, one can understand the key points in building and drawing it on the basis of this simple blank form. Moreover, it is very easy to understand the perspective ratios of the parts of the head based on it. And, finally, to understand the very course of work in building the volume of the head. See:

1. Let's say you are drawing a human head. You have already outlined the composition in the sheet, found the main volumes, found a place for the head itself.

2. Now you need to find the volume of the head itself, find the proportional ratios of height and width, the very nature of the head - a round head, oval or pear-shaped (let's say). We use the principle of drawing blanks. Its shape will depend on the nature of the volume of the human head. Here, the basis for the head, we have a blank.

3. The next step is a great desire to show the vertical axis that divides the human head into two symmetrical parts - left and right. This axis is determined very simply, you can catch on to it by the location of the nose. This axis, dividing the head into two parts, will give us two constructive points - the high point of the skull and the lowest point on the human head - the point of the chin.
Yeah, we have a clue, the process of building the volume of our head has been started, we are taking it further.

4. We began to find the turn of the head, now we will decide on this finally. To do this, you need to outline the so-called three-quarter turn line, which determines the turn of the head in space.

This line is very simple, just dwell on the zygomatic bone, the constructive zygomatic point. We outline the point of the cheekbone and draw a line.

In the process of this work, our eye catches the proportional ratios of the main front part and the rest of the volume of the head.

You can only slightly outline the zygomatic point, since its exact location will still be finally determined further, this stage is preparatory when searching for cheekbones. It is enough now to simply outline the turn of the head and the preliminary location of the cheekbone point (cheekbone points). So, we have the total volume of the head, the axis dividing the head into symmetrical parts, the point of the chin, the high point of the skull, the line of the three-quarter turn, the zygomatic points are outlined. We work further.

5. Now we find the line of superciliary arches.
Our eye should determine this line, or rather, it should be noted how much volume the cranial part of the head, located above the superciliary arches (eyebrow line), and how much the front part of the head, located below the superciliary arches, will occupy.

We devote a little effort to the observational perspective and the line of the superciliary arches is found. See:

Further move:
6. define the line that defines the lower part of the pyramid of the nose. Finding it is not difficult, just look at the nose of nature, and you can test yourself with the following knowledge:

the line of the superciliary arches and the line that defines the lower part of the pyramid of the nose divide our head into equal parts (ideally), we take this as a basis, compare it with the structural features of the head of our nature, there may be some deviations (perhaps the brain part of nature is large or the chin is too massive, or vice versa small), and mark this line.

7. And now you need to outline a line that will divide our head into two parts: the front part and the back of the head. This construction line passes through the ear openings as well as through the highest point on the skull.

8. And when you draw it, there will automatically be a temporal point at the intersection of this found line and the line of a three-quarter turn.

The lines are drawn according to the shape of the head, if this is not felt in your drawing yet, then correct your actions with an eye. Or analyze - if the line dividing the head into the occipital and facial parts, when intersecting with the line of a three-quarter turn, gives a temporal point, then this is equivalent to the fact that the temporal point will be at the intersection of these lines.

The eye determines this convex place on the human skull, there is a temporal point - this is the basis for the fact that two lines go through it, which we are now talking about. So you can check your actions and at the right time adjust the proportional ratios.

In our drawing, a lot of constructive moments have already been outlined, found, allowing us to do the following:

9. First, outline the nose - a place for it has already been prepared, found.

10. Outline the ear.

A place for it is found automatically thanks to previous actions. The line dividing the front and back of the head passes through the ear openings, and the height of the ear (ideally) is equal to the value that we had after the line of the superciliary arches and the line showing the lower part of the nose pyramid were outlined. That is, the distance between them will be equal to the height of the ear.

Of course, as in the previous case, you can check yourself and, in case of errors, correct them. It is enough just to strain your observational perspective. But now you can see your mistakes yourself, you can analyze what you draw, every step you take. Scatter your vision more often, look more often at the total volume of the head, the main proportional relationships. And the details will not run away, they will always have their place inside the main one.

We find the rest of the main proportional relationships. Let's look at the picture:

11. find the zygomatic points - now their location is easier to find when they are clamped into the frame.

12. And we find the angle of the lower jaw: this point will be at the intersection of the line dividing the head into the front and back of the head and the line that forms when the mouth is found.

13. I think you will quickly find a mouth.

Let's look at the second picture. What are we left to do?

14. Find a place for the eyes - time,

15. find the superciliary tubercles, protruding points on the eyebrows (in a simple way) - two, and

16. find the frontal tubercles, the location of which is checked visually, the frontal tubercles are located on the same horizontal line and it is easy to find them, it is enough to draw a line upwards from the superciliary tubercles to the most convex points of the forehead. I will add: since the brain part - the cranial part of the human head has the shape of a ball, then it is easier to understand it constructively in this way. We need to tie the frontal tubercles to the shape of the head. To do this, we connect the points of the frontal tubercles with a high point on the skull and with the temporal (temporal). So it is better understood where the volume comes from, what character it has, and everything in our form is interconnected. This is the design we get.

To this, if, of course, the turn of the head allows you to see, we determine the parietal tubercle - the most convex part in width on the back of the head.

So, based on drawing the simplest form - blanks, you can find the design of the head and reproduce it all on paper. But in this case, you can perfectly understand the whole process and, in case of failures, correct it yourself.

Yes, and chiaroscuro is distributed and the shape of the head is molded with a stroke much more readily, when you clearly understand the shape on which you are actually going to "lay" the stroke.

Rotate the blanks based on the design features that we have considered when drawing. On the left you can see the working drawing. You can start rotating the blanks like this. For now, draw as you remember the material. How many constructive points you remember, use them. Try to just rotate them in space.

When the hand gets used to this shape a little, when you learn what you remember right away, then compare it with the blank drawings that we made above. Perhaps all the constructive moments are not taken into account. Then "rotate" the disc, taking into account all the constructive moments, in order to assimilate all the material. I suppose that the best thing you can do so far is to draw blanks in those positions - front, profile, three-quarter, with slight deviations in the tilt of the head. Well, okay, for starters, and it's not bad.

Do not forget that the head is a three-dimensional shape, try to draw lines in shape, in volume, lay lines on the volume of the head, then they will not turn out to be cut out, alien, straight, and so you learn to "feel" the volume, "probe" its design.

How to draw a human head

Now what we found, studied on blanks, we will transfer to a living human head. Translate theoretical knowledge into practical. We will slowly approach the living volume of the head. Now sit nature in front of you, who doesn’t have one, take pictures, photos and start working. I, in order to show you the progress of work, use schematic drawings, sorry, I can’t show the photo.

So .... Examine carefully the head of your sitter, in all three turns, get used to it. It is quite possible that already now you do not look at a person as a person at all and the very image of him does not distract you, you are not afraid of this. You have awakened an interest in understanding the very structure of the head and subconsciously want to understand its volume. The professional look of an interested draftsman who is looking not for beauty in the picture, but for the "device" of this beauty. An interested, evaluating look is exactly what we need.

And now we will try to transfer everything that we have studied above to a living head. All constructive points, all important lines and axes will be projected onto the natural living volume of the head. See:

This is all the material that we studied above. Everything that we did with blanks is projected onto a living head.

As you can see, all constructive points, all lines and axes are exactly present here. In addition, we can still see how it is formed, the height of the ear and the constructive point - the angle of the lower jaw.

And now everything that you have just been shown, work with your nature. Find everything that is found here by me.

I don’t write the names of the axes and constructive points, by this stage you should have already remembered how what and where is called while still working with blanks. If you forget, go back and study again.

And now, wedged into the process, I will tell you something else about proportions. There are two things. 1) the ideal proportions of the human head, they can also be called "Greek", since the Greeks created the canons of beauty, which were precisely based on accuracy and correctness. 2) but there are those proportions that are present in absolutely every person in the design of his head and they may differ slightly from ideal ones. And it is precisely the differences between them, between each person that help to have their own individuality. This is when you make a drawing, accurately find the proportional ratios of the parts of the head of a given person and achieve similarity, which means that you have caught the proportions correctly. Look at the following figure, it shows the main, large proportions:

If you connect the constructive points or points of the most significant parts of the face (nose, mouth or chin), located so to speak, opposite to each other, then all of them will pass through the ear hole. But these radii, if I may say so, or simply the values ​​from the ear hole to a particular point, can just help us in the successful search for proportional ratios of the parts of the head.

This is such a significant detail in any book I, unfortunately, did not meet. In drawing lessons, the teacher's attention is focused on this. Most likely, this moment refers directly to the practical skills that are captured and developed in the process of work. And it is very important to us.

Naturally, this principle of searching for the main proportions can be applied both in a three-quarter turn and in front view, that is, in front, or when the head has a foreshortening, with the only difference being that in profile these "lengths" or lines are visually almost even, and in other cases, they will "lie down" in shape, "wrap" in space according to the volume of the head. Finding them is just a matter of experience, and experience is practice. But you have already been warned about this, there is little left to do.

Drawing a human head. Consolidation of the material covered

And now we will consolidate the material covered. Let's draw a head, just take into account what we've gone through.

We work in steps:

1. We arrange the place of the head with the shoulders in the plane of the sheet. My head is a little cramped in a leaf, so that it can be seen better. In general, you can make it smaller. But the principle is this: in front of the front of the head, the indentation from the edge of the tablet is greater than from the back of the head to the edge of the tablet. The margin is smaller at the top than at the bottom. Shoulders may be fully visible, but not necessarily now. So, you have arranged the composition in the sheet according to the total width and height (we use the search for these values ​​​​using conditional three points).

2. We find a place for the volume of the head, neck and shoulders separately by the main masses.

3. We draw a blank of the head, taking into account the proportional features of nature. Do not forget about the neck: the volume of the head is attached to the volume, the cylinder of the neck is not flat. And the neck is attached to the shoulders, as if on a pedestal. The shoulder girdle is also a three-dimensional form, now it is enough just to catch its main proportional relationships and outline the volume of the shoulders.

A) We outline the axis dividing the head into two equal halves - left and right. Points are formed - a high point and a chin point.

B) We outline the line of a three-quarter turn. It goes through the zygomatic point, therefore, the last one will be previously found.

C) We find the line of superciliary arches. It can be outlined along the line of the eyebrows, drawing it further. But here we add one more moment - the point where the zygomatic process of the frontal bone passes into the frontal process of the zygomatic bone. This point is not difficult to notice, this is a break point where the superciliary arches change their direction (look at the eyebrows). Names from the section of plastanatomy, we will not go deep, we will simply call it the break point of the superciliary arches.

D) We find the line that is located under the pyramid of the nose and draw it in the same way as in the case of the line of the superciliary arches. Check yourself constantly with an eye and do not look "in the face" of nature. While finding the proportions, try to sit in one position without changing the angle of view.

D) Find the temporal point. She is very visible in person. On the same line is the temporal point, high and ear opening. The line falls in shape, according to the volume of the head. In my case, this line coincides with the "edge" of the head, "wrapped" in space.

G) We outline the ears and nose. Ears - the height of the ear is found, the features of the shape are obtained from nature. Now the nose: a generalized form - a pyramid. We outline it schematically with the total volume that the nose occupies. My nature has a rather massive nose, its lower part is very well developed - the lower plane of the pyramid will be visible, I outline it.

Now the next and very important thing: not a single form on a person's head "lives" by itself. There is a constant flow, entry, collision, transition from one form to another. This is how things happen with our nose. It connects to the superciliary tubercles forming another plane, which is located between the eyebrows and is clearly visible.

H) We find the zygomatic points finally. I note that the points of the zygomatic processes of the frontal bone and the points of the cheekbones will give us a characteristic conditional plane. It's different for every person. Catch the proportions. And from these same points, one more conditional plane can be outlined by drawing lines from these points to the middle of the ear.

K) We find a place for the mouth. After drawing the line of the mouth along the form, we determine the angle of the lower jaw.

L) We find a place for the eyes. Until the line on which the eyes are located. The line goes roughly to the corners of the eyes. Ideally, if you draw a line from the edge of the pyramid of the nose up, then it is in contact with the inner corner of the eye. In a living form, this does not always work out, you can check yourself as follows: between the eyes there should be enough space for one more eye.

M) Do not forget about the frontal tubercles. From the very constructive points that were found when constructing the pyramid of the nose - the superciliary tubercles, we draw lines to the most convex points on the forehead of a person, which are also located symmetrically about the central axis. So we "tie" the frontal tubercles into the general shape of the head and do not allow them to freely "hang out" in the space of the sheet. And from them you can already draw lines to high and temporal points - thus another plane is formed.

And of course, we support all this work with our knowledge of linear perspective. Look how I'm doing. If all conventionally horizontal lines are drawn further, then somewhere at the vanishing point on the horizon line they will converge. The volume of the head does not have large values ​​- width and depth, so we introduce the perspective quite a bit, so that it can only be felt. After all, our head is still a three-dimensional form and is located in space.

Everything, at the initial stage, further work is not necessary. Learn this material, memorize, work through, you need to feel confident with this portion of knowledge before moving on to the next material. The next material will wait for you here - draw a person's head with a simple pencil, part two.

And, finally, let me give you a little personal advice: sometimes a sound healthy sleep can help you absorb information and “digest” it much better and faster than sleepless hours of laborious work with eyes that are inflamed from fatigue and a tablet worn to holes. Work is very important, but do not forget to rest. It is in a dream that your brain is designed for itself, and it is at this time that it “puts everything neatly on the shelves” with what you loaded it with during the day. There is no other time - while you are sleeping, he does not have to put himself in order.

Study drawing of a plaster head of Gattamelata
Consider the stages of drawing a plaster head.
As a model, let's take a plaster cast of the head of the monument to Erasmo de Narni, nicknamed Gattamelata.
This head is extremely useful for educational drawing, due to the pronounced architectonics of the form. In simpler terms, the plans (planes) on this head are pronounced and detailed.
In a certain sense, antique female heads can be considered the opposite of this head, where all plans are smoothed out and studied with difficulty.
Nowadays, the situation is aggravated by the fact that plaster heads sold in popular stores look as if they were also sanded, not to mention distorted castings. For example, the head of Gattamelata, which can be found in salons, no longer looks like a prototype.
In this case, we take a casting from Soviet times.
We put the light on top so that the volume works, but so that the shadows from the superciliary arches and the nose are not too large if possible.

We begin to draw with light lines, do not put pressure on the pencil. It should be borne in mind that the drawings presented here, especially the first stages, are in reality much lighter in tone.
First, mark the composition on the sheet. The composition must be immediately in proportion and in character, otherwise in the process of changes and refinements of proportions, slope, etc. she can change a lot...
In any case, if you immediately determine what is important for you in the composition of the sheet, where is the “center”, then even with small changes it will never lose.

The composition of such educational drawings is usually extremely simple, the question arises, why bother with this at all?
And then, that all the principles we are considering work in drawing and creativity in general, and not only in this particular case. Forming the right attitudes and habits is good for the future. It is unlikely that you are preparing yourself to be a plaster head painter ...
We start with light lines, do not put pressure on the pencil for two reasons: 1) a drawing that is light in tone is easily erased; it is easy to edit it 2) when the pencil is pressed, the hand tenses and the consciousness micro-tenses, goes into the hand, which means that in this immediate second it does not observe nature.
We have the main details and fractures of the form, but do not forget that now we DO NOT DRAW THE DETAILS, but DRAW THE WHOLE WITH THE DETAILS.
In practice, this means that we are constantly looking at nature as a whole and at the drawing as a whole, trying to more accurately take the general proportions of the head as a whole, rotation, inclination and the nature of the form.

But, all these basic things, we cannot take abstractly, therefore, we immediately grasp all the most characteristic moments, but not hanging on them, but as if rushing past.
Elements that are closer to us are immediately better to outline a little more contrast than parts that are farther away. Due to this, already at the beginning of the drawing, volume and space begin to appear.
At the same time, until you find out that all the details and dimensions are taken correctly, the overall tone of the picture should remain non-greasy so that it is easy for you to edit.
After you have outlined the main characteristic relationships by eye, it will not be superfluous to measure, starting with the largest sizes.
Also, pointing the pencil vertically and horizontally at the nature and drawing, check whether the slope is taken correctly.
Why is it better to first outline everything by eye and only then start measuring? Because by doing this you give your eye a small chance each time, as if feeding it. Gradually, he begins to justify your trust.
Gradually, you should deal with the architectonics of the shape of the head. you can add light chiaroscuro to immediately get the volume.

This should be done in accordance with the plans (planes) and fractures (turns) of the head shape that you see. To do this, it is useful to come closer, carefully look from different angles.

In order to be well versed in the location of plans and fractures of the form, it is necessary to be very interested in this issue and notice them on all the plaster and living heads that you see in front of you.
Training "chipping" heads should be drawn many times in different turns and angles. At the same time, many long sketches of 20-30 minutes each of a small (8-12 cm) size from different points give much more benefit than just two full-size three-quarter drawings on the left and right, as is the case in some educational institutions.
In addition, from the point from which you draw, not all the shape of the head can be perceived adequately.
Therefore, one should not be shy to approach and inspect (sometimes feel) the form from all sides.

As you manage to correctly find both the general proportions of the head and its details, you can slowly add more tonality - we make more active what is closer. Due to this, volume and space appear. By space is meant that the more active (made in the figure with more contrast) parts look closer than the softer ones. Accordingly, it is worth making more contrast those parts that are actually closer to us, in this case, this is the nose, the near cheekbone, the superciliary arch, the near edge of the mouth, etc.
All this transfer of space as a whole gives a feeling of general volume, the general shape of the head - more or less resembling an egg.

At the same time, we use the transition of the pattern from linear to tonal in order to compare everything even more accurately.
It will be easier to compare, the more real the tonality is taken, because in life we ​​see everything in spots, not in pencil lines.
Therefore, it is necessary to continue to compare until the end of the figure.
As you can see, the details are added gradually.
At the same time, the more confident we are that the main thing is taken correctly, the more confident we are in arranging the details. The more specific each place becomes, the easier it is for us to compare the whole again. The easier it is for us to compare the whole, the easier it is for us to correct the arrangement of small details. The more specifically we have worked out the details in the foreground, the more volume and greater relationships are felt, and so on ad infinitum.

Thus, our consciousness is constantly looking at the overall impression of the head as a whole.
At the same time, the more tonal the drawing becomes (the more we gain the real tonality of dark and light places),

it is all the more important for us to remember to often look with a defocused eye. What is this about?
In ordinary life, if we look at some object, we see it clearly, concretely, all the details in turn.

For this reason, our gaze often rushes from detail to detail, examines them, but at the same time does not see the whole - it is impossible to see many places at once absolutely clearly. But this is not particularly necessary. And to see as a whole (literally, not figuratively) is necessary.
If you just look at the entire object you are drawing at the same time, it will be a little fuzzy. This is the look we need - the one that needs to be added in addition to the usual "jumping" look. You can still slide your eyes without focusing - all this usually happens when a person thinks, “looks absently”.
There is a famous saying by Chistyakov: “When you draw an ear, look at the heel!” You can interpret it in different ways, but the fact is that the details are better placed in their places when you look at the whole subject slightly out of focus.
When working in tone, we need to see the overall tonal picture and clearly visible details usually greatly interfere with this.

At the same time, the more defocused we look, the more the details disappear, the better we see the overall picture, the main relationships.

This vision of the main tonal relationships allows us to correctly dial the tone of the picture.

At the same time, it is important not to forget to constantly compare linear relationships - the proportions of the head as a whole, the location of small and large parts, etc.
Being able to look out of focus doesn't mean you can't move away from the drawing and compare from a distance. On the contrary, it is even more convenient and efficient to do it from a distance.