Optional Assignment / How to Draw Facial Features

I was getting ready to record tutorials on each of the facial features, but since it’s a popular topic I decided to search the internet and see what else was out there. I was pleased to find these tutorials about each of these features—eyes, nose, mouth, and ears (and hair!) by an artist named Stan Prokopenko, or Proko for short. I was startled that he makes the same points that I do about this topic, in the same order, and even uses many of the same metaphors. They’re widely known and shared, of course, but he and I present them in very similar ways (as does Professor Mullen and many others).

Best of all, his production values are much better than anything I could come up with, with animated illustrations and so forth.

Each facial feature (except for the hair) is divided into two videos, one on understanding the structure of each of these features and one a step-by-step demonstration. Don’t shortcut the structure videos. They’re only 6-8 minutes and have very useful, practical information on how to draw these features better.

Your optional assignment (should you choose to accept it), is to watch the two videos about the eye, for instance, and after his step-by-step, draw an eye following his lead. You could also stop and start the video as you draw along.

Then do the same for as many of the features as you’d like (but I recommend doing all of them).

I suggest you use pencil on a sheet of copy paper, or if you have your 9×12” drawing pad use that. Make your studies 2-3 times larger than life size so that you have room to elaborate the details.

Eye Structure / 8 minutes

Eye Step by Step / 6 minutes

Nose Structure / 7 minutes

Nose Step by Step / 6 minutes

Lips Structure / 5.5 minutes

Lips Step by Step / 8.5 minutes

Ears Structure / 6 minutes

Ears Step by Step / 8 minutes

Hair