The document provides guidance on drawing the human head, including: 1. Anatomy reveals the basic skull structure under the skin with landmarks like the temple, brow, cheek, and jaw to guide artists. 2. Studying heads in different positions is important, as more or less of the opposite side of the head will be visible depending on the angle. 3. Finding the head's orientation can be done by thinking of it as an egg or box to define the difference between the side and front views. 4. Skin color depends both on genes and the color of ambient light, and is a blend of many tones painted with water to maintain paleness.

1. the head
Glenn Hirsch, Instructor

2. For 30,000 years
in prehistoric
caves, the face
was taboo … no
faces have been
found. But the
artists could draw
animals very well.
Then in 1500 BC, the
completely natural face
appeared in Egypt.

3. Leonardo da Vinci
Drawing the
head takes
study … even
for the
masters.

4. Van Gogh studied …
On the left below:
when he began and
right after 2 years...

5. Anatomy
reveals
basic
structure
under the
skin …
“landmarks” to
guide you
1. temple
(forehead)
2. brow
3. cheek
4. jaw
5. chin

6. study the head in all positions…

8. the head in ¾ view … how much of the other side do you see?

9. the head in ¾ view … how much of the other side do you see?

10. Everyone’s skull is different, but there are four basic shapes

11. But to keep it simple, we can think of the head as both a ‘box’ and an ‘egg’

12. Renoir
Include the
neck in the
beginning
too!
To find the orientation of the head, you can think of the head as an EGG

13. Renoir
Renoir
Include the
neck
To find the orientation of the head, you can think of the head as an EGG

14. you can think of the head as a BOX
to define the difference between the side and front

15. Oskar Kokoschka

16. Raphael
Look for the difference between
the side and the front

17. Giovanni Tiepolo, 1760
the shape of the skull is much easier
when you can see
where the light is coming from

18. After Andrew Wyeth

19. PROPORTION IS
EASY WHEN YOU
LOOK AT THE FACE
FROM THE FRONT
(NOT IN ¾ VIEW)

21. Lucian Freud
1.Eyes are in shadow
2. Nose has a ‘ball’ at the end
which overlaps the nostrils
behind
3. Lips – upper in shadow, lower
in light
4. Chin is rounded, suggests a
‘ball’
5. Ears are behind the
cheekbones

22. Lips – upper in shadow, lower in light

24. Nose has a ‘ball’ on the end which overlaps the
nostrils behind

28. The eyelid covers
most of the eyeball

33. Kat
Mergens

36. John Reamer

40. Isaac Hurwitz

41. Isaac Hurwitz

42. Isaac Hurwitz

43. Isaac Hurwitz

44. Isaac
Hurwitz

46. skin color

47. Skin color
depends on
the color of
the light
Skin
color
depends
on
genes

48. John Singer Sargent
Skin color is a blend
of many browns,
tans, and pinks
painted with plenty
of water to keep it
pale
shadows are the
object’s color +
cerulean (cool) blue

49. Stephen Scott Young

51. Skin is greasy and reflects
light … so its color also
depends on the colors
reflected into it

61. art school students