Portrait-Artist.org - Portrait Art Basics - lessons on drawing the face

(Some examples of my pencil drawings.)

This section covers basics of drawing portraits. Shading and rendering, basic drawing techniques, choosing drawing materials, and other drawing fundamentals.

While the pages and tutorials on this section cover some "basic" concepts of drawing, a modest amount of drawing experience is recommended. However, even drawing and art "newbies" should be able to get a lot out of the tutorials.

It is the philosophy of the tutorials on this site that understanding and knowledge are the best tools an artist can possess. These tutorials attempt to uncover some of the "mysteries" behind drawing, portraits, and more.

"Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain: The Definitive, 4th Edition " by Betty Edwards is a book I recommend often on this site. I am a firm believer in the methods taught in this book. (If you are in the UK, look for this book on Amazon.co.uk.)
Several years ago, I was fortunate enough to attend a class taught by one of Edwards' students. He taught her methods in the class, with great results. This further convinced me that her methods are worthy and highly effective.
This book is ground breaking in its own way, and it will convince you that anyone can learn how to draw! Edwards teaches the student how to really "look" and "see" the subject, so they can draw more accurately. She believes that drawing is a skill that anyone can learn. By the end of the book, you'll be a believer too.
When you get the book, check out the "before" and "after" examples of Edwards' students. The dramatic improvements you see will convince you that Edwards' methods do work!

The second edition of the Portrait-Artist.org book is now available, in both print and on Kindle. Check it out!

No permission is given to use the information, (graphics, text) on this site in any other way other than for individual use. You may not use, publish or copy the information to a floppy disk or any other type of storage system or device without permission from me, JR Dunster. You may only print out one copy of each page (for personal use only).

All "fan art" or "celebrity art" is shown for educational purposes (this is an educational site). No copyright is claimed or assumed on the original subject of the "fan art," as that belongs to the individual movie studio or copyright holders. "Dracula" and "Quantum Leap" (the subjects of the two examples of fan art at the top of this page) are copyrighted by Universal Studios.

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