Realistic pencil drawings of faces. Learn to draw a person's eyes with a pencil step by step

No, don't think that these are photographs. These are shocking realistic pencil drawings. True true!

If you think that all the pictures in this article are photographs, then we forgive you and assure you that they are not. Each of them is an amazing combination of black and white colors, their halftones, made with an ordinary pencil.

Here are some of the extraordinary works of the most skilled craftsmen. Let's enjoy these works together, each of which, be it a portrait of a celebrity, an animal, a nature scene, an ordinary object or a landmark, shows the beauty of our world.

This breathtaking portrait of Hollywood actress Anne Hathaway is the work of Franco Cloun, an Italian self-taught artist who has learned the art of drawing from various textbooks and his own experience.

When we take a first look at the work of Scottish artist Paul Cadden, it is very difficult to believe that this is really a pencil drawing - the hyperrealist artist used only pencil and chalk to create his stunning work.

“Although my drawings are based on a series of photographs and videos, I use a more sophisticated technique to make my work look like life,” explains the master.

The scenes in my drawings are so meticulously detailed that they reflect what could not be seen in the original photograph.

Kat Riley's pencil drawings are amazing, but she herself believes that her work is only an intermediate stage in an ongoing process of research and development.

Now she is moving on to more daring projects, including large-scale ones based on the image of the human body.

Her amazing work is featured in many collections around the world, and Kat works with clients such as Nike, GQ, M&C Saatchi, The Economist and The New York Times.

German artist Armin Mersmann is the man behind this cold forest scene. Although the master also works with oil paints, he is better known for his naturalistic pencil drawings. His work has been featured in over 150 exhibitions and has won over 30 different awards.

“The very act of drawing every twig, highlighting, shading, painting winter landscapes and untouched new snow makes working on a scene an unforgettable journey. This is very different from being a photographer, ”he explains on his website.

The process of drawing immersed me for hundreds of hours in the state that I felt when going through photographs of a winter forest, collecting tree branches and being on a large number of thematic sites.

Called Feeling, this incredible drawing was made by the artist Diego Fazio. For about 200 hours he worked on the complex elements of this painting, admiring which it is impossible to believe that this work was done in pencil. Just awesome!

“From the age of five I began to paint, and over time I gained experience in such areas as drawing, painting, sculpture, all types of graphic design, caricature and digital photography,” said Stefan Marcu, author of the amazingly “living” portrait of a gorilla.

My focus is on studying art and improving my skills in this direction, I like to bring all my work to perfection.

Marcu created this drawing as an application for the UK National Open Art Competition. “I am pleased that this work demonstrates an increase in my skill,” says the artist. “This painting is twice the size of my previous images, and I learned a lot from working on it.”

“Hyperrealism in my works perfectly reflects the beauty of imperfection, focusing on those moments that are paid very little attention in ordinary life,” says Italian artist Giacomo Burattini, who painted a rather peculiar portrait.

"I believe that reality is beautiful in itself, and I do not need to look for ways to hide the imperfection of human nature, so my work reflects the" perfection of imperfection "of life."

Burattini posted his work on the Internet on Tumblr, Facebook and Instagram, where he found the first fans of his work.

This lifelike image of a cat was created by conventional artist Paul Lung. His portfolio on the online gallery Deviant Art is striking in its realism in depicting people and animals.

The time spent on work depends on the complexity and size of the drawing; the author spent about 60 hours on writing the cat.

Give self-taught artist Jay Varma a set of crayons and a piece of paper and you will soon have a masterpiece just like the one you see in the picture above.

The skill was passed on to Jay Varma by inheritance from the grandfather of Raj Rami Varma, one of the most prominent artists in India.

Jay Varma's talent has been recognized by many, and his work has been featured in various publications. In his drawings, Varma places particular emphasis on mood and lighting.

Randy Owen creates incredibly realistic pencil drawings in his spare time, like this Mars Lumograph portrait of Semuel L. Jackson in black pencils.

In his portfolio for the online gallery Divian Art, he explains that his goal is to portray a person in a traditional manner, regardless of current trends.

Linda Haber has practiced the art of pencil drawing for several decades, she took on work of any complexity: from drawing inanimate objects to portraits. She spent 20 to 80 hours on each drawing.

Linda noted on her website: "Drawing in the style of realism is what I love to do, showing life as it really is and creating with only a simple pencil is at least very interesting."

British artist Ken Lee is the author of this wonderful pencil drawing inspired by the Hunger Games blockbuster. This drawing is a kind of continuation of the drawing "Spider-Man 3", which brought the artist recognition and a lot of fans.

The level of detail in the drawing is striking: from the mockingjay bird to the flames. “I have to say that I had my doubts about this,” he said on the DeviantArt page.

“I've come a long way from starting work to finishing it, and now I need to get some rest.”

Artist Mark Stewart drew this stunning portrait of Peter Capaldi as Doctor Who in simple pencil.

Mark Stewart's career as an artist began when, after completing art and design courses in London, he began working as a wildlife illustrator. After several years, it became clear that Mark was improving his skills and making detailed illustrations not only in watercolors, but also in gouache. Now he does his work exclusively in pencil, creating very detailed drawings, mostly portraits.

“My goal is to create inherently realistic but stylized drawings,” he explains. “I also want them not to be confused with photographs.”

Martin Verstig is an artist from the Netherlands who, in all likelihood, has some obsession with the persona of Audrey Hepburn, judging by the number of her portraits he painted.

But more importantly, he has a tremendous talent for the art of pencil drawing. Over the past few years, he has also experimented with oil painting.

If you still have doubts that this is a pencil drawing, you can compare it to the time-lapse video above.

“I like to draw small, hyper-realistic details with a regular pencil,” says Keith Moore.

Improving his skills in the art of pencil drawing, he carried out his work based on high-resolution digital photographs. We think he completely succeeded!

Incredibly, Dimples in the Cheeks is part of a pre-graduate coursework written by British artist Andy Buck as a teenager.

His online portfolio contains a huge selection of realistic pencil drawings, some of which Andy worked on for over 100 hours.

Buck says on his website: "When I start painting, my goal is always to achieve photorealism, the pursuit of perfection is the reason why I continue to do what I love."

American artist Justin Meyers specializes mainly in pencil and charcoal drawings on paper. Check out one example - this is his drawing of an old doorway.

Speaking about this work on his website, Meyers notes that he uses simple material in his drawings to depict simple things.

German artist Dirk Dzhimirski paints charming portraits. A master of his craft, he perfectly depicts every detail down to the smallest detail, from the moisture in his eyes to the finest hair lines.

Although, like most artists working in this genre, Dirk works primarily with photographs, he claims that this is only an intermediate stage in his career.

“Before getting photos of the next project, I already imagine how it will look at the final stage of work,” he explains.

David Kao painted his first car at the age of three. But it was only at the age of 19 that he began to take talent seriously after he visited his father's garage.

The artist now has a selection of stunning ultra-realistic car drawings to his credit. Among them is this magnificent Audi R8, completed with a pencil, eraser and a paintbrush in about 10 hours.

This stunning illustration was created by Brazilian artist Joshi Fabri, who draws inspiration from her favorite musicians and films, including the Lord of the Rings trilogy.

“For many, The Lord of the Rings is a story full of fantastic characters about honor, ambition, sacrifice, strength, great deeds of great people,” says Fabri.

But there is something else that is important that has nothing to do with fantasy or magic. This is friendship, and I reflected it in this picture.

Do you still feel that the images collected in this review are photographs? We assure you that this is not the case. Each of them is made by hand. Seriously talented illustrators have brought their finest pencils and drawing techniques to the world and created exceptional examples of pencil art. Enjoy.

01.Diego Fazio - Sensazioni

It is almost impossible to believe that this incredible image is a pencil drawing. Sensazioni - translated sounds like "sensation". This extraordinary pencil drawing was created by the artist Diego Fazio. Over the course of about 200 hours, Fazio drew a picture that is still - no matter how long or often you look at it - it’s impossible to believe it’s not a photograph. It's amazing.

02. Stefan Markou - Cat

“At the age of five, I started painting, and over time I added more and more skills such as drawing, painting, sculpture, all kinds of graphic design, caricature and digital photography,” the artist explains. “My focus is on learning art and techniques. drawing. I am obsessed with the idea of ​​excellence in the creation of any product. "

03. Giacomo Burattini - Clint Eastwood

Burattini believes that his work emphasizes beauty with imperfection. “The hyperrealism of my works perfectly reflects the beauty of imperfection, revealing features within the subject that are usually not displayed in real life,” says the Italian artist. “I believe that reality is great in itself, so you shouldn't look for ways to hide the imperfections of human nature. My work shows the perfection of an imperfect life. "

04. Keith Moore - Big Ben

Practice makes Moore's hyperrealism perfect. “I love the defiant, hypertrophied graphite art of pencil without compromise,” notes Keith Moore. His own well-developed techniques and a perfect set of tools allows him to create drawings with digital photographic clarity.

05. Paul Cadden - Shower

Cadden's illustrations are eerily realistic. When we first saw the work of 47-year-old Paul Cudden, it took a while to realize that it was actually an illustration. It is even more incredible that the artist uses only graphite and chalk when creating them. Working with photos and video frames, Cadden proves that if you are super talented, all you need is the simplest set of tools.

06. Rajacenna - You are not alone

Rajacenna is a 21-year-old artist from the Netherlands. Yes, she's only 21. But even more surprising is the fact that Rajacenna never took any drawing lessons and started creating realistic illustrations only three years ago. Natural talent was instantly discovered, and since then her work has been consistently published in Amazing pencil portraits.

07. Paul Lang - Tiger

This realistic tiger image was created by artist Paul Lang. I wonder how long it took him to paint the fur of the beast so perfectly? His portfolio, which can be found on Deviant Art, contains realistic portraits of people and animals. Usually, an artist spends about 60 hours on one sketch.

08. Jay Varma - Mother

Master of his craft, Jay Varma, in his illustrations captures every smallest detail. Give this self-taught artist a colored pencil and a piece of paper and it will surely lead to a gorgeous illustration. The artistic gift was clearly inherited by the artist. His grandfather, master of oil painting, Ravi Varma is one of the most respected artists in India.

09. Randy Atwood - Sir Sean

Randy Atwood creates phenomenal photorealistic pencil sketches like this portrait of Sean Connery. “I love to practice the craft of painting when time permits,” says Atwood. Pencil drawing of celebrity portraits on paper is one of the artist's favorite pastimes.

10. Dirk Dzimirski - Frozen

This illustration looks so real it really gets creepy. Dirk Dzimirski paints stunning portraits. Looking at them from a close distance, it would seem, we should notice that this is not a photograph. But this is not the case. A master of his craft, the artist flawlessly captures every bit of small details - from moisture in the eyes of his hero to fine hair lines.

11. Linda Huber - Light Bulb

Linda Huber has been practicing the art of pencil drawing for 40 years. Inspired by the world around her, she paints everything - from a portrait to an inanimate object, spending 20 to 80 hours on drawing. The artist comments on her work on the website in the following way: “Drawing in the style of realism is what I love to do, trying to recreate life as we see it with a pencil”.

12. Ken Lee - SADA Beats

British artist Ken Lee is the man behind stunning pencil portraits. Famous Asian women are a constant theme in his portfolio. And they are all amazing. Lee captures so much detail that his images really look like photographs, not pencil drawings. Incredible talent.

13. Michali Anita - Morning rose

Given the amount of detail captured in this beautiful image, it could be mistaken for macro photography. This stunning drawing is the work of the artist Michaly Anita. She literally draws inspiration from everything she sees. Her online portfolio includes amazingly realistic illustrations of plants and people - including brilliant portraits of Michael Fassbender and Johnny Depp.

14. Damien May - Yesterday

This British artist works with graphite, charcoal and pen. He is self-taught but has an amazing talent, and his drawing skills extend to portraits of people and animals.

15. David Cao - Audi R8

David Cao first started painting when he was only 3 years old. But only at the age of 19 he began to take the art of drawing seriously. Currently, the young artist (he is only 24) has an amazing portfolio of ultra-realistic car drawings. Also included is this gorgeous Audi R8, which Kao created with graphite pencil, cloth, eraser and brush for about 10 hours.

16. Helen McNicholos - Rhino

The amount of detail in this beautiful creature just blows your mind. The author of the drawing uses only a graphite pencil. An incredibly talented artist has been lecturing on art and design for over ten years, sharing her experience and knowledge with students. At the same time, she works as a freelance artist, creating phenomenal images, one of which you can see here.

17. Mark Stewart - When I'm Old and Wise

Mark Stewart's career as an artist began when, after completing an art drawing and design course in London, he was hired as a wildlife illustrator. In the years that followed, Stewart refined his skills by creating highly detailed traditional illustrations of wildlife in watercolor and gouache. He currently works exclusively in pencil.

18. Robert Ives - Teacher

This beautiful illustration was created last year by Canadian artist Robert Ives and instantly attracted huge attention. And it's clear why. The drawing was published in the Amazing Pencil Portraits and was one of the twelve winners of the ArtHere competition in Canada.

19. Armin Mersmann - Steve Packhurst

It is not difficult to understand why Mersmann's work has been exhibited in hundreds of exhibitions around the world. The German artist creates hyper-realistic portraits. Although he also paints in oils, Mersmann is best known for his intense naturalistic graphite drawings. The super talented artist has won over 30 awards.

20. Martijn Versteeg - Audrey Hepburn

The 23-year-old artist from the Netherlands is clearly partial to Audrey Hepburn. But more importantly, he has a huge talent for the art of pencil drawing. This stunning illustration of the star of Breakfast at Tiffany's took the artist 1993 minutes to complete.

21. Andy Buck - Dimples

This adorable look was created by Andy Buck. His online portfolio has a fantastic collection of realistic graphite drawings, some of which he created over the course of 100 hours. “Whenever I start painting, my goal is to achieve photorealism. This pursuit of excellence is the main reason I continue to paint, ”comments Buck on his website.

22. Justin Meyers - Smitty

American artist Justin Meyers mainly specializes in charcoal drawings on paper. Looking at this work, we can understand why. Speaking about his drawings, the artist notes: "Working with graphite and charcoal, I strive to explore the possibility of using simple materials to depict objects with an eccentric approach to detail."

23. Mike Ryder - Grandfather and Granddaughters

Artist Michael Ryder has worked for several prestigious animation studios throughout his career. He spent years perfecting the art of illustration. Although Ryder currently teaches drawing and animation at the Institute of Arts, he still regularly puts his pencil on paper, creating masterpieces like the one you see above.

24. Josie Fabri - Eternal Sunshine

At first glance, it might seem like you have a press shot from this brilliant film. However, no. This amazing illustration was painted by Brazilian artist Josie Fabri. The 28-year-old Brazilian takes inspiration from her favorite films. A passionate fan of The Lord of the Rings trilogy, she has filled her portfolio with beautiful portraits of scenes from these films.

Already painted +79 I want to draw +79 Thank you + 530

We really hope that our lessons will help you in drawing human eyes with a pencil step by step. Experiment and develop your own painting method, find the best ways to achieve a specific texture or effect.

How to draw a realistic eye with a pencil step by step

• Step 1

  1. Draw a line drawing with a hard pencil:
  2. Look where the darkest areas should be (and darken them):

• Step 2

  3. Look again where the darkest areas of the iris should be:
  4. Take a close look at the eye and start working on the shape with shadows, trying to create depth:

  
  
• Step 3

  5. Blend the iris:
  6. Repeat blending several times:

  
  
• Step 4

  7. With a nag (sculpting a sharp tip), try to rub a few light lines so that the iris does not look "empty":
  8. Work a little more with a nag until the result is satisfactory to you:

  
  
• Step 5

  9. The white of the eye is not so white, try to sketch light and shadow, highlighting the shape:
  10. Blend using tortillon:

  
  
• Step 6

  11. Since the last stage looks too dark, use a nag to highlight:
  12. Let's start with the upper eyelid, drawing in the darkest part:

  
  
• Step 7

  13. Basically, drawing an eye is a matter of realistic light and shadow:
  14. Use a paper towel to blend the eyelids. It still looks a little flat, but we will paint the eyelashes before adding highlights to the eyelids:

  
  
• Step 8

  15. Before drawing eyelashes, determine where they grow from:
  16. Try to draw the upper lashes curved like bows. And remember - they are of different lengths:

  
  
• Step 9

  17. Start working on the lower lashes. While they may not be too realistic:
  18. With light strokes, we begin to work on the area between the eye and eyebrow:

  
  
• Step 10

  19. Use a paper towel to blend:
  20. Repeat the blending process several times and don't be afraid to shade:

  
  
• Step 11

  21. When starting to work on the eyebrow, mark the most prominent lines:
  22. Darken the areas you see fit and blend lightly. When blending, try different tools and choose the ones that work best for you:

  
  
• Step 12

  23. At this stage, I start to darken (and shade) everything that seems "flat" and "empty":
  24. We start working with the lower eyelid:

  
  
• Step 13

  25. Work on and shade the most visible lines and areas:
  26. You can add a little "realism" by drawing some wrinkles with pencil lines over the feathers:

  
  
• Step 14

  27. Repeat the last step several times. I added shadows where the nose is supposed to be:
  28. We continue to work:

  
  
• Step 15

  29. Blend using a paper towel:
  30. The work is over!

  
  

Video: how to draw a human eye with a pencil

How to draw a girl's eye with a pencil

How to draw a realistic girl's eye

• Step 1

  Sketch the outline.

  
• Step 2

  Take a soft brush and dip it in graphite powder (you can get it by sharpening a 5H pencil). Then we'll cover our sketch with two or three layers of tone. The brush should gently blend and smooth the image. Try to avoid getting tone in highlights on the iris. If graphite does get on the glare, clean this area with an eraser (nag).

  
• Step 3

  Repeat the previous step using a smaller brush. Start shaping the outlines of the eye, shading the areas that should be darker.

  
• Step 4

  Use a nag to clean the areas that should be light.

  
• Step 5

  Use a 2B pencil to mark the darkest areas like the pupil, darken the top of the iris and the crease of the upper eyelid.

  
• Step 6

  Use light pressure to draw the iris around the pupil (5H pencil).

  
• Step 7

  Darken the iris with a 2B pencil.

  
• Step 8

  Use a nag to paint over the iris to soften the contrast. Add graphite as needed to create the desired tone. We pass to the white of the eye (pencil 2B). We draw eye shadows on the squirrel.

  
• Step 9

  Now we start working on the skin. We use the HB pencil. Use light circular motions to add tone to the upper eyelid and under the brow. Start with the areas that should be darker (in this case, the skin near the crease of the upper eyelid) and work your way up to the lighter areas. Use a paper towel and a paintbrush to smooth out any rough spots or blemishes.

  
• Step 10

  Add tones to the skin in the lower eyelid area.

  
• Step 11

  For now, we continue to work with the HB pencil. Add shadows to the skin. Use 5H and 2B pencils to show the thickness of the lower eyelid and darken it.

  
• Step 12

  Use an HB pencil. To show the wrinkles, draw thin lines on the skin, and then use a nugget to create light lines alongside the dark ones. Blend the paper using a paintbrush to soften the lines. We use the same method on the highlight in the corner of the eye (Third eyelid). We draw an eyebrow. When drawing an eyebrow, you need to sharpen the pencil sharply.

  
• Step 13

  We draw eyelashes (pencil 2B). First we show the lashes at the outer edge of the upper eyelid. Start painting at the root of each hair. Follow the direction of hair growth and reduce the pressure on the pencil so that each hair is thicker at the root, and as if pointed towards the end. Show the reflection of the eyelashes on the glare of the iris.

  
• Step 14

  Now let's show the eyelashes at the outer edge of the lower eyelid. Note that the eyebrow and lashes located on the outer edge of the lower eyelid should be lighter than the eyelashes on the upper eyelid.

  
• Step 15

  The work is ready.

  

Video: how to draw a realistic girl's eye

How easy it is to draw female eyes in stages

• Step 1

  First, outline the boundaries of the future drawing. This will greatly facilitate the further drawing process.

  
  
• Step 2

  Use two ovals to mark the location of the eyes.

  
  
• Step 3

  How to draw the eyes depends on your personal preference. Therefore, mark with light lines such a cut as you like.

  
  
• Step 4

  Now move on to the rest of the details. Draw the outline of the bridge of the nose.

  
  
• Step 5

  An important role in how to draw the eyes is played by the depiction of the direction of the gaze. Therefore, designate the irises so that the expression in the eyes is meaningful.

  
  
• Step 6

  Then draw in the pupils. Their size depends on the lighting: the brighter the light, the more they taper.

  
  
• Step 7

  The eyeball has a rounded shape, which is why it is visible above the cut of the eyes.

  
  
• Step 8

  Also, the role of the eyebrows should not be underestimated. Draw them and make the look expressive / audacious / joyful or more.

  
  
• Step 9

  Correct the resulting irregularities with a softer pencil, paint over the pupils.

  
  
• Step 10

  Draw beautiful, thick eyelashes if the eyes are female. If you are drawing male eyes, you can skip this step.

  
  
• Step 11

  Now draw the lower lashes.

  
  
• Step 12

  Draw the eyebrows more specifically, clarify the shape of the irises.

  
  
• Step 13

  You can shade the upper eyelid area with a soft hard pencil.

  
  
• Step 14

  The shading around the eyelashes will give a special appeal to the look. Use the same hard-soft pencil.

  
  

How to draw a woman's eye with colored pencils

Video: how to draw a live eye

How to draw an eye with a simple pencil

In this tutorial I will show you how to draw a realistic eye with a simple pencil step by step.
Tools: pencil 3B, 5B, nag. The lesson has 7 steps.

Being able to draw objects and people so that they look realistic is a surefire way to impress those around you. In addition, the basics of such drawing are quite easy to comprehend, and with practice you can well become a master. Read on for a handy tutorial that will teach you how to draw realistic pictures.

Steps

Part 1

Learn to draw a human figure. If you want to learn how to draw people, you need to learn how to draw their bodies realistically. Cartoons give a rather distorted idea of ​​what a human body should look like, but with experience you will learn how to do it right! Look for articles on wikiHow about this.

Learn to paint the details of the face. Human faces are one of the most difficult elements in drawing. How wide are your eyes? How do you make them realistic so they don't look like a cartoon? By studying the human face in real life, and applying the techniques shown in the wikiHow articles on this topic, you will learn how to draw human faces really realistically.

Learn to paint landscapes. Are you going on a trip and want to draw beautiful views of your trip? Or do you just want to draw the place where you live? Whatever the reason, you can easily master landscape painting with a few simple tricks. This - as with all the elements listed here - you can also learn from the wikiHow articles.

Learn to draw animals. Perhaps you are more interested in drawing animals. This activity will bring you tons of fun, and drawing animals is not as difficult as it sounds! Training and some useful tips - now you can draw animals too.

Learn to draw cars. You can also draw cars and other mechanisms. It's fun and quite popular! Try drawing your dream car today!

Learn to paint shadow and light. Shadows and highlights are what give your drawings depth and realism. Learn to add shadow and highlights in the right places of the picture, so the image will look three-dimensional and even tangible.

Learn to use perspective. Perspective (how the size of an object changes as it moves away from us) is another element of the drawing that makes it realistic. It may seem overly complicated, but it is actually very simple. Just give it a try by checking out the related articles on wikiHow!

Part 2

Draw from nature

1. Draw from models. The easiest way to draw from life is to use a model. Draw what is directly in front of you. It can be a person, an object, or a landscape. By drawing what you see, you can greatly improve your skills.

   • Try to work as fast as possible. This will train your brain to mark and process the most important information quickly and efficiently. Before moving on to details, consider the basic shapes and proportions. This will save you problems (you don't have to re-adjust) if the model changes its position.

2. Sketch from a photograph. If drawing from a model for some reason is not possible, or you are worried that the model will move a lot, or you are simply not ready to devote time to drawing from a model, you can draw from a photograph instead. It is unlikely that this can be attributed to an effective teaching technique, but the result (final figure) will be the same.

   • If you want to draw something photographically realistic but lack skill, drawing from a photograph is an easy way to deal with it, as it gives you the opportunity to view the captured moment at your own pace.

3. Draw from imagination. While this method will teach you little, you can try creating realistic images from your imagination. To be truly realistic, you need a perfect understanding of light and shadow, proportion, shape and physics of movement.

Part 3

Sketching

Before you start drawing, make a sketch. Before you start drawing directly, create a few sketches of what you want to end up with. This will make your final sketches look better, as it allows you to explore the composition and details (it's also a good “test run”).

Draw a thumbnail sketch. You can start with a thumbnail sketch (or just a small image), whose only task is to convey the basic shapes of the drawing. This is a great way to define a general outline of a drawing (commonly referred to as “composition” in the fine arts).

Draw a detailed sketch. Once you've decided on the composition, you can move on to a more detailed sketch. It will also help you get used to creating the correct shapes for your objects, and it will also be another practical test for your design. If at this stage you have a lot of difficulties, it will be a clear sign that you should choose a simpler pose or figure.

Find simple shapes. As you sketch, try to see the simple shapes that make up the object you are drawing. Everything that exists in the world consists of one or more forms. The nose, for example, is a complex pyramid, while the trees are a series of cones and circles. Finding simple shapes will help give volume to your drawing and help you draw it correctly.

Repeat the drawing. Make a copy by painting over the sketch. It is a wise practice to draw the final drawing on top of the sketch, keeping it simple, or making it detailed (whichever you want). This will give you the opportunity to adjust the shapes and contours, and will serve as a guide in the process of drawing the final drawing.

Part 4

Complicate the drawing

First, sketch out the entire silhouette (outline) of the object. Do it right, and it will immediately become easier for you to figure out what and where should be. It is often much easier to draw negative space around an object than it is to draw the boundaries of the object itself.

1. Draw what you see, not what you think what you see. One of the main ingredients of realistic drawing is the certainty of the fact that you are drawing exactly what you see, and not what you think you see. Our brain tends to generalize images, and by recreating what it tried to miss and paying attention to it, you will not only learn to draw more realistic drawings, but you will also learn a lot in the process.

   • There is a clever way to keep your brain from drawing what your brain thinks: take a picture from a magazine, flip it upside down, and sketch. This technique will trick your brain into thinking it is seeing something new and not something that it has long been familiar with. Thus, you will draw exactly what you really see, and not the general shapes that you are used to seeing behind real objects.
   • Pay attention to specific details like ears, noses, tree leaves, and shirt collars. These are exactly the things that we tend to generalize in our perception and ignore their details. If you want realistic drawings, you must remember to draw the details that make them unique. Parts of the face, such as the ears, differ significantly from one person to another.

2. Use perspective. Perspective, or how objects resize in proportion to their distance from you, is very important if you want to draw things realistically. When creating a realistic landscape drawing, for example, you need to depict the more distant trees in a smaller size and less detailed, even if in reality they are taller than the trees that grow closer to you. Thus, you will repeat how our eyes perceive objects, making the drawing more realistic.

   • The perspective image begins by looking for the horizon line. Whatever you look at in real life, you will see the place where the physical earth visually meets the sky. This is the horizon line. You need to figure out where that spot will be in your drawing and lightly mark it with a ruler.
   • Draw a vanishing point. You can see one, two, or three vanishing points. One point is easiest to draw, two points are more common. Three points are difficult to draw, so wait until you get comfortable with perspective. The method for constructing a perspective with two vanishing points is described below.
   • Draw this one or two points somewhere along the horizon. This will be the direction (or directions) in which objects will shrink and disappear. These points can be on the paper, or they can go far beyond its limits and be marked somewhere on the surface of the table on which you are drawing. In the case of two perspective points, you need to place one point on either side of the object you are trying to portray.
   • Draw the center line of the object, and then use the ruler to draw lines from the bottom and top points of the object towards the vanishing point (perspective point).
   • Determine how far the object goes, and then draw some vertical lines between the corner vanishing lines, starting to create a cube that contains your object.
   • Close the cube by drawing a line from the back line on one side to a perspective point on the opposite side. Thanks to this, you will be able to understand which parts of your object should be visible, and at what angle.

3. Pay attention to the proportions. Proportion - the ratio of the sizes of different objects to each other. Proportion is especially important in the process of depicting people - without it, your drawings will not look realistic. Most human faces, for example, can be described by mathematical formulas, according to which the features of the face and body are built. If you make a mistake in the proportions while creating the picture, the image will resemble a cartoon or it will turn out to be strange.

   • For example, a person's height is 5-7 times the height of his head. The distance between the eyes is equal to the length of one eye. The lip line usually points to the corner of the jaw. Between the elbow and the wrist, approximately 30 cm. Many similar measurements and ratios are known. They can take some time to get used to, but they are fun and worth the effort.

Part 5

Master the image of highlights and shadows

1. Decide on a light source. Shadows and highlights are what will make your drawings so realistic that they look like photographs. The more detailed and accurate you depict light and shadow, the more realistic your drawing will be. However, before placing the highlight and shadow on the drawing, you need to decide on the position of the light source in your drawing.

   • The light source can be, for example, a lamp or a window. In the case of a street drawing, it might just be the sun. The light beam will travel in a straight line from this source and collide with the objects you are drawing.

2. Place the shadow. Places hidden from the line of light will be in shadow. The further the object is from the source of the set, the darker and thicker its shadow will be. Having decided on the location of the light source, you need to decide where the darkest shadow will be, and darken this place, thus starting to bring shadows into the drawing. The shadow gives the picture depth and shape.

   • The next step is to apply partial shade. These are places that are only partially in shadow, and not as dark as the deepest shadow of your drawing. Continue to complicate your drawing in this way until you have three to six levels of shade and partial shade.
   • When, in general, all the shadows have been applied, make them more uniform (blend) by rubbing them with your finger or feathering (special art tool). This will make your shadow smooth with a smooth transition. Leave harsh shadows (if present in your drawing) from objects such as a table and other hard objects.
   • Hatching (retouching) and various line options. If you're working with ink and don't want to use gradient shadows, you can add depth and shape with neat lines and textures. Therefore, the place where the shadow should be, you outline with a thicker outline (for example, the depression on the top of the apple, or the place below the back of the head, where the ear connects to the neck). Use lines to outline the shape of the object; use lines overlapping each other in different directions to create the appearance of a shadow.
   • For illustrative examples, you can turn to etchings and engravings (or just look for examples of retouching) and get acquainted with the best works of art in this direction. This painting technique is very difficult and requires practice. And at the same time, it is universal.

3. Place the highlights on the drawing. After you have positioned all the shadows, add highlights to the drawing in places where the ray of light directly collides with objects. This can be done with an eraser, white chalk, or similar material.

   • For example, if the face is illuminated from the front, the highlight will be above the eyebrows, along the nose, on the bulges of the cheeks and on the chin, since these are the parts of the face that are most prominent.

Part 6

Find the right tools

1. Use pencils. The most common tools for painting in this style are pencils. Pencils allow you to easily apply shadows and leave a blank sheet (or clean it with an eraser) for highlights. It is very easy to create multiple layers with pencils, giving you a lot of control over the drawing you create. Plus, they mix relatively well with each other.

   • Pencils come in different hardness (this is due to the greater or lesser content of graphite). The harder the pencil, the lighter it draws. Use different pencils depending on how light or dark you want the line. Hard pencils are marked “H”, soft pencils are “B”. The higher the number next to the letter, the stronger the degree of hardness or softness. For example, a standard pencil has an average “HB”.
   • Art charcoal is sold in a variety of shapes and sizes. Willow and vine charcoal is great for creating medium-sized elements, while charcoal is indispensable for creating small details.

2. Use appropriate paper. Depending on what you will be painting with, you will need the appropriate type of paper. Charcoal in particular requires paper designed specifically for charcoal painting (this is a heavy embossed paper that gives charcoal a surface it can grab onto). Pencil is best used on smooth rag paper, as it will make it easier for you to blend the drawing.

   • Whenever possible, purchase acid-free archival paper. This will save your work from yellowing and other unpleasant consequences of time.
   The eraser is an indispensable tool when you need to correct a mistake or create a highlight. You can use a regular vinyl eraser, rubber eraser, or a nagged charcoal eraser. You can also use a nag eraser when working with a pencil, as this tool can easily be sharpened, which is great for erasing small details.
• Depicting realistic hair and skin is one of the most difficult skills to master. When drawing hair, depict them in the form of strands, because this is how they grow. Each curl should have shadow and highlights. This way you can draw the hair really realistically. Don't forget to pay attention to skin imperfections as well. Freckles, blemishes, scars and wrinkles are what makes the painted skin look real and not plastic.
• Draw as often as possible. Keep a sketch pad with you and draw whenever you get the chance. Draw people around you while traveling on a bus or train. You can paint things around you when you are dining or watching TV. Practice will accelerate the growth of your skill.
• When depicting fine details such as eyelashes or wrinkles, use a fine-shank mechanical pencil. This will make it easier for you to portray them more realistically. The correct thickness of such a rod should be no more than 0.5 mm, or even less.
• Turn the piece of paper over from time to time or look at it in the mirror. This will allow you to see irregularities in the image. A common mistake is to draw one eye above or larger than the other. The lines of the cheekbones are also often different. Reversing a drawing is a useful way to fix these problems, and is most effective during the sketching phase.
• Have fun with the drawing process!
• Mechanical pencils are a beautiful tool, they are quite thin and comfortable to draw.
• Remember to ask the person you are drawing from not to move.
• When sketching, do not press down on the tool.