How to Draw 4 - An Adult's Face

If you look at the human face everyone has the same proportions; two eyes, two ears, one nose and one mouth. Yet every one has their own characters that make them unique, even twins will have some differences in there facial features. If you look at the top of the head, the skull, and the bottom of the head, the face, you will notice that there are four main types to each feature. Look at Figure 2-1 for the different types the make you the adult head. These eight different shapes create so many variations so the next time you are out take a look at the different shapes that people have.

Another important feature to the adult face is the facial slope, this feature is viewed from the profile of a person, which refers to the angle from just below the nose up to the forehead. The first type of slope is almost a vertical line from under the nose to the forehead, and then the rest are at more of a slope, some at almost a 30 degree angle.

Let take a look at some of the differences between the female and male faces. The female head size and individual features are generally smaller. The female’s forehead is smother, rounder and more vertical then a male’s. Also the brow ridge (the projection of the bone just above the eye where the eye brow is located) on a male is a lot more pronounced then the brow ride on a woman, also the eye brows on a male are fuller and thicker then that of a female. The female jawbone tends to be more petite then that of a male with a larger more squared chin. The same goes for the ears the males are generally larger then the females. A female’s lips are usually a lot fuller then a male’s lips. The male neck is longer and more muscular with a pronounced Adam’s apple.
Let’s also take a quick look at some tips to help you proportion the face correctly. See Figure 2-2 for the image that we are referring to.

Line A: This will help you determine the horizontal position of the eyes and about the tops of the ears.
Line B: This will show where the bottom of the ears should be and also the lower part of the nose.
Line C: The bottom edge of the bottom lips will come to this line.
Between lines 2 and 3: This will be where the right eye is located.
Between lines 4 and 5: This will be where the left eye is located.

Here are some general tips to help you size the face features correctly. The ears of an adult should equal the length of the nose. The widest part of the face will be five eyes wide. The corners of the mouth should line up with vertically with the irises of the eye.