29 Faces Day 15 - Masculine Face

I quickly brushed in the background.  This face started female but ended up more masculine.  I might change the lips before I paint...

Hello to all my new followers! Thank you so much for your positive feedback on my last few faces.  I plan to continue with my drawings after September is over.

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29 Faces Day 8 - Pretty In Pink

Face #3 is underway.  I quickly blocked in the background.  I'm not sure if it will stay like this but I do love the pink and orange.

Have a great Tuesday!  Click here to see more of my work.

29 Faces Day 5 - Sept 2014

Slow and steady progress.  Feels good to be blogging and painting again.  Pay no attention to the face and hair...I just have a thin layer of acrylic down.  The background color is too bright right now so I plan to gray it down.

I like the petals and flower but I will be adding more detail as I move along.  Have a great day!

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29 Faces Day 1 - Sept 2014

So, here we are.  September is here and I am participating in the 29 Faces challenge this month.  I'm really going to dedicate September to sketching and pushing my characters.  My first sketch is not done...I want to add earrings and shadows before I start painting.  I plan to take it step by step so I don't get overwhelmed and quit early.  Some of my posts maybe small updates or changes to each face so I get my practice in everyday.  My faces will be drawn in this chipboard album.  I have 20 pages left so I hope to have it finished by the end of the month.

I would love to have you along for this journey.  Please follow my blog for daily (fingers-crossed) updates.  Click here is to see my art journal entries!

How I Draw a Face in 3/4 View

Over past week and a half I've been sketching tiny faces.  I thought this would be a good time to attack the dreaded 3/4 view.  There are tons of tutorials out there but I was still having so much trouble.  As you will see some of my drawings are stiff and lifeless.  I wanted to share some tips I now use to draw my girls in 3/4 view.  Disclaimer: this is how I like to draw....my drawings are stylized illustrations.

First, let me take you through my sketches.  I started my drawings in front view to warm up.  You can see the third girl on the first page has a flat chin.  I kept the drawing and made notes so I could see where I was going wrong.  

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TIP: Don't erase your sketches - make notes and track your progress.  

When I got to the girls looking up and down I watched this vid on YouTube which helped me a lot!  Alphonso Dunn is a great artist and teacher.  I used some other general guidelines found here and here. 

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The third page has some funky head shapes.  The second girl I wrote 'face shape wrong.'  I feel like there is enough room for the features I just didn't like her jaw.  I like the hair on that page and plan to practice more.  

On page four I had two girls with frozen faces and pouty lips.  The girl on the bottom left was the last I drew on that page and noticed that if I start with a circle and NOT an oval the features seem to wrap around the head.  When I draw an oval the face tends to be flat. 

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Page five came out some much better then the rest.  So, I noticed that my biggest problem area was the inside eye.  Inside eye meaning the eye which is partially hidden by the nose or farthest away.  If I can get that curve of the face right I'm able to set myself up for success.  

Below I am using the shape of the bean to act as the eye socket and cheek.  

I draw a bean shape inside of a circle.

Make my guidelines for the facial features closest to the side with my curve.

  Elongate the chin and forehead.

Lightly draw eyes, nose, and mouth.

Connect the nose bridge to the inside eyebrow.

Define eyebrows and square out jawline. 

Drawing the face is a gradual process for me.  I erase, move, and make curves until I like what I see.  Use a model or good large photo reference.  Don't forget to add shading and highlights.  Please comment below if this was helpful or if you have questions!  

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