During my Product Design class, I referenced a face and drew it three times. In the end, I shared the all three pictures with a couple of my classmates and explained the process that led to the final – and figured I’d share that info online! Before I start, here’s the picture I used:
The top drawing was my first attempt. I used a fine tip sharpie and drew it just like I saw it – no guidelines. After 5 minutes, I stopped and evaluated my work.
About 5 minutes later, I drew it again (without reference) to see if I really understood what I drew the first time (took about 3 minutes). I then looked at the placement of her eyes and lips and then drew a grid to understand their relationship and what I might change differently.
This was my final attempt (20 min). This time, I started with a quick pencil sketch to make sure all my proportions were correct. After 8 minutes or so, I loosely traced the lines with a fine tip sharpie (for an intentional sketchy look) and then added finishing highlights with a Tria marker (yeah, it doesn’t look EXACTLY like the picture, but you get the idea!).
As I always tell my drawing buddies – sketch with a pen! 1, the lines always show up better, and 2, you record your mistakes (you can’t erase!). That way, when you finally do decide to commit to a drawing that isn’t a sketch, the pencil gives you the freedom to correct, however, you’re already semi-trained to get it right from the jump! And that’s wussup.
