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Drawing the human head can feel overwhelming with all the details, wrinkles, and facial features. We are going to approach it using a simplified structure. This structure is 90% of what you need to draw realistic or stylized 3D faces. It relies on 10 head volumes.
The 10 Head Volumes
These volumes basically draw themselves if you place them in the right order.
- Cranium
- Visor of the eyes (the cavity containing the eyes)
- Eyes
- Cheekbone
- Nose
- Cheek (below the cheekbone)
- Chin
- Muzzle (the rhomboid shape containing the lips)
- Neck
- Ear
Crucial Measurements and Rules
Before positioning the volumes, you must understand a few key rules.
Keep Feature Lines Parallel: The lines that hold the facial features must remain parallel to each other regardless of the angle of the face. Keep the size of the eyes, the angle of the eyebrows, the bottom plane of the nose, the lips, and the chin parallel. Failing to do this is the most common mistake artists make.
The Rule of Thirds: If you divide the head vertically, you will find three roughly equal sections. The first third goes from the top of the cranium to the top of the eyebrows. The second third goes down to the base of the nose. The final third goes down to the bottom of the chin. You must stick to these measurements for realistic drawings. You can vary them for stylized art. Extending the middle section gives more space to the eyes for expressive characters.
Head Depth: The head is actually quite deep. Many artists draw a side profile as a sphere with a jaw attached. This creates a tall rectangle. The actual shape of the head from the side is much closer to a square.
The Curved Frontal Plane: The facial features sit on a curved surface. If you draw the head from above or below, parts like the visor will form a V-angle towards the front. The curvature of the forehead reflects on the eyebrows and affects all features, including the lips.
Placing the Volumes
Let us look at how to position and visualize these shapes.
Cranium and Visor: The cranium is mostly round. It has a clear division between the frontal and side planes. Look for the corner that usually catches a highlight. This corner divides the side plane of the visor from the frontal plane. This division helps you shade your drawing later. The cranium also extends down in the back to connect directly to the neck.
The visor creates a V-cut where the eyebrows sit. The upper plane is usually in shadow. The lower plane is usually in light. For realistic faces, the eyes sit right in the middle of these two planes. For stylized faces, the middle line sits closer to the bottom of the eyes.
Nose and Cheekbones: The nose is a pyramid shape that connects right up to the inner corner of the eyes.
To find the cheekbone, draw a line following the nasolabial fold. This is the wrinkle right next to the nostril. Find the indentation or shadow of the cheekbone and go up towards the ear.
Jaw, Chin, and Muzzle: Connect the corner of the cheekbone down towards the chin. Imagine a continuation of the upper line called the temporal line. Following this line creates a nice division between the side and the front of the face.
Create a nice arch shape for the chin. The leftover space in the middle is the muzzle. This has a rhomboid shape and includes the lips.
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