Drawing Tutorial: Side Profiles
Disclaimer: I’m going to be honest and say that, for the most part, I don’t really follow a specific procedure when I draw side profiles. So while I do list a basic step-by-step below, these are all mostly tips I keep in mind while I go ham on a drawing. I also can’t add really specific instructions on how to draw what, because everyone’s features are different. Instead, I’ll be covering the basic rules that can be applied to anyone.
Let’s take a look at the first six actors that came to my mind. They’re all different in ethnicity and sex, which means their features vary from person to person.
Like I mentioned, no matter who the person is or what their features are, they still follow the rules of basic anatomy. Compare Karl Urban (top right) and Cate Blanchett (bottom right). Their eyebrows are different, but you can see that they still follow their unique brow bones.
However, this curve isn’t always visible if your character is furrowing their brows. So feel free to ignore that part of that’s the case.
Now let’s look at both of their noses. Cate’s is significantly longer than Karl’s, yet both of their ears still follow the rule I mentioned in the image (while Cate’s ear extends a little further than her nose in the image I chose, that’s because her earring is heavy).
Whenever I see someone draw jaws (mandibles) that extend all of the way to the back of the skull, I’m not gonna lie, I die a little inside. The easiest way to avoid this mistake is too either look at references, or to feel your own jaw. Take a look at a skull too. Be observant and take advantage of all of the free resources online and in every day life. Observation is important when drawing anything.
Now, let’s draw my OC Set as we apply what we learned.
I always start with a circle to get the bulk of the skull out of the way first. I also add another curved line to mark where the cheekbone (zygomatic bone) ends and the cheek starts.
After that, I’ve marked where his eyes socket should be, as well as his nose. Keep in mind that the triangle will vary depending on what your character’s nose looks like.
Now we start fleshing out the details. It’s at this stage in the drawing I normally draw out the brows and mouth.
Now it’s your turn! You don’t have to do everything in the exact order I do it, but just remember these little tips on anatomy when you’re drawing side profiles.
Outside of this, I would recommend using references or just simply learning your anatomy. Know which bones protrude, where the major muscles lie, and how they change when they move. I can’t emphasise just how important anatomy is.
I hope this tutorial helped!
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