The head and face

Face proportions follow a few reliable averages. Learning them stops the most common beginner errors, such as eyes placed too high on the head.

Step by step

1. Draw an oval or a ball with the jaw attached (the approach popularised by Andrew Loomis). Add a vertical centre line and a horizontal eye line.
2. The eyes sit about halfway down the head from the top of the skull to the chin — lower than most beginners expect.
3. Divide the face (hairline to chin) into rough thirds: hairline to brow, brow to the base of the nose, base of the nose to the chin.
4. Seen from the front, the head is about five eye-widths wide, with one eye-width between the eyes.
5. The mouth sits about a third of the way from the base of the nose to the chin; the corners often line up roughly beneath the pupils.
6. The ears usually sit between the brow line and the base of the nose. When the head tilts, all these guidelines curve around the form together.