as one artist to another I really want your adviseš„ŗ for some reason whenever I draw a character its face becomes different every timešš like I'm trying to keep it consistent and draw with an image in mind but it always somehow changes like sometimes I feel like giving up cause I'm genuinely trying but this obstacle is making it really hard to draw characters. What is your advice on this??
Oh love I got you! Iām terrible at explaining, but I got you!
Tbh, it depends on your current skill level. Iām going to give you the general advice Iād give to anyone starting out, since I donāt know exactly where you are yet:
First and foremost, practice proportions!! Although we all have different face structures, the facial features still have to sit correctly in every perspective (the space between the eyes, the size and shape of the head, the placement of the mouth and nose, etc.). Before anyone tries to "correct" me about having different art styles- you canāt break the rules if you donāt know them first. Can you really draw a stylized, disproportionate face if you arenāt even familiar with standard proportions? The answer is no.
Use the Loomis method to learn how to draw the head and face from any angle. Then, use the Rule of Thirds (which can be applied to almost anything) to master the placement and spacing of the features.
I recommend watching these:
ā How to draw faces & heads for beginners
ā drawing faces from any angle
However, you should look up videos yourself! When you're learning from Youtube, you need to find artists that genuinely click with you.
The best references for learning proportions are 3D models. You can find those easily on Pinterest if you canāt find a specific website:
Regarding the face specifically- thereās a whole controversy around tracing, but I believe tracing can be a very helpful tool for practice, if done right. I mean not to copy exactly from the reference like this:
(Iām sorry for the low quality speedpaint)
Instead of trying to capture all the details right away, I only draw the guidelines over the face. Afterward I add the details myself without tracing (stop at the green square I drew around the right drawing to see the guidelines without the reference underneath). This method helped my proportions a ton. Just donāt rely on tracing too much. You should trace the reference like 5 times, then try to draw the guidelines and the face entirely on your own several times.
Practicing on paper is ideal because it forces you to face your mistakes and learn from them.
I donāt like some of these sketches, but itās the art of learning! I got better once I embraced my mistakes. I practice a lot on screen too, but I think practicing on paper is actually more effective for growth.
To keep your character's face consistent, I recommend drawing it 5ā10 times from every angle. You can use 3D models and draw your characterās features over them before attempting it from scratch.
(Sorry itās rough and I got too lazy drawing more, but you get the idea)
Another tip is to make your characters as distinct as possible by giving them different features (always use references!!!). This way, your character remains recognizable even if their face isn't perfectly consistent in every drawing. This is especially helpful if you want to avoid the same-face syndrome or if you want to get comfortable drawing diverse characters. Also, you should learn to draw basic 3D shapes if you haven't mastered that yet.
Practice drawing different faces every day for at least 20 minutes - 1 hour. Watch this video on that (honestly you should watch Samdoesarts on youtube in general, he gives great art advices.)
Actually, the very first step should be learning your lines. You need to be able to draw loose and confident lines, so warm-ups are essential! Watch this Video on that.
Last but not least, stay motivated by redrawing an old piece of your character after every practice session. I promise youāll see huge improvements! š
I hope this helps! Sorry it took me so long to respond.. I was trying to figure out the best way to explain everything. Please send me another ask so that I know it reached you!
Now I have to try my best to explain drawing curls to another anon š¤§.
