Portrait drawing for beginners: 20 tips to improve your skills

1. Practice drawing basic shapes like circles, ellipses, and spheres.
2. Use a soft-tipped pencil to add shading.
3. Start with a rough sketch before you start fine-tuning.
4. Use light and shadow techniques to create depth and dimension.
5. Think in advance which perspective you want to use.
6. Regularly check the proportions of your portrait.
7. Use reference photos or a model to guide you.
8. Experiment with different angles and facial expressions.
9. Use lines to define contour and shape.
10. Focus on the eyes, they are the most important feature in the portrait.
11. Use shades to highlight the cheekbones and chin.
12. Practice the subtleties in the nose, mouth and ears.
13. Use colored pencils or crayons to add depth and dimension to your portrait.
14. Practice drawing different hair types and textures.
15. Practice drawing skin tones by combining different shades.
16. Practice drawing different face shapes.
17. Practice drawing different clothing styles and textures.
18. Use surrounding elements like backgrounds or landscapes to complete the portrait.
19. Experiment with different styles to develop your own drawing style.
20. Practice regularly to improve your skills and express yourself creatively!

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