Sketching Faces

 

This week, I gave myself a personal challenge to sketch faces for the sketchbook blog. I guess its important to point out that I am not really all that interested in sketching faces. Which means you’re probably asking why do it? Lives can certainly be lived fully and happily without sketching anatomically correct faces.
The drawing classes I took in college centered mainly around fashion illustration. The face was always secondary to how the clothes were represented. An anatomically correct face never extended beyond a hint of red lipstick. Whew! I remember thinking back then. Crisis averted. I don’t need to draw more than that.
But now here I am doing this daily sketching for the project (almost size full months of daily sketching!), and it occurred to me that I’ve never really tried to draw the human face. I talk with my kids often about not saying “I can’t do ____”. So, I decided to take it on as a challenge instead of looking at it as a hinderance I need to work around. Bad sketches and all…
sketching faces
Each night this week I have been sketching these imaginary women. No reference, other than the old formula of drawing the face shape, and adding the lines for where the features would go. From there, I spend some time on the eyes- I like good eyes. The nose always needs work. The mouth is also not the way I want it. But I do like a lot of what I’m doing, little things here and there that I am actually satisfied with. I can feel my hand and arm starting to loosen up more and more.
Who knows, maybe I’ll do another week of faces at some point. I have a LOT to learn!
sketching faces
There is plenty I see in this sketch that I could work on, but I kind a like the fact that I enjoyed the process of making it. Which at this stage of my creative life, it’s so much more about the process for me.
(It’s not me, but I did use my hair for reference).
 

7 Comments
  • Cheryl

    January 24, 2013 at 6:50 am

    Hmm, I like this idea of daily drawing. I don’t consider myself skilled in that department, preferring scratches on paper to capture a concept and calling it good enough.

  • amy h

    January 24, 2013 at 8:50 am

    I’ve been doing daily sketches this year, and have considered throwing some faces and hands in there. Hands and feet are hard! I thought this face was yours — but yes, I can see it’s just the hair. 🙂

  • lisa s

    January 24, 2013 at 9:03 pm

    good for you blair [i STILL HATE DOING FACES ;)]

  • annette

    January 25, 2013 at 3:57 pm

    Whenever I see your sketches it makes me want to get a sketchbook of my own and start the habit myself!

  • blair/wisecraft

    January 25, 2013 at 4:57 pm

    Thank you Annette! It's fun.

  • Tina

    January 26, 2013 at 4:32 am

    Love it!

  • Lemon Tree Tami

    February 8, 2013 at 8:02 am

    Yes, I don’t remember spending much time on faces in college while working on a fashion design degree other than the first year of life drawing. Even then it was mostly just figures. A few years back I took an online face drawing class that opened my eyes to better luck with it … concentrate on the shadows/highlights vs the lines of a face. I still have a ways to go but am heartened by your example of just drawing more faces in my sketchbook. Happy weekend!

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