{"id":1474,"date":"2012-10-31T21:34:47","date_gmt":"2012-10-31T21:34:47","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/thevirtualinstructor.com\/members\/?page_id=1474"},"modified":"2026-04-02T21:34:27","modified_gmt":"2026-04-02T21:34:27","slug":"the-secrets-to-drawing-facial-proportions","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/thevirtualinstructor.com\/members\/the-secrets-to-drawing-facial-proportions","title":{"rendered":"The Secrets to Drawing &#8211; Facial Proportions"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"coursetitlecontainer\">\n<div class=\"coursetitle\">\n<h1><span>The Secrets to Drawing:<\/span> Facial Proportions<\/h1>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/p>\n<div class=\"insertbackground\">\n<div class=\"removep\">\n<div class=\"videoflexwrapper\">\n<div class=\"videotop\">\n  <iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/player.vimeo.com\/video\/103257509?color=ffffff&title=0&byline=0&portrait=0\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" frameborder=\"0\" webkitallowfullscreen mozallowfullscreen allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<div style=\"clear:both;\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"sidebartop\">\n<div class=\"vertalign\">\n<div class=\"logoimage\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/thevirtualinstructor.com\/members\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/logosmall75.png\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"sidebarcarddescriptiondark\"><span>JOIN THE VIRTUAL INSTRUCTOR<\/span><br \/>\n    Get ALL of our courses, ebooks, live lessons, critiques, lesson plans and more today.<\/div>\n<div class=\"sidebarbuttonholder\"><a href=\"https:\/\/thevirtualinstructor.com\/members\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"sidebuttonsmem\">START FREE TRIAL<\/div>\n<p><\/a><\/p>\n<hr style=\"background-color:#ffffff;margin-top:1.5em;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/thevirtualinstructor.com\/members\/register-the-secrets-to-drawing\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"sidebuttons\">BUY SINGLE COURSE $60<\/div>\n<p><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"clear:both;\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"courseperkscontainer\">\n<div class=\"courseperks\"><span>This course features:<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"courseperks\"><i class=\"far fa-clock\" style=\"margin-right:10px;\"><\/i>5 Hours of Instruction<\/div>\n<div class=\"courseperks\"><i class=\"fas fa-film\" style=\"margin-right:10px;\"><\/i>28 Videos<\/div>\n<div class=\"courseperks\"><i class=\"fas fa-book\" style=\"margin-right:10px;\"><\/i>26 eBooks<\/div>\n<div class=\"courseperks\"><i class=\"fas fa-shield-alt\" style=\"margin-right:10px;\"><\/i>30 Day Money Back Guarantee<\/div>\n<div style=\"clear:both;\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"clear:both;\"><\/div>\n<p>\n\n<div class=\"contentfix\">\n<div class=\"favorites\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tabs\">\n  <input name=\"tabs\" type=\"radio\" id=\"tab-1\" checked=\"checked\" class=\"input\"\/><br \/>\n  <label for=\"tab-1\" class=\"label\">Description<\/label><\/p>\n<div class=\"panel\">\n<h2>Lesson Description<\/h2>\n<p>Lesson Twenty-One of <em>The Secrets to Drawing Course<\/em> introduces students to the foundational principles of <strong>facial proportions<\/strong>. Learning accurate facial proportions is essential for drawing realistic faces, whether from observation, imagination, or reference. In this lesson, students explore key guidelines for placing facial features correctly, and they apply these principles by creating two drawings: one of an imagined face from a straight-on view and a second from a profile view.<\/p>\n<h2>Introduction to Facial Proportions<\/h2>\n<p>The lesson begins by discussing the importance of understanding facial proportions. Matt Fussell explains that the human face follows general patterns that can be broken down into measurable relationships, which help artists create balanced and believable portraits. While every face is unique, these proportions serve as a framework for achieving accuracy and consistency.<\/p>\n<p>Students learn that facial proportions are not just about technical correctness\u2014they also help convey character, expression, and realism. By mastering basic guidelines, artists gain confidence in constructing faces that look natural, whether they are drawing from imagination or reference.<\/p>\n<h2>Key Guidelines for the Frontal View<\/h2>\n<p>Students first explore <strong>facial proportions from a straight-on view<\/strong>. Matt introduces several key guidelines:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>The face is divided vertically and horizontally to help place features symmetrically.<\/li>\n<li>The eyes are positioned roughly halfway between the top of the head and the chin.<\/li>\n<li>The space between the eyes is approximately the width of one eye.<\/li>\n<li>The bottom of the nose typically aligns with the bottom of the ears.<\/li>\n<li>The mouth generally falls about one-third of the distance from the nose to the chin.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>These proportional relationships provide a framework for arranging the eyes, nose, mouth, ears, and hairline. Students practice lightly sketching these guidelines before adding individual features, learning to adjust proportions for age, gender, or stylized effects.<\/p>\n<h2>Creating a Face from the Frontal View<\/h2>\n<p>Using the guidelines, students create a drawing of an imagined face from a straight-on view. Matt emphasizes starting with simple shapes\u2014ovals for the head, lines for feature placement\u2014before refining contours and details. Students then add the eyes, nose, mouth, and ears, ensuring each feature aligns with the proportional framework.<\/p>\n<p>Shading and subtle line work are introduced to suggest form and volume, giving the face a three-dimensional appearance. Students practice observing relationships between features to maintain balance and realism, developing both accuracy and confidence in constructing a frontal portrait.<\/p>\n<h2>Key Guidelines for the Profile View<\/h2>\n<p>Next, students explore <strong>facial proportions from a profile view<\/strong>. While some guidelines are similar to the frontal view, drawing in profile introduces new considerations:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>The forehead, nose, lips, and chin form a characteristic contour line that defines the face\u2019s side profile.<\/li>\n<li>The eyes are placed approximately halfway between the top of the head and the chin, similar to the frontal view, but the shape and placement shift according to the side plane of the skull.<\/li>\n<li>The ear is aligned with the brow line and the bottom of the nose, projecting slightly backward on the skull.<\/li>\n<li>The jawline, cheekbone, and neck angles must be observed carefully to maintain proportional accuracy.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Matt demonstrates these relationships, highlighting how subtle changes in angles and spacing can dramatically affect likeness and realism. Students practice lightly sketching the profile framework before adding facial features.<\/p>\n<h2>Creating a Face from the Profile View<\/h2>\n<p>Students then create a second drawing of an imagined face from a profile view. Using the proportional guidelines, they map out the forehead, nose, lips, chin, and jawline. Attention is given to the curvature of the skull, placement of the ear, and alignment of features along the side plane.<\/p>\n<p>Shading and contour lines are used to define form and suggest volume, helping the profile appear three-dimensional. By practicing both frontal and profile views, students gain a more comprehensive understanding of facial structure and proportions, preparing them for more complex portrait drawing.<\/p>\n<h2>Benefits of Studying Facial Proportions<\/h2>\n<p>Understanding basic facial proportions is essential for creating realistic, balanced, and expressive portraits. This lesson provides students with a systematic approach to constructing faces, whether drawing from imagination or reference. Mastery of these guidelines enhances observation skills, builds confidence in rendering features accurately, and lays the groundwork for exploring more advanced portrait techniques, such as expression, age, and perspective.<\/p>\n<h2>Mastery of Facial Proportions<\/h2>\n<p>By the end of Lesson Twenty-One, students have gained a solid foundation in facial proportions for both frontal and profile views. They have applied this knowledge to create two drawings of imagined faces, practicing accuracy, alignment, and volume. This lesson equips students with essential skills for portrait drawing, enabling them to approach future portrait projects with confidence, technical understanding, and creative expression.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>  <input name=\"tabs\" type=\"radio\" id=\"tab-2\" class=\"input\"\/><br \/>\n  <label for=\"tab-2\" class=\"label\">Materials<\/label><\/p>\n<div class=\"panel\">\n<h2>Lesson Materials<\/h2>\n<p>Graphite, white drawing paper.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>  <input name=\"tabs\" type=\"radio\" id=\"tab-3\" class=\"input\"\/><br \/>\n  <label for=\"tab-3\" class=\"label\">Resources<\/label><\/p>\n<div class=\"panel\">\n<h2>Lesson Resources<\/h2>\n<p><i class=\"fas fa-exclamation-triangle\" style=\"margin-right:10px;\"><\/I>Distributing any content downloaded from this site is strictly prohibited and against the terms and conditions of use.<\/p>\n<p><i class=\"fas fa-lock\" style=\"margin-right:10px;\"><\/I>Download eBook<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><input name=\"tabs\" type=\"radio\" id=\"tab-4\" class=\"input\"\/><br \/>\n  <label for=\"tab-4\" class=\"label\">Curriculum<\/label><\/p>\n<div class=\"panel\">\n<h2>Course Curriculum<\/h2>\n<div class=\"curriculumcontainer\">\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/thevirtualinstructor.com\/members\/the-secrets-to-drawing-introduction\" class=\"curriculum\"><i class=\"far fa-play-circle\" style=\"margin-right:5px;\"><\/i>Lesson 1: Introduction (5:03)<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/thevirtualinstructor.com\/members\/the-secrets-to-drawing-line\" class=\"curriculum\"><i class=\"far fa-play-circle\" style=\"margin-right:5px;\"><\/i>Lesson 2: Line (14:25)<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/thevirtualinstructor.com\/members\/the-secrets-to-drawing-shape\" class=\"curriculum\"><i class=\"far fa-play-circle\" style=\"margin-right:5px;\"><\/i>Lesson 3: Shape (8:19)<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/thevirtualinstructor.com\/members\/the-secrets-to-drawing-form\" class=\"curriculum\"><i class=\"far fa-play-circle\" style=\"margin-right:5px;\"><\/i>Lesson 4: Form (13:00)<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/thevirtualinstructor.com\/members\/the-secrets-to-drawing-value\" class=\"curriculum\"><i class=\"far fa-play-circle\" style=\"margin-right:5px;\"><\/i>Lesson 5: Value (11:59)<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/thevirtualinstructor.com\/members\/the-secrets-to-drawing-space\" class=\"curriculum\"><i class=\"far fa-play-circle\" style=\"margin-right:5px;\"><\/i>Lesson 6: Space (6:13)<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/thevirtualinstructor.com\/members\/the-secrets-to-drawing-one-point-perspective\" class=\"curriculum\"><i class=\"far fa-play-circle\" style=\"margin-right:5px;\"><\/i>Lesson 7: One Point Perspective (12:58)<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/thevirtualinstructor.com\/members\/the-secrets-to-drawing-two-point-perspective\" class=\"curriculum\"><i class=\"far fa-play-circle\" style=\"margin-right:5px;\"><\/i>Lesson 8: Two Point Perspective (12:13)<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/thevirtualinstructor.com\/members\/the-secrets-to-drawing-three-point-perspective\" class=\"curriculum\"><i class=\"far fa-play-circle\" style=\"margin-right:5px;\"><\/i>Lesson 9: Three Point Perspective (10:27)<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/thevirtualinstructor.com\/members\/the-secrets-to-drawing-basic-drawing-techniques\" class=\"curriculum\"><i class=\"far fa-play-circle\" style=\"margin-right:5px;\"><\/i>Lesson 10: Basic Drawing Techniques (15:03)<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/thevirtualinstructor.com\/members\/the-secrets-to-drawing-drawing-from-life\" class=\"curriculum\"><i class=\"far fa-play-circle\" style=\"margin-right:5px;\"><\/i>Lesson 11: Drawing From Life (9:01)<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/thevirtualinstructor.com\/members\/the-secrets-to-drawing-drawing-from-photos\" class=\"curriculum\"><i class=\"far fa-play-circle\" style=\"margin-right:5px;\"><\/i>Lesson 12: Drawing From Photos (15:25)<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/thevirtualinstructor.com\/members\/the-secrets-to-drawing-composition\" class=\"curriculum\"><i class=\"far fa-play-circle\" style=\"margin-right:5px;\"><\/i>Lesson 13: Composition (12:20)<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/thevirtualinstructor.com\/members\/the-secrets-to-drawing-graphite\" class=\"curriculum\"><i class=\"far fa-play-circle\" style=\"margin-right:5px;\"><\/i>Lesson 14: Graphite (9:00)<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/thevirtualinstructor.com\/members\/the-secrets-to-drawing-charcoal\" class=\"curriculum\"><i class=\"far fa-play-circle\" style=\"margin-right:5px;\"><\/i>Lesson 15: Charcoal (10:32)<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/thevirtualinstructor.com\/members\/the-secrets-to-drawing-drawing-with-ink\" class=\"curriculum\"><i class=\"far fa-play-circle\" style=\"margin-right:5px;\"><\/i>Lesson 16: Ink (9:00)<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/thevirtualinstructor.com\/members\/the-secrets-to-drawing-color\" class=\"curriculum\"><i class=\"far fa-play-circle\" style=\"margin-right:5px;\"><\/i>Lesson 17: Color (14:28)<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/thevirtualinstructor.com\/members\/the-secrets-to-drawing-colored-pencils\" class=\"curriculum\"><i class=\"far fa-play-circle\" style=\"margin-right:5px;\"><\/i>Lesson 18: Colored Pencils (11:56)<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/thevirtualinstructor.com\/members\/the-secrets-to-drawing-oil-pastels\" class=\"curriculum\"><i class=\"far fa-play-circle\" style=\"margin-right:5px;\"><\/i>Lesson 19: Oil Pastels (11:51)<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/thevirtualinstructor.com\/members\/the-secrets-to-drawing-soft-pastels\" class=\"curriculum\"><i class=\"far fa-play-circle\" style=\"margin-right:5px;\"><\/i>Lesson 20: Soft Pastels (11:21)<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/thevirtualinstructor.com\/members\/the-secrets-to-drawing-facial-proportions\" class=\"curriculumselected\"><i class=\"far fa-play-circle\" style=\"margin-right:5px;\"><\/i>Lesson 21: Facial Proportions (13:56)<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/thevirtualinstructor.com\/members\/the-secrets-to-drawing-the-eye\" class=\"curriculum\"><i class=\"far fa-play-circle\" style=\"margin-right:5px;\"><\/i>Lesson 22: The Eye (14:05)<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/thevirtualinstructor.com\/members\/the-secrets-to-drawing-the-nose-and-mouth\" class=\"curriculum\"><i class=\"far fa-play-circle\" style=\"margin-right:5px;\"><\/i>Lesson 23: The Nose and Mouth (12:24)<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/thevirtualinstructor.com\/members\/the-secrets-to-drawing-the-ear\" class=\"curriculum\"><i class=\"far fa-play-circle\" style=\"margin-right:5px;\"><\/i>Lesson 24: The Ear (4:51)<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/thevirtualinstructor.com\/members\/the-secrets-to-drawing-hair\" class=\"curriculum\"><i class=\"far fa-play-circle\" style=\"margin-right:5px;\"><\/i>Lesson 25: Hair (14:02)<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/thevirtualinstructor.com\/members\/the-secrets-to-drawing-basic-figure-drawing\" class=\"curriculum\"><i class=\"far fa-play-circle\" style=\"margin-right:5px;\"><\/i>Lesson 26: Figure Drawing (20:00)<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/thevirtualinstructor.com\/members\/the-secrets-to-drawing-foreshortening\" class=\"curriculum\"><i class=\"far fa-play-circle\" style=\"margin-right:5px;\"><\/i>Lesson 27: Foreshortening (12:54)<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/thevirtualinstructor.com\/members\/the-secrets-to-drawing-conclusion\" class=\"curriculum\"><i class=\"far fa-play-circle\" style=\"margin-right:5px;\"><\/i>Lesson 28: Conclusion (2:58)<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"sidebarbottom\">\n<div class=\"relatedcourse\">Your Instructor<\/div>\n<div class=\"instructor\">\n<div class=\"instructorimage\">\n<div class=\"instructorpic\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/thevirtualinstructor.com\/images\/mattauthor.jpg\" alt=\"Matt Fussell - Instructor\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"instructorname\">Matt Fussell<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"instructordes\">\n<p>Founder of The Virtual Instructor, artist and teacher. Matt makes learning art easy to understand and enjoyable.<\/p>\n<p><div style=\"padding-top:10px;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/thevirtualinstructor.com\/blog\/author\/admin\">Learn more about Matt<\/a><\/div>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"relatedcoursescontainer\">\n<div class=\"relatedcourse\">Related Courses and Classes<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/thevirtualinstructor.com\/members\/portrait-drawing-the-smart-way\" class=\"sidebarbottom-curriculum\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"leftlean\"><i class=\"far fa-play-circle\" style=\"margin-right:5px;\"><\/i>Portrait Drawing The Smart Way<\/div>\n<div class=\"rightlean\" style=\"background-image: url('https:\/\/thevirtualinstructor.com\/members\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/Portrait-Drawing-The-Smart-Way-Course.jpg');\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"clear:both;\"><\/div>\n<p><\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/thevirtualinstructor.com\/members\/realistic-portrait-drawing-with-pencil\" class=\"sidebarbottom-curriculum\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"leftlean\"><i class=\"far fa-play-circle\" style=\"margin-right:5px;\"><\/i>Portrait Drawing with Graphite<\/div>\n<div class=\"rightlean\" style=\"background-image: url('https:\/\/thevirtualinstructor.com\/members\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/pencil-portrait-drawing-400.jpg');\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"clear:both;\"><\/div>\n<p><\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/thevirtualinstructor.com\/members\/portrait-with-charcoal-old-man\" class=\"sidebarbottom-curriculum\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"leftlean\"><i class=\"far fa-play-circle\" style=\"margin-right:5px;\"><\/i>Portrait Drawing with Charcoal<\/div>\n<div class=\"rightlean\" style=\"background-image: url('https:\/\/thevirtualinstructor.com\/members\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Portrait-Drawing-with-Charcoal-400.jpg');\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"clear:both;\"><\/div>\n<p><\/a>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"clear:both;\"><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Secrets to Drawing: Facial Proportions Description Lesson Description Lesson Twenty-One of The Secrets to Drawing Course introduces students to the foundational principles of facial proportions. Learning accurate facial proportions is essential for drawing realistic faces, whether from observation, imagination, or reference. In this lesson, students explore key guidelines for placing facial features correctly, and [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","template":"paget-iframe.php","meta":{"footnotes":""},"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1474","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/thevirtualinstructor.com\/members\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1474","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/thevirtualinstructor.com\/members\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/thevirtualinstructor.com\/members\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thevirtualinstructor.com\/members\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thevirtualinstructor.com\/members\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1474"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/thevirtualinstructor.com\/members\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1474\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":45945,"href":"https:\/\/thevirtualinstructor.com\/members\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1474\/revisions\/45945"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/thevirtualinstructor.com\/members\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1474"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thevirtualinstructor.com\/members\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1474"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}