Drawing the Nose - Part One

Original Post: 2/13/2010

The nose is the most undefined of all facial features. It relys on shadows, angles and planes to create it's form. So understanding the structure under the skin is important to really grasp how to draw the nose.

As you can see below the cartlidge bulges and wraps itself around the nasal bone. This is what creates the shape of the nose. Looking at these images is not enough....every artist should take some time to sketch and practice these shapes.

Drawing different angles of the nose allows the artist to experience how lighting and perspective impacts the presentation. Here are a few sketches:

Drawing the Nose - Part Two

Original Post: 2/21/2010

In part one, we discussed the sub-structure, planes and general form of the nose. In this section we will explore the most important tool that will assist us in creating realism – depicting light and shadow.

There are 5 key components of light and shadow. By translating these components into tonal values of shading and highlights it will create realistic depth to the nose.



The light source has the strongest impact on the nose than on any other facial feature. If the light is too strong or harsh, it will create strong cast shadows and unusual shapes. If the light is flooded (using a flash in front of the person), the light diffuses shadows and the nose has no form. A natural (northern light) from above at a 45 degree angle creates soft subtle shadows and emphasizes the best features for portraits.
For more examples of portrait lighting and choosing a good photo reference:

Giovanni Civardi’s “The Art of Drawing Portraits” page 30
http://roshdygroup.com/books/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/drawing-book.jpg

Stan Prokopenko’s Blog Tutorial
http://www.stanprokopenko.com/blog/2009/04/choose-good-photo-reference/