CHAPTER 1 | SIDE VIEW 1

The side view of the head is characterized by the profile line from the forehead to the nose, mouth, and chin. According to Greek mythology, the very first portrait was a side view: a young woman scratched or drew the outline of her boyfriend’s shadow on a wall. She deliberately chose a side view with the characteristic profile line. Many paintings were later created based on this story.

Exercise 1: Use a photo or ask someone to pose for you. Trace your model’s profile line as carefully as possible, from forehead to chin (image). Start very lightly with loose, STRAIGHT lines (left). Only then connect the lines with beautiful curves (right).

Exercise 2: From memory, draw two profile lines opposite each other and design something for the remaining shape between them. Add a simplified eye behind the hollow between the nose and forehead: a triangle with a roof on top (the upper eyelid). Finish it off with an eyebrow.

Exercise 3: This time, draw the outline of someone’s ENTIRE HEAD from the side. Use a photo or ask someone to pose for you. You’ll notice that the face is only a small part of the whole head from the side. Draw, write, paint, or glue something into the head that you think represents something of that person. This makes it look like he/she is thinking about that.