Chapter 4 | OUR HEAD FROM THE SIDE

The head from the side no longer has the shape of an egg. This is due to the shape of the skull. From the side it becomes clear that our head is much larger than just our face. The part I have grayed out contains our brain.

Exercise 1: Draw two skulls looking at each other. Maybe add text. If you like, make creepy drawings with one or more skulls.

In the next three drawings from left to right you can see how the head and face are constructed around the skull.

Exercise 2: When drawing a head from the side you can use the basic shape of the skull as below. About halfway are the eyes. This basic shape is more difficult than the egg from the front but you really don’t have to make it very precise. It’s only meant to keep this in mind when drawing somebody from the side.

     

       

 

In the following two examples, the profiles of faces have been added: note especially  the hollow between the forehead and nose and the hollow under the lower lip. The ears are slightly behind the middle of the head. Seen from the side, the neck is tilted slightly backwards. A gray tint (right) makes it clear where the brains are located – in a kind of slanted oval..

Exercise 3: Draw the two profiles looking at each other. 

 

In men, the forehead often slopes slightly more than in women.

EXTRA: You can also play pranks with profiles. Come up with completely different profiles that look at each other. Add text if you like.

Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519) 500 years ago regularly went to the market to observe and draw all kinds of people out of curiosity. He drew profiles that didn’t have to be pretty, but they were surely very special. Both old men had almost or no teeth left at all (unfortunately there were no good dentists in those days) so their profile has changed a lot.