Male Face Drawing Reference (2024)

FAQs

Is it okay to use drawing references? ›

Using a reference is a tool; it is important to give credit where due if you use a photo or another drawing. It is important to let people know you used a photo for different aspects. Don't say that you created it purely from imagination. That would be untruthful and seen as dishonest behaviour.

There's absolutely nothing wrong with using references. You'd be hard pressed to find pros who work without them! If you really wanna push yourself, though, Randall's idea is awesome - try reading or listening to an audio book, and drawing what you hear.

Why is drawing the human face so tricky? Drawing the human face is hard because it involves observing the complex shapes, anatomy, angles, tones, and textures of the face and marking this information efficiently on a drawing surface while following a specific art style.

Combine multiple references

Instead of relying on a single photo for inspiration, use elements from multiple images to create a new, unique composition. This practice can help you avoid direct copying and minimise the risk of copyright infringement.

It means that tracing is legal, so long as the original artist does not object. ... Tracing is different in most cases because it is not artwork that has been copied physically/digitally from an original. A tracing is a reproduction or derivative based on original artwork and that is not theft.

Professional artists all over the world in various companies and top studios use references for their work. It may be a surprise to many of you who are beginner artists but, yes, using a reference is a common thing we do far often than you realize.

Remember, drawing without reference is a skill that requires time and practice. Including regular freehand drawing into your routine will build a strong foundation and self-confidence, allowing you to bring your imagination to life without depending entirely on external references.

That said, the well of creativity where we draw inspiration from has to come from somewhere — a source material that contains some form of knowledge, something tangible or historical. Therefore, it's not a question of whether reference is more important than imagination or vice versa, but the fact that we need both.

I hope my example is inspirational enough for you to consider the "five portraits a day" tip. So, once again, by practicing just 20 minutes a day and drawing at least five portraits every time you sketch, is a great way to make more than 1,800 sketches per year.

What is the Reilly method? ›

The Reilly approach is a constructive/graphic hybrid that emphasizes line and shape design and clear value control. This approach has become popular among professional illustrators as well as for fine art applications.

5. Use the 4-8-8 method. Simplify your shape before putting in detail using one set of four lines and two sets of eight. The first four define the box and another eight cut away from it to fi nd the basic proportion and gesture lines of the subject.

If you're drawing for your own benefit/development, then anything is fair game really, and you're very unlikely to face consequences, especially if you make it clear where you've sourced photos from and what you're trying to do with them; though if you're doing something that's likely to be for commercial use or sale, ...

As Sooz says, as long as you're not tracing someone else's art work and claiming it as your own, I see no issues at all with the convenience of tracing. Agreed, if it's a photo that you own, I would treat it as a part of the process. If it's someone else's then it could be viewed as plagiarism or a copyright violation.

We all need to respect the copyright of the photographer or artist that created the original. If you don't have your own photo to use, then ensure that you are only using other peoples photos as a reference and avoid copying. Be sure to create your own image with your own interpretation as much as possible.

First of all, yes - you can still be considered an artist if you draw best from reference. Some of the greatest artists of all time needed tons of reference to complete certain pieces. Second, no one can tell you whether or not you're an artist. That is a distinction that you alone need to make.