Set the head angle first

Draw a sphere, add the side plane, then attach a simple jaw. A curved centre line shows which way the face turns; a curved brow line shows whether the viewer is above or below it.

  • Keep the construction light
  • Wrap guide lines around the form
  • Check the jaw before adding features

Place features on shared guides

Treat the eyes, nose and mouth as parts of one turning form. Both eyes follow the brow guide, the nose sits on the centre line, and the mouth curves gently around the front of the muzzle area.

  • Leave room for the forehead and hair mass
  • Make the far eye narrower in a three-quarter view
  • Align the ears with the brow-to-nose region before stylising

Rotate one design

Draw the same neutral head from the front, three-quarter view and profile. Keep the jaw length, eye spacing and feature heights consistent so the exercise tests construction rather than costume details.

Practice expression without losing structure

Change the brows, eyelids and mouth corners while keeping the skull and feature guides stable. Strong expressions become clearer when the underlying head still feels solid.

  • Neutral
  • Curious
  • Determined
  • Worried
  • Joyful
  • Tired