Drawing Faces and Portraits As an artist and teacher who has taught portrait drawing for many years I have seen thousands of beginner, and intermediate, artists struggle with the issues of drawing faces and portraits realistically. Achieving a likeness and a sense of life and spirit in their portrait drawing seemed like an unattainable goal. They simply had never been introduced to, nor taught, the proper methods of portrait drawing.

The foremost, and universal problem in learning how to draw faces and portraits has been the general lack of high quality information and training. Except for too few art schools and ateliers specializing in Classical art training it is difficult to find a comprehensive, integrated resource that presents all of the elements of portrait drawing with a succinct approach to training that works consistently.

My own experience, like that of many other artists, was one of continual frustration. Almost thirty years ago, as a beginner I read and studied every book and, later, video on portrait drawing that I could lay my hands on.

I attended pretty much every portrait drawing class that ran and literally haunted the studios of the Art Students League in New York, and other schools, such as the New York Academy of Art. What I sought was a sound, effective method to drawing faces and portraits - the same sound method that was taught to artists such as Degas. And what I sought simply could not be found, at least, not in one comprehensive source. Such a resource no longer existed. A few gems of information were gleaned from here and there, but it was taking me a lot of time and a lot of money!

Then, like today, there were plenty of 'quick fixes' available. But sooner, or later, they all proved limited resulting in mundane drawings.

If you have ever taken a music, dance or, say, golf lesson, then you know the importance placed on proper technique and form. Drawing faces and portraits is no different.

Acquiring the skills of drawing the face and portrait is really not that difficult. It can be learned. Yes, it does take work and practice. And an understanding of the anatomical forms and planar structures of the face and head.

What I mean by a basic competency is that you will be able to draw a recognizable portrait with a reasonable likeness. The good news here is that this basic competency will place you in the top 20% of artists who can actually draw!

And once you've acquired a solid foundation you will continue to grow and improve as an artist. Your portrait drawing will mature and deepen.

The simple truth to growing as an artist is to first acquire the foundational skills. The most important skill is drawing. How long does it take to learn how to draw? Well, it does depend upon your level of commitment. If you practice consistently, at least 3 times a week for several hours, it will take about six months to a year to acquire a basic competency. The bad news is that there are no short-cuts.

Here's a recent testimony from an artist who discovered our programs while studying at the Art Students League in New York City:

Pictured above are four stages in the development of a portrait drawing. This is sanguine conte drawn on Ingres paper. Incidentally, this drawing was the focus of last February's Drawing Tutorial.

Dear Mr. Britton: I have been a practicing artist throughout my long life. I have gone to various art schools (including The Art Student League), workshops and seminars, have read innumerable art books and magazines and have worked in all types of media. Through it all, I continued to have the same frustrations in drawing portraits. Through practice I got somewhat better, but never felt accomplished. My friend, Janet Walsh [a fellow student at the Art Students League - see her testimony at the bottom of this page], told me about your DVDs and CDs and urged me to give you a try. I can't thank her enough because your instruction is wonderful...you structure each segment, you explain and show, you build on prior lessons, and you speak the language of art. You are exactly what I need to grow and strengthen my art skills. As I have read and experienced many times, when the student is ready, the teacher will appear. I have just ordered some additional DVDs and CDs to add to what will be a year of joyous learning! And best of all, you really understand that art is a meditative process where we are fully in the present moment. Thank you, D. Papakrasas Murphy, North Carolina