Portrait drawn in black and gray fineliner on pale cream textured sketchbook paper, with a complete silhouette and open margins.
Drawing referenceAbout reference use

Portrait fine ink study

One head-and-shoulders portrait of an adult in three-quarter view, short hair, neutral expression and plain shirt. Practice clear contours and a few local shadows in fine ink.

PeopleEasyFineliner20 min, at your pace
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A way into the drawing

  1. Establish the main shapes

    Place the skull oval, jaw and neck.

  2. Connect the structure

    Set the eye line, nose, mouth and hair mass on the same turned head.

  3. Develop the drawing

    Refine the clear outer contour, add only the most useful interior details and place a few small local shadows. Leave most of the paper open.

A small thing to tryCheck the facial center line before refining features.