This is a beginner-friendly solution for learning the techniques of drawing photo-realism. So you want to learn how to draw a realistic face but sometimes the learning curve is just so steep that it's daunting to even know where to begin. Then you lay your pencil to paper and get frustrated that you just can't match what's in your head with what your hands are doing. The frustration of drawing can be real and intense.
A template offers you a way to side-step the initial problem of getting your proportions perfectly correct. With my drawing tutorials, you shortcut your learning curve and jump straight into drawing a portrait that has proper proportions from the start. This allows you to move past the initial frustrations and actually work on developing the techniques like realistic shading, blending smooth skin tones, rendering highlights, understand gradients, looking at relative tonal variations in different parts of the face, and all the other fun stuff that drawing photo-realism entails. Here's how to use a template and why it's such a great solution for a beginning artist (or intermediate/advanced artists as well!):
Step 1: download the template & print it using standard 8.5 x 11 computer paper
Step 2: transfer the template to high quality drawing paper (graphite transfer paper is the preferred method for this)
Step 3: now that you've got a correctly proportionate under-drawing, follow along with the free video tutorials (also available in-depth in text format) on YouTube to learn shading, blending, drawing realistic eyes, rendering realistic hair - All with perfect proportions thanks to the template!
The template is just your starting point. It allows you to side-step the massive learning curve of drawing correct proportions from the start. I believe it's more actionable to work on the actual drawing techniques and complete a photo-realistic drawing from beginning to end (even if it's a copy). This way you get a small, quick win to keep yourself inspired and know that you ARE capable of drawing a photo-realistic face. This is a shortcut that allows you to make a finished product, stay inspired and then come back later and learn all the lessons for getting proper proportions from life. For now, take the shortcut!! Come back later and take the long route. So many people think the long route is the only way, then they get frustrated and fed up because the learning curve is actually really steep. Try the shortcut instead. It doesn't mean that you can't or won't learn the long way later. Learn by copying, get a quick win and KNOW that you're capable of drawing a realistic face!
Download this template for about the cost of a latte...and I'll guide you through the process of drawing a realistic face :)
*PLEASE NOTE* - To use the template as instructed, you will need graphite transfer paper - To see this and the other tools I use head to my webpage HERE: https://tutorials.zigrossi.art/toolkit