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Out of many themes for an art painting, drawing or sketch, there is always an overwhelming demand for portrait paintings, but these are only effective when they resemble the most noticeable features of the person you're trying to draw. The human nature itself poses such a high demand for portrait artists, who usually crowd the holiday destinations in hope to get some more clients. Who wouldn't want a portrait of them drawn on an exotic summer holiday with a gorgeous holiday skin and nice smile from all the enjoyment of rest from rainy business days?! A good quality photo might be good as a memory from an enjoyable holiday but not as personal as a portrait, summarising and even exaggerating all the emotions of a person.

Portrait drawing skill is a hard one indeed, as if the portrait does not resemble the original look of a person, it isn't worth much at all. Of course starting from a beginner level, there are a few things you should know. First, the structure of the face. The human faces can be of different shapes and sizes so you have to notice the shape of a face, be it round or oval, small or long, and capture it with a simple outline, being careful enough to draw a thin sketch line rather than an exaggerated black one. Depending on the type of art resources you're using, the shade can be achieved in a different way but it is also a common practice to start with a sharp HB pencil for first sketch and outlines. Once happy with a face shape, you can concentrate on eyes. It is important to get the eyes in place first as they are the most striking feature of anyone's appearance and if not placed in a right position, will ruin the portrait.

The eyes are usually positioned so that there's enough space between them for another imaginary eye of same size. Then on to the nose, which is positioned usually in the middle of the face and whole head (in profile portraits). It is important to get the shape right too as nose is also a very distinct feature that varies in each individual. The edges of the nose on both right and left can be measured according to the middle of the eye width. So now that you've done the basic structure of the face, compare it to the person's face. It is a common practice to put your work against a mirror as it helps to see any flaws in your work. How does it work? Well, works just like judging someone else's art, as you're not in a process of creating a painting/drawing, but are looking in from a side. The most important thing though is to be concentraiting on what's out there and not sketching the ideas from your head, like a big black eye liner around eyes, to define them, just because we're used to seeing it in cartoons. If just starting your portrait drawing, do ask for feedback from people, as they can show you where you can improve your portraits into more realistic and well done portraits, but don't be too judgemental, just draw what's there!

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