Facial hair is another characteristic that distinguishes one individual from the next. Short, dark strokes are perfect for rendering a thick, coarse beard; whereas light, sweeping strokes are ideal for depicting a wispy mustache. Experiment with variations of light and dark lines when drawing a “salt-and-pepper” beard, and use a series of quick, short lines when indicating stubble.
DRAWING THROUGH When drawing a face that is partly hidden by facial hair, it is important to draw the entire head first (i.e., “draw through”) and then add the hair, beard, and accessories (such as the hat). Although the entire head isn’t visible, it still needs to be drawn accurately so the hat sits properly.
STEP 1 First I sketch the shape of the face with an HB pencil. Then I place the guidelines and the features. Next I draw the hat, including the band. I block in the masses of the hair, mustache, and beard with loose, curved lines. Just as when drawing any other type of hair, I simply indicate the general shapes at this stage.
STEP 2 Switching to a 2B pencil, I refine the eyes, eyebrows, and teeth. I add wrinkles around the eyes and on the forehead; then I build up the hat, sketch the shirt collar, and draw the suspenders. Now I return to the hair, indicating the curls with circular strokes. Working from top to bottom, I fill out the top of the hair, and then I develop the mustache, which partially covers the mouth.
STEP 3 After erasing my guidelines, adding the glasses, and defining the eyes, I shade the hat, cross-hatching (see page 3) to create a pattern on the band. I begin rendering the short, tight curls of the beard and the mustache. Then I add darker values to the curls on the left side of the face to separate them and to show the cast shadow of the hat.
STEP 4 I add a layer of shading to the irises, leaving white highlights in each eye. Using the edge of a kneaded eraser, I pull out a highlight on each lens of the glasses to show the reflected light. I apply more shading to the hat to give it more of a three-dimensional look; then I shade the suspenders and the shirt. Finally I finish the curls in the hair and beard, varying my strokes between tight, curved lines and quick, straight lines. I create the shortest, most defined lines in the mustache and around the mouth, leaving most of the beard to the viewer’s imagination.
FOCUSING ON BEARDS
When drawing a white beard, such as this one, group several lines together to create form, but leave some areas white. Also try drawing the strokes in varying directions—this adds interest and movement. It’s also a good idea to overlap your shading a bit where the skin meets the hair, indicating that the skin is showing through the beard.
