It’s time to make it personal.
Now that you’ve practiced some of the basics for drawing faces, it’s time to give them some of your personality! If a bit of a stylized look is what you’re going for—you know, those faces that you saw and you know who drew them before you even saw a name—you too can achieve this by putting a little bit of yourself into your work. Do you have large eyes, a button nose, a long neck, a unibrow, a pouty mouth? Maybe there’s a “flaw” in your face that you aren’t particularly fond of. (Did you ever wonder if Frida Kahlo liked her unibrow?) Instead of trying to not look at it, flaunt it! Self-portraits don’t have to be a replica of your face, but they can have traits from you that make them more personal and unique.
Find something of yourself to put into your work to truly make it your own. I have a bump on my nose from getting hit with a baseball when I was young. I hated it through my teen years and gradually grew to accept it as I got older. (My husband says it’s “regal,” so I’m not going to argue with that!) I’ve come to terms with it and love to use that little bump in my work. I feel like it represents my self-image through my life, both the good and the bad.
You may also begin to unintentionally develop faces with a specific look. This is your artistic style emerging. Embrace it! If you draw with a heavy hand, go with it. Maybe your work is edgy with energy that shows up in your drawing technique. No one says you have to draw a certain way. A true artist recognizes her style for what it is and goes with it rather than fights against it.
Roses in My Hair
by Pam Carriker
collage, acrylic, charcoal and gesso on watercolor paper
10" × 8" (25cm × 20cm)