Drawing a Child's Portrait

                                                                  By Lauren Davis

Another topic to bring up is the challenge of drawing children. They have different proportions then adults and take completely different techniques to accurately portray. With rounder cheeks, larger features and sweeter faces, they are an entirely new and difficult task for any artist. Even the hairstyles can be harder. The author recommends remembering many different points while drawing kids. He reminds the artist in include wider eyes, larger ears, thinner brows and longer lashes in young children. (Hamm 36) Here is the picture I came up with by using these techniques. I used Scarlett Estevez who is a ten-year-old actress as my model. (You may know her as Trixie from the TV show Lucifer on Fox.)

Step 1- Outline and Eyes 

I took the outline of the features from a photo of the actress I got from the show. In the book, the author said "The face is smaller in proportion to
the rest of the head. The back of the

head sticks out farther and the neck is smaller." (Hamm, 36) After the face is outlined, you need to perfect the eyes. the wider, brighter eyes have a sense of childlike wonder. Next get the precise eyebrow hairs and shape, ear size and hair. Then it's on to the shading.

                                                  Step 2- Shading 

             

After the outline looks how you want it to, you need to add

depth to the face. The shadows will be different than those on an adult face. With rounder cheeks and a more upturned nose, you have to change the places of light and dark. Author Jack Hamm said, " the early nose is usually upturned; the chin is less prominent and recedes; the mouth has more indentation in the corners." (Hamm, 36)  All of these crucial details can be achieved through careful and precise shading. It is very important to blend everything thoroughly to keep the illusion of roundness in the face. 

                                             Step 3- Hair and Final Touches 

With this particular photo, Scarlett was wearing pigtails. Nothing portrays youth and cuteness like a little girl hairstyle. Unfortunately, they proved to be insufferable to draw nicely. I was shocked at the difficulty of the adorable hairstyle. My technique of choice with hair is to start by picturing it as a shape. after getting the shape correct, then the tricky part is adding in hair strand textures. Then you can blend it out. I generally use a tissue for blending because it picks up less of the pigment than my usual finger blending. Then I just had to shade the shirt and neck and fix the jawline and I was done.

                                                       Final Thoughts

Overall, I did like the book's advice on children's portraits. It had helpful tips for shading and face shape. I'm happy with the finished product but I wish it looked more like the photo I based it off. So what do you think? Do you like the techniques the book's tips and tricks or do you have your own? 

Leave it in the comments below. 🔹

                                                          Citations 

Hamm, Jack. Drawing the Head and Figure. Time Warner International, 1963.