
Drawing the Head and Features
Learn to draw the human skull, facial muscles and features with great anatomical accuracy and detail!
Student Artwork
This class will be offered in Fall 2023. Join our waitlist to reserve your spot and get priority before anyone else. Click on the button to secure your spot.

Drawing the Head and Features
In this course, you will learn to draw the head from any angle by completing a series of rotation studies under the guidance of the instructor. You will learn the key proportions, anatomical landmarks and planar structure of the head so you can draw believable heads and faces from your imagination.You will also learn to analyze the shape and alignment of an individual’s particular facial features in order to faithfully capture their likeness.
By the end of this course, you will have the ability to draw portraits that feel three-dimensional, proportional and that believably convey the subject's identity, personality and mood. This will bring life and a polished touch to your figure studies and character designs!
- Course Type Traditional Drawing Classes
- Duration 10 weeks
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Skill Level
Level 2Level 2
Second level classes are for students who have a good foundation in the basics of realistic drawing (such as perspective, proportion, shading and colour theory) and already know how to use Photoshop, but need more in-depth knowledge to create professional and complex artwork.
This level is about expanding knowledge, strengthening skills, and transitioning to the world of concept art and illustration.
- Language English
Schedule
Note: This class will be offered online only
Class Timings: Fall 2023
Date of first class: TBD
Duration: 10 weeks
If you are unable to attend the class during the times listed above, you will still have access to video recordings of the class lectures and will still receive personalized feedback from your instructor.
Prerequisites
Skill requirements
To enroll in this course you should have:
- A foundation in realistic anatomical drawing, such as basic perspective, proportions and shading.
- Ideally completed our Drawing the Human Form class or have equivalent practice/experience.
If you are unsure of your skill level, please contact [email protected] for additional guidance.
Language and age requirements
You should have at least intermediate level English to take this class. Please be advised that there could be artistic nudity in our classes. Students should be 14 years old to enroll.
Required Materials
- 11 x 14 (minimum), OR 14 x17 OR 18x24 inch pad of white drawing paper: Canson, Strathmore,
or Fabriano brand. NOT newsprint. - Notebook or sketchbook for taking notes
- 3 sheets of Canson Mi-Teints paper, 19x25 inches, Steel Grey or Felt Grey colour
- Staedtler Mars Lumograph graphite pencils, 3 of each: 2B, HB. 1 of each: 2H, 4H and 8B.
- Derwent Drawing pencil in Chinese White
- White plastic eraser
- Kneadable eraser (recommended, Staedtler karat art eraser)
- A mechanical eraser (recommended, Tombow Mono Zero Eraser Pen, or similar)
- A good quality pencil sharpener (recommended, Staedtler metal sharpener with a recipient)
- Clear plastic ruler: 30 cm / 12 inches or longer,
- 3 or 4 bulldog clips to hold paper onto a drawing board
- 1 x drawing board, 19-26 inches wide
*List subject to change, the official material list will be sent before the beginning of the term.
Tech Requirements for Attending Syn Studio Online Classes
Minimum Requirements
- A strong uninterrupted broadband wired or wireless (3G or 4G/LTE) connection with a minimum 600kbps bandwidth (up/down).
- A Laptop/Desktop computer equipped with a single core processor (at least 1 GHZ processing speed) or a smartphone/tablet with equivalent processing capabilities
- Good speakers/earphones to listen to the classes
- Browser - IE7+, Safari 5+, Firefox, Chrome
- Operating System - Windows XP, Mac OS 10.6, Linux distro based on 3.0 kernel, Android 5.0, iOS 10
Syn Studio Recommendations
- A strong uninterrupted broadband wired or wireless (3G or 4G/LTE) connection with a minimum 1.5Mbps bandwidth (up/down). You can also connect to the internet directly using your ethernet cable to improve your experience.
- Laptop/Desktop computer equipped with a dual core processor with at least 2 GHZ processing speed and a 4 GB RAM
- High Quality speakers/earphones to listen to the classes
- Browser & Operating System - We recommend using the latest version of the browser and operating system for an optimal online classroom experience.
Course Outline
*Please note that the following outline is subject to change slightly at the teacher's discretion.
Week 1: Learn the proportions of the human skull and how to draw it effectively with box and sphere-based construction techniques.
Week 2: Understand how to use cross-contour and relief modeling to feel and express the solidity and mass of the skull. Learn a powerful method, from Bammes, to break down the skull into basic planes.
Week 3: Gain proficiency drawing a head from reference, delineating plane-breaks with reference to the anatomical landmarks of the skull learned earlier.
Weeks 4 to 6: Fully comprehend how to draw the skull from all angles by creating 16 sequential views of the skull rotating in perspective for an animated video sequence.
Week 7: Learn to draw facial expressions and express the dynamic relationship between the head, neck and shoulders through gesture drawing from a reference.
Weeks 8 and 9: Become proficient drawing the eyes, ears, nose and mouth using planar hatching, cross-contour and relief modeling to bring out the form and topography.
Week 10: Learn to analyze the shape and alignment of features on the skull and capture the uniqueness of each human face. In a series of final drawings from reference, put together all you’ve learned to achieve a convincing head drawing with a feeling of volume and planar structure.
Questions and Assistance
Feel free to send us an email at [email protected] or give us a call at 514-998-7625
Please consult our FAQ; most of the commonly asked questions are answered in detail there. If you cannot find the answer to your question, please feel free to fill out the form below, or, send an email to [email protected]
