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 Winking person with shoulder-length hair, flower-shaped earring, collared shirt 

✨ Introduction

Drawing a portrait is more than capturing a likeness — it’s about expressing emotion, culture, and character through pencil strokes. In this tutorial, we walk step by step through the creation of a realistic graphite portrait, beginning with simple guidelines and building toward refined details. Each stage adds structure and depth: from mapping the eyes, nose, and lips, to outlining hair flow, and finally enhancing the work with traditional accessories and expressive shading.

This process is designed for beginners and intermediate artists who want to learn how to balance proportion, technique, and storytelling in their sketches. By the end, you’ll not only have a completed portrait but also a deeper understanding of how to bring personality and cultural richness into your art.

✏️ Step 1: Basic Head Construction Lines

Purpose: Establish proportions and placement Instructions:

  • Draw a vertical center line for facial symmetry

  • Add a horizontal line for eye placement (slightly tilted if winking)

  • Sketch a circle for the cranium and extend downward with jawline guides

  • Indicate the neck with two vertical lines from the base of the jaw

  • Lightly mark shoulder slope and collar placement

Tips:

  • Use an HB pencil for light sketching

  • Keep lines soft and erasable

  • Ensure the head is slightly tilted to match the wink and smile gesture


Step 2: Facial Contours and Feature Placement


  • Refine the jaw and cheek curves

  • Sketch the ear (visible side only)

  • Place the eyes: one open, one winking

  • Add simple outlines for nose and mouth





Step 3: Hair and Clothing Outline

  • Begin sketching the hair volume with flowing lines

  • Add eyebrows and refine eye shapes

  • Outline the shirt collar and neck folds



Step 4: Initial Facial Details

  • Add eyelid curves, iris, and pupil to the open eye

  • Refine the wink with shading on the closed lid

  • Shape the nose and lips more precisely




Step 5: Light Shading

  • Begin shading the hair for depth

  • Add soft shadows around eyes, nose, and mouth

  • Shade the neck and collar folds






Step 6: Deepen Shadows

  • Intensify shading in the hair and facial features

  • Add contrast to the eyes and lips

  • Refine shadows under the chin and around the neck



Step 7: Accessory and Texture

  • Draw the flower-shaped earring

  • Add texture to the hair strands

  • Begin smoothing facial shading



Step 8: Final Refinements

  • Deepen all shadows and highlights

  • Smooth transitions in skin tones

  • Finalize details in the earring and shirt




Step 9: Complete Realism

  • Polish all shading and textures

  • Ensure lifelike depth in hair, eyes, and expression

  • Clean up stray lines and finalize the portrait





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