The Secrets to Drawing: The Nose and Mouth

Lesson Description

Lesson Twenty-Three of The Secrets to Drawing Course focuses on the essential facial features of the nose and mouth. These features are critical in capturing likeness, expression, and character in a portrait. In this lesson, students learn how to draw the nose and mouth from start to finish using graphite pencils on white drawing paper. The lesson emphasizes proper structure, proportion, and shading to create realistic and expressive results.

Introduction to the Nose and Mouth

The lesson begins with an overview of the anatomy of the nose and mouth. Matt Fussell explains that understanding the underlying structure of these features is key to accurate depiction. For the nose, students learn about the bridge, nostrils, tip, and the subtle planes that create shadows and highlights. For the mouth, the focus is on the shape of the lips, corners, cupid’s bow, and the relationship between the upper and lower lips.

Matt emphasizes that while every individual has unique features, the nose and mouth follow general proportional guidelines that help create balanced and realistic portraits. Observing these features carefully ensures that drawings convey both accuracy and expression.

Step 1: Establishing Proportions

Students begin by lightly sketching the basic shape of the nose and mouth. For the nose, Matt demonstrates how to map the bridge, tip, and nostrils using light guidelines. Attention is given to the relationship between the nose and surrounding facial features, ensuring proper placement and proportion.

For the mouth, students mark the horizontal and vertical alignment to establish the width, corners, and central axis of the lips. This framework provides a foundation for accurate feature placement and helps prevent common mistakes such as misaligned lips or disproportionate nostrils.

Step 2: Drawing the Nose

Once the basic structure is in place, students focus on refining the nose. Matt demonstrates how to define the nostrils, tip, and bridge with gentle contour lines. Shading is introduced to suggest the three-dimensional form, emphasizing the planes of the nose and the way light interacts with its surfaces.

Graphite pencils of varying hardness are used to build depth, with softer pencils creating darker shadows and harder pencils maintaining lighter midtones. Matt guides students in blending shadows smoothly to produce realistic transitions and volume, while maintaining the subtle highlights that give the nose its natural shape.

Step 3: Drawing the Mouth

Next, students move on to the mouth. Using the guidelines, they carefully outline the upper and lower lips, paying attention to the curvature and proportion. The corners of the mouth are shaded to show depth, while the central area of the lips is left lighter to suggest form and highlight.

Matt demonstrates how to layer graphite to capture the subtle tonal differences in the lips, creating realism and dimension. Shading is applied along the edges and within the lip surfaces, blending carefully to avoid harsh lines while preserving texture. Students learn to observe the interplay of light and shadow, which gives the mouth its three-dimensional appearance.

Step 4: Adding Detail and Refinement

With the basic forms established, students focus on adding detail and refining the nose and mouth. Matt shows how to adjust the subtle contours of the nostrils and lips, refine edges, and deepen shadows for enhanced realism. Highlights are maintained or gently lifted using an eraser to create contrast and reflect natural light on the surfaces.

Students also practice adding texture to the lips and the area around the nose, enhancing the lifelike quality of the drawing. By paying attention to subtle nuances, the nose and mouth begin to appear three-dimensional and expressive.

Step 5: Final Assessment and Finishing Touches

In the final stage, students evaluate the overall balance and proportion of the nose and mouth within the context of the face. Matt encourages a careful review of shadows, highlights, and alignment, making small adjustments as needed. Additional shading or blending is applied to refine the realism and unify the drawing.

This final assessment ensures that the nose and mouth work together harmoniously and appear natural, providing a strong foundation for complete portrait drawing in subsequent lessons.

Benefits of Studying the Nose and Mouth

Learning to draw the nose and mouth develops students’ observational skills, understanding of light and shadow, and ability to capture expression. These features are essential for portraiture, conveying both likeness and personality. By mastering proportion, structure, and subtle tonal variation, students enhance their overall portrait drawing abilities.

Mastery of the Nose and Mouth

By the end of Lesson Twenty-Three, students have completed a graphite drawing of a nose and mouth from start to finish. They have learned to construct accurate proportions, render three-dimensional form through shading, and add realistic details. This lesson strengthens the foundation for full-face portrait drawing, building confidence and technical skill. Mastery of the nose and mouth equips students to create expressive and believable portraits, expanding both their technical proficiency and artistic observation.

Lesson Materials

Graphite pencil, white drawing paper.

Lesson Resources

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