*This is an exclusive tutorial*
Darlene here with another awesome tutorial! Wanna learn how to properly draw faces from the 3/4 view? Let me show you how in 11 easy steps.
If you enjoyed my other two face drawing tutorials, you’ll love this one as well!
Other face drawing tutorials:
UPDATE: I wanted to add more value to this tutorial, so I added another section at the very end so you get two tutorials in one! The first part is how to draw a male face from the 3/4 view and the second (bonus section) is for the female face.
The second part includes additional information which you can also apply to drawing male faces as well.
- Draw faces in the 3/4 view with accuracy and solid proportions
- Be able to draw ‘portraits‘ with more accuracy and spot obvious mistakes in your current and past work
- Draw realistic faces without having to reference anything! If you suffer from the curse of not being able to draw a face without looking at a picture, it’s because you need this tutorial. It’s a game changer. I promise!
A word of advice before you start: Try the tutorial at least 3-5 times before you throw your hands up in the air and give up.
Tools:
Step 1
*PDF Download*
For your personal offline viewing, click the following link and hit the download button beside the printer icon to download the PDF: RapidFireArt Tutorials-How to Draw a Face Three Quarter View
Step 2
Using an HB and then 2B, draw a raindrop shaped loop that starts at the chin and wraps around the right side of the circle and ends back at the chin.
Step 3
First 4 lines:
Split the front of the face into 4 equal sections by first drawing a line down the center of the face (labelled line E). Then draw 1 line on either side, running down the middle of each section (labelled lines D and F).
Add another line between line F and the right outer edge of the face (labelled line G).
Last Line:
From the highest point of the raindrop shape that marks the side of the head, draw a line going all the way down to the jaw.
Step 4
Step 5
Then draw lines across the face. Make sure your lines wrap around the face’s curvature.
Step 6
For all the facial features, use a 2B. If you’re drawing guidelines, use an HB with very little pressure.
Draw your nose in the center of the face between the first 2 lines you just made (Center Line and line 2).
For an average sized nose, keep the width of your nose close to line D and F.
Click here to learn how to draw a nose from the 3/4 view
Step 7

The eyes will go on the center line. The left eye sits between the edge of the face and the bridge of the nose while the right eye is placed between line F and the right edge of the face. Make use of the space. Do not draw your eyes too small.
To draw eyebrows in the resting position, place them below line C. For a surprised expression, venture on or above line C.
Step 8

Make a triangle that sits on line 3 and reaches up to the base of the nose (the base of your nose may be different from mine).
Click here for my free tutorial on how to draw lips from the 3/4 view
Keep the width of your lips on/between lines D and G. The corners of the lips should line up perfectly with the center of the eye above it.
Step 9

On the side of the head, draw the ear starting on the ‘Center Line’ and Line 2.
Draw the neck as well. Make sure it lines up with the head’s outline.
Step 10

Let’s give the left outer edge of the face a lot more shape. Define your brow bones, cheek bones, chin and jawline.
Your left eyebrow and/or eye will need some touching up, so extend your lines to the new outer edge of the face.
Step 11
I love this part! Between lines A and B, draw the hairline. For a receding hairline go above line A.
Draw the hair far away from the outline of the head to give the hair some good volume.
Erase all your outlines and you’re done! This is one of the rare times I use a hard eraser because it’s difficult to erase large areas with a kneaded eraser. The kneaded eraser is great for erasing between tight spaces and erasing close to any part of the drawing you want to keep.
I encourage you to practice this tutorial a few times with the ruler until you are comfortable to go freehand.
Bonus Tutorial: How to Draw a Female Face (3/4 View)
This bonus tutorial uses the same method as the one above except there are a few changes in each step for the female face. I’ve also added some unique differences like the iris position and body position so you guys can get even more out of this section.
Note: If you skipped all the way to this section, please follow the first tutorial before you go to this one because you might get lost.
Step 1: Circle
For this example, I’m using pretty much the same guidelines as the first tutorial.
Step 2: Nose
I’m skipping the other steps because it’s already covered in the first tutorial.
I like to draw female noses much shorter than males. In the first tutorial, the nose’s base touched Line 2, while this nose is shorter and a little more narrow.
Step 3: Eyes and Eyebrows
Females have wider eyes in general, but when you draw them, avoid over-doing it. If you’re struggling to draw feminine eyes, a darker outline around the top and bottom lid can do wonders.
I decided to change the iris position this time around so the character is looking straight at us. At this particular 3/4 angle, the edge of each iris lines up perfectly with Line D and G (or the center of the eye).
I like to draw the eyebrows thick to begin with and then narrow at the ends while also ensuring that they’re curvy. You may have noticed how close the eyebrows are to the eyes. This gives the character a more intense expression, while the character drawn in the first tutorial has a more relaxed expression.
If you want to draw someone that looks surprised, widen the eyes and draw the eyebrows as high as Line C.
Step 4: Lips
For the lips, draw a triangle from the base of the nose to Line 3. If you need a refresher on how to draw lips, click here. Females tend to have larger, fuller lips than males, so I tired to make full use of the space between Line 2 and 3.
Step 5: Shaping the Face and Chin
Now we’re going to define the left side of the face.
I wanted to give this character an intense expression but at the same time, I don’t want her to look masculine. If you’re like me, be careful not to put too much emphasis on the brow bone. I kept my lines as close as possible to the circle that I drew in step 1.
You can introduce some extreme curves below the eyebrow. For example the eye socket or the cheek to make it look full.
For the chin, you don’t necessarily have to follow the guidelines. If you look closely, I deviated from the guidelines and drew a rounder and slightly more narrow chin as I saw fit.
For the jawline, I kept it as smooth as possible. There are many females with strong jawlines, so you don’t have to follow exactly what I’ve done here. The fun thing about drawing faces is that you can mix and match.
Step 6: Ear, Head and Neck
Around the CENTER LINE and Line 2, draw the ear. You’ll notice that this character has higher ears than her male counterpart. The thing about ears is that the position isn’t always the exact same from person to person.
Higher ears can make someone look more alert.
Once you’re done with the ear, draw the rest of the head. Again, head shapes vary from person to person as well. The back of her head comes out more than his.
The neck drawn here indicates that she is turning around to look at us. A big giveaway are the wrinkles at the back of her neck which is twisting the skin from the bottom of her head in the opposite direction as the rest of her body.
Step 7: Hair
When drawing hair that’s tied up you still want to make sure that the hair outline is not touching the scalp so the hair appears to have more volume.

Darlene created RFA In 2013 with the goal of sharing simple yet detailed drawing tutorials with other artists on the world wide web. She is a self taught pencil portrait artist and Youtuber.
what are your tips for drawing the face at other positions for example just slightly turning way from full face, not as much as 3/4?
Thanks.
best tutorial thanx to you it is very good
hi, thanks for your great jobs, i follow all your videos on youtube n work hardly to learn drawing at home but i am confused how to n which steps should i start from? and i also dont know long does it take to draw professionally?
i m thanking you for answer in advance
This was fantastic. I enjoyed the alternative take on the tutorial through part two with the female face. I can definitely see myself getting better. Thanks Darlene!
That’s great to hear! Do let me know if you have any questions. I’m more than happy to help!
Its was so mesmerizing
Hey I have paid but no link has been sent to me…
Hi Rich, the email was sent to your paypal email ending in @hotmail.com.
I’ll send another to this email. Please check your spam and junk folders, it may have landed in there :)
I have paid for this tutorial TWICE now! how do i get what i paid for!!!
Hi Henry, sorry you had to pay twice. I’ll refund the second payment to you.
Here’s how the unlock works: Once your payment goes through, an automated email gets sent out to the paypal email you provided during the payment process. Insidee the email, theres a link to access the unlocked tutorial.
Im going to send it to you manually as well in a second. If you’d rather have it sent to a different email, please let me know at rapidfireart@outlook.com.
Note: please be aware that the full tutorial can only be accessed through the special link found in your email.
I just sent you an email with the link from 2 of my emails. Please check your junk and spam inboxes in case they landed there. Refunding you on the second payment now :)
In case you havent recieved any of my emails, I included the unlocked tutorial link in the paypal refund ‘notes’ :)
Hi very nice
Thanks for the tutorial Darlene! Super helpful. And the bonus content was great. Appreciate you sharing your skills with us!
Thanks so much for your valuable feedback Lon!
I’m not a English man, so I can’t pay any dollar. We pay with euros.
Hi Niels, I think Paypal accepts different currencies and converts them as well.
Darlene your tutorial is so straightforward and precise. I’m proud to say that I’ve just completed my very first successful portrait thanks to you. I can’t wait for each tutorial you make because I just love your teaching style and attention to detail. I can’t thank you enough for all of your help.
Jo
I like how your tutorials are thorough, clear and well organized. That makes them easy to understand and follow. I purchased your “How to Draw a Face From 3/4 View” and not only do you give a link to the complete tutorial but also include a link to a printable .pdf file! $4 is a bargain, less than a fancy cup of coffee.
Thanks for your feedback Den! I’m going to add more content to this tutorial (female face 3/4 view), I expect to finish it before the end of the month. Don’t forget to check back here later for the big update :)
signing up for the newsletter, thx
Paying is okay – it’s only $4.
i have to pay this is stupid
I rlly need this tutorial, but don’t want to pay ðŸ˜ðŸ˜ðŸ˜ðŸ˜ðŸ˜