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How to draw an ear – 5 easy steps

When drawing portraits, people usually do not put too much effort into creating a likeness with their subject’s ears because we usually recognize people by their faces or other unique features that stand-out.

Even though they are not given a lot of attention, it is still good practice to learn how to draw an ear and understand it’s structure.

Drawing ears may seem difficult and complex because they contain many bumps, valleys and folds. Learning how to draw an ear is is a lot easier when you learn to simplify it’s complex shapes like the example image below.

Shapes of the ear 1

Materials I used for this simple ear drawing tutorial:
– Blending stump
– HB Derwent pencil
– 4B Derwent pencil
– Canson Sketch paper (not the usual Canson Bristol Paper which is my ultimate favorite. Ran out of that.)

Step 1: Draw the shape of an ear

Outline the shape of the ear making sure the bottom part of the ear (ear lobe) is smaller in proportion to the top part of the ear (known as the helix).

“Where exactly do I draw an ear on the head?” Click here to find out!

how to draw an ear step 1

Step 2: Draw the bumps and folds

Draw 2 curves to indicate the main folds within the ear. The first curve should line the middle to top part of the ear. You can make this curve as smooth or jagged as you want.

Remember to leave a small amount of room around the edge. The left side of the curve should curl slightly into the center of the ear.

How to draw an ear step 2_1

The second curve should come out of the first one and have a tear-shaped bottom. Wrap the curve up to form a flap (known as the tragus). Make sure you leave a good amount of space at the bottom for the ear lobe. how to draw an ear step 2

Step 3: Shading preparation

At the beginning of the tutorial, I pointed out three main shapes within an ear. We drew two of them in step 2. The third shape looks like the letter ‘y’. You can either draw the ‘y’ very lightly or picture it on your drawing instead. We’ll be using it later in this step.

Decide on a direction from which the light is coming from and use soft lines to indicate where the darkest shadows will fall. These places will be the most prominent folds and deepest valleys within the ear.

For this example, the light is shining from the left side.

If any shadows cross through the ‘y’, make sure you warp them to compliment any ridges, bumps or valleys of the ‘y’.

how to draw an ear step 3

Step 4: Shade the darkest areas

Shade the areas outlined in the previous step with a 4B pencil. Remember to shade deeper parts of the ear darker and bumps lighter.

Click here to learn how to shade!

how to draw an ear step 4

Step 5: Add mid tones and light tones

Using an hb pencil, shade the rest of the ear, keeping in mind that the bumps should be lightest and valleys darkest. Use a blending stump to blend each area separately (learn about how to use a blending stump here). Use a kneaded eraser to bring out the lightest areas of the ear if needed.

how to draw an ear step 5

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If you enjoyed this short and simple tutorial on drawing the human ear, please share it with your friends!

What’s next? Click here to learn how to draw it on a face!

Darlene Nguyen

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.

How to draw a smile with teeth – 7 easy steps

28 Comments / Learn How to Draw

Hello fellow artists! Wow, it’s been such a long time since I posted a tutorial on RapidFireArt! Sorry for the long hiatus.

Over the next few months I will be posting regularly, so please follow me on Facebook or RFA if you want to see more ‘how to’ articles.

Today, I will be showing you how to draw a smile with teeth using a pencil in a simple way. Drawing teeth can be a huge struggle for beginners. When I drew teeth for the first time, they looked crooked, dark, and altogether creepy! If you always avoid drawing toothy smiles, this tutorial is just for you!

For this tutorial I used the following materials:

– Blending Stump (with a fine tip)
– 0.5mm HB and 4B Ain lead
– 6B Derwent Graphic Pencil
– Canson Sketch Paper (First time trying this cute travel-sized sketch pad. It’s completely different from the Canson Bristol Paper I usually draw on. Blending with this sketch paper is not as easy. I got a lot of tiny blotches here and there. So I spent a bit of time erasing.

How to Draw a Realistic Smile with Teeth

Step 1: Draw a Hammock Shape

Draw a hammock shape with a vertical line down the middle.
Add 2 diagonal lines on each side and 2 curves about a third or quarter of the way up depending on where you want to position the top and bottom sets of teeth.

Step 2: Draw the lips

Draw the lips by following the outer lines.

Click here for my tutorial on how to draw lips!

Step 3: Draw the teeth

Using HB lead, draw the 2 front teeth and work your way out, alternating from one side to the other in order to keep track of the sizing for each tooth. Do the same for the bottom. Remember not to draw the outlines too dark. You want the lines to be subtle or it will be hard to erase later.
It’s tempting, but try not to make each side mirror images of each other. Each tooth has a unique shape and alignment. They should have slight differences from each other if you want to draw more realistic teeth.

Step 4: Erase all guidelines

Erase all the lines from step 1. Make sure everything looks good before you move on to the next step. Any flaws will be hard to correct after step 5.

Step 5: Shade and blend

how to draw teeth step 6

Now it’s time to shade everything but the teeth. First, let’s start by using the 4B lead to give the lips and gums some tone. The inner areas of the top and bottom lips should be dark so that they do not blend in with the gums and teeth. Highlight the gum area directly above each tooth and darken the areas in between them. Using a 6B pencil, darken the corners of the mouth and gradually go lighter as you reach the middle to show the tongue.

Now blend everything using a blending stump.

Want to learn how to shade? Click here for a detailed tutorial on shading!

Step 6: Shade each tooth and blend

how to draw teeth 7

Shade each tooth one at a time using an HB pencil, leaving certain areas highlighted to give the teeth more shape and make them appear glossy. It is important to use HB lead to prevent yourself from shading darker than you need to. Go over each tooth with a clean blending stump to smooth out the harsh lines. Stay within the lines when you are blending.

UPDATE: If you’re stuck on any step, please watch the video version of this tutorial where I draw a smile with even more details, step-by-step.

Step 7: Touchups on your smile drawing

Create a fine point with your kneaded eraser and dab away at highlights to brighten them up. Notice that I made the top set of teeth slightly brighter than the lower set to bring them forward. I can create the reverse effect by making the lower set lighter in value. However, the effect is limited by the placement of each tooth in step 3.

Using a 0.5mm 4B lead, add definition to the edges of each tooth by giving them clean and sharp outlines. Be careful not to lose those clean edges when blending around the teeth. Stay within the lines!

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If you enjoyed this tutorial on how to draw a smile with teeth, please share with your friends!

More lip tutorials:

Drawing lips from the front

Drawing lips from the 3/4 view

Drawing lips from the side

Darlene Nguyen

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.

How to draw a nose from the side – 6 steps

17 Comments / Learn How to Draw

Many people find drawing noses difficult, especially from the side. Creating basic shapes as a guideline will make the process of drawing noses a lot less difficult.

Here is a list of materials I used for the tutorial below.

– Mechanical Pencil with 0.5 mm 4B Ain Lead
– Kneaded Eraser
– Blending Stump (learn how to use a blending stump here)
– Smooth Bristol Paper

How to Draw a Nose from the Side

Step 1: Draw two small circles

To draw the profile of a nose, you want to start out with 2 round circles which are spaced generously apart. (Imagine there is a third circle in between the 2). For the next step, I’ve drawn a triangle to give you guidance on how to draw the bridge/slope of the nose.

Click here to learn where to place these circles on a face!

Step 2: Draw the bridge, nose tip and philtrum

Draw a curved slope up and around the left circle to form the tip and bridge and a curve below it to form the philtrum or cupid’s bow. The cupid’s bow should not go too far to the left or right. Draw it somewhere in between the 2 circles.

Step 3: Add the nostril

Make a looped shape for the nostril. It should not be too long or too big. Again, try to draw between the 2 circles.

Step 4: Shade the nose

You can erase the circles at this point and start shading. As you can see, the shading technique employed in this tutorial is circular. That will help achieve a more realistic skin texture. In my shading tutorial, I cover a few more shading techniques as well as give tips on how to shade smoothly. Click here to go to my shading tutorial.

Step 5: Highlight prominent areas

Make sure you leave some areas highlighted.

Step 6: Touch ups

Here, I have darkened some areas as well as went over the highlights with the end of a kneaded rubber eraser. The outlines have also been erased slightly. I used the blending stump, to blend around the highlights to make the skin look less harsh.

I hope you enjoyed this tutorial on how to draw a nose from the side! If you have any questions or requests, let me know in the comments below!

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So, what’s next?? Click here to learn where to place a nose on the face!

More nose tutorials:

If you want to learn how to draw different noise shapes (male, female and children), please watch my Youtube tutorial below:

Noses from the front

Noses from the 3/4 view

Darlene Nguyen

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.

How to draw lips – 10 easy steps

144 Comments / Learn How to Draw

how to draw lips 14

In this tutorial I will teach you how to draw lips in 10 easy steps using a simple triangle shape. You can create different kinds of lips by making small changes in the first step. I came up with this method one day by somehow associating a pair of lips with a bow and arrow haha.

I always receive messages from readers who have tried this tutorial and say it works great for them. I hope it works for you too! Enjoy!

I will be using the following materials for this tutorial:

– Mechanical Pencil with 0.5mm HB Ain lead
– Derwent Graphic 6B Pencil
– Kneaded Eraser
– Blending Stump
– Smooth Bristol Paper

How to Draw Lips

Step 1: Draw a Triangle

Draw a long isosceles triangle. Partway down draw a curve (similar to a “u” shape). Draw a straight horizontal line between the “u” shape and the base of the triangle. The longer you draw the horizontal line, the wider the lips will be. The shorter the line, the more plump they will be.

“But what if I want to draw this on a face, Darlene?” Check out my tutorial on drawing faces to find out where you should place your triangle. It covers proportions and will help you determine how long the triangle should be as well as how wide the lips should extend taking other elements of the face into consideration.

Step 2: Draw a bow

Create the outlines for the top lip by making a shape that looks similar to a cupid’s bow.

Step 3: Draw the bottom lip

Create the bottom lip by drawing a curved line which goes no further than the triangle’s base. Complete the opening of the mouth by using the horizontal line as a guide.

If you’re stuck on this step or not quite sure how to do it, click here to watch me draw it step by step on YouTube with plenty of examples!

Step 4: Decide on the light direction

After erasing the triangle, determine where the light source is coming from. For this example, the light source is coming from the top right. I’ve outlined the areas I want to highlight as well as added a cast shadow on left side of the bottom lip.

Step 5: Shade the top and bottom lip

Shade both the top and bottom lip leaving the areas mentioned in STEP 4 the lightest. As you can see there is a dark shadow under the bottom lip. It starts to fade on the right side to show that the light source is coming from the upper right.

Step 6: Add lip wrinkles

Create some lip wrinkles using a 0.5mm HB pencil. You don’t want to press too hard or else it will be difficult to achieve the effect in the next step.

Want to find out how to incorporate lip wrinkles in your drawing without making them look unnatural? Try the contour shading technique as mentioned in my shading tutorial :)

Step 7: Blend the bottom lip

Using a blending stump (learn how to use one here), smooth out the shading on the bottom lip. Avoid areas mentioned in STEP 4. Those areas will make the lips appear more plump and round. You will notice that the lip wrinkles slowly start to blend in with the shading. But they shouldn’t disappear!

Step 8: Clean up highlights

Go over the lighter areas with the pointed end of a kneaded eraser and clean up the highlights to create the glare effect.

STEP 9: Repeat

Repeat STEP 7-8 for the top lip.

Step 10: Touch ups

Using a 6b pencil, darken the shadows in areas such as the outer edges of the lips, under the bottom lip, the wrinkles and the corners of the lips.

You can change the size of the lips by moving the horizontal line up (to make the upper lip thin) or down (to make to make the upper lip thicker). Also, adding more glare will make the lips look even more plump.

Have any questions or requests? Let me know in the comments!

Don’t worry if your drawing doesn’t turn out the way you expected on the first try. Keep going at it and you will understand and grasp each step. It will become much easier! Also, don’t forget to experiment with different triangle shapes and positioning of the guides in STEP 2.

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If you enjoyed this easy step-by-step tutorial on how to draw lips, please share this post to support RFA :) Thank you!

Click here to learn how to draw 10 different kinds of lips (smile, frown, smirk, etc).

More Lip Tutorials:

Drawing lips from the 3/4 view

Drawing a smile with teeth

Drawing lips from the side

How to draw lips on a face

Want to try a different method? Here’s a more simple one:

Darlene Nguyen

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.

How to draw a nose from the front – 7 easy steps

73 Comments / Learn How to Draw

Here is a very simple step by step tutorial on how to draw a nose from the front view. Below is a diagram of a nose broken down into 3 separate parts: the bridge, the nostrils and the ball or tip. Breaking things down into sections will make drawing noses a breeze! We will first use simple shapes/forms as guidelines to construct the shape of the nose and to maintain symmetry.

I will be using the following materials for this nose drawing tutorial:
– Mechanical Pencil with 0.5 mm HB lead by Ain (If you’re a beginner, it may be hard to shade with a mechanical pencil. You can use a blunt HB pencil for a smoother shading and blending experience).
– Kneaded Rubber Eraser
– Blending Stump (Learn how to use one here)
– Canson Bristol Paper (smooth side)

How to Draw a Nose Step by Step

Step 1: Start with a circle

Draw a circle for the ball of the nose and 2 curved lines on each side for the bridge. Keep the strokes light so they can be erased in later steps.

Step 2: Draw simple guidelines for the nose shape

Draw a horizontal line through the middle of the circle and a diamond-like shape around it for the nostrils.

Step 3: Shade around the nose bridge and tip

Shade around the outer part of the bridge and around the inner part of the circle, making a long “U” shape. You will notice the shading is thicker at the top of the bridge. That is because the bridge of the nose leads into the brow bones. Don’t worry if the guidelines you created earlier didn’t blend in with your shading. We will darken the drawing later.

Click here for a tutorial on how to draw a nose from the side

Step 4: Draw the nostrils

Follow the diamond shape to create the nostrils. Now it’s starting to come together!

Step 5: Shade the nostrils

Shade the nostrils and remember to leave some areas untouched so you can do some highlighting later.

If you’re having difficulties shading, click here!

Step 6: Shape the nose

Shape and contour the bridge and ball of the nose. You can shade around the top of the circle to make the nose look pointer or shade the middle of the circle to give it a flatter look. Use the eraser to dab areas which appear too dark, any lines that show through or areas you want to highlight.

Step 7: Blend your shading

Next, you want to use a blending stump (learn how to use a blending stump here) to gently blend out the skin and give it a softer look. Add some touch-ups and go over your highlighted areas once more with a kneaded eraser. You can try different diamond shapes as well as circles to create more unique nose shapes. Experiment with shading to achieve longer, flatter, or more defined noses and so on. Click here to check out my tutorial on how to draw a nose step by step from the side.

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If you want to know where to place the nose on a face with correct proportions, check out my tutorial on drawing faces!

Hey! This tutorial now comes with a video! If you haven’t watched it yet, click here or press play below! The video is very detailed and contains many additional steps, examples and techniques:

Enjoyed this simple nose drawing tutorial and know someone who will too? Share it with your friends!

More nose drawing tutorials:

Drawing noses from the 3/4 view

Drawing noses from the side

Darlene Nguyen

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.

How to draw a realistic eye

174 Comments / Learn How to Draw

Hi, welcome to RapidFireArt! My name is Darlene and in this tutorial I’m going to teach you how to draw a realistic eye using easy step by step instructions. This is my first tutorial, so I hope you enjoy it!

UPDATE: For a while now, you guys have requested a tutorial on drawing a pair of eyes. Here it is, along with a super in-depth tutorial as well!

For this tutorial on drawing a realistic eye, I will be using the following tools:
– Mechanical Pencil with 0.5 mm HB and 4B Ain Leads
– Derwent Graphic 6B Pencil
– Kneaded Eraser
– Blending Stump (Learn how to use them here)
– Smooth Bristol Paper

Let’s Begin!!

how to draw eyes step by step_rapidfireart

Step 1: Outline the Shape of an Eye and Highlight

Let’s start off with an HB pencil to sketch the shape of the eye. This outline should not be too dark because you want to prevent it from showing through in the end. We just need the basic shapes outlined at this point. The square shape in the pupil is a glare from a window or similar shaped light source. You can use other shapes such as circles or ovals as well.

If you’re stuck on drawing a realistic eye shape, iris or eyebrow, visit the 3 pages below:

Step 2: Shade the Pupil

Using a 6B pencil, fill in the pupil. Avoid pressing too hard or else it will be hard for you to erase if you need to make corrections later on. You can go over the area again to achieve a darker shade. Make sure the highlights stay clean!

Step 3: Shade the Iris

On a separate sheet of paper, smear some graphite into a small area. Use the blender to rub the area until the graphite has transferred to the tip of the blender (learn how to use a blending stump here). You will now use that to fill in the outer area of the pupil. This step does not have to be done perfectly. Sloppy smudging will make it turn out better, as well as give the eye more depth.

Step 4: Draw Spokes

With a 4B pencil draw spokes going outward from the pupil. Overlap some of the spokes to create thicker lines. This will make the eye look more interesting. Leave some areas untouched as they will be filled in later.

If you’re enjoying this article, click here for another realistic eye tutorial!

Step 5: Blend the Iris

Use the blending stump to fill the white space in the iris. Carefully work around the highlight. Don’t press too hard. You should still be able to see the lines coming out of the pupil when done. If most of the lines have disappeared, you have either used the blender with too much force, or have not pressed hard enough when creating the spokes.

Step 6: Add Depth

Use the 6B pencil to create a shadow under the eye lid to give the eye more depth and roundness.

Step 7: Shade the Skin

Shade the eye whites as well as the skin around the eyes. Don’t leave the eyeball white or else it will appear unrealistic and lack depth. For a more detailed tutorial on shading eye whites and how to make eyeballs look round, click here.

Darken the creases using a 4B pencil. Use the kneaded eraser to make the highlights pop, as well as dab areas of the eye that need to be lightened. For example the eye whites, lower lash area, brow bone and the inner corner of the eye near the tear duct.

Want to improve your shading skills? Click here to read my shading tutorial!

Step 8: Draw Eyebrows and Eyelashes

Fill in the eyebrows as well as the eyelashes. Eyelashes should be drawn using curved lines, NOT straight lines. To create the eyebrows, use a thin HB pencil. For the eyelashes, go with something darker, like a 6B. Go over the drawing and darken areas such as the pupil, creases, shadows and clean the highlights to make your drawing POP!

Click here for a super detailed tutorial on how to draw eyelashes

Step 9: Touchups

I’ve added some eyelash reflections, some subtle blood vessels as well as darkened the overall drawing. Try to use as many shades as possible when drawing eyes. Most people are afraid to go dark. Look at the picture in step 8 and compare it to the last step. Going dark makes a huge difference! I used to stop at step 8 too, because I was afraid I wouldn’t be able to erase if my hard work turned into a complete disaster. This fear left me unsatisfied with all my drawings because they lacked depth. So take it a step further and make use of your softer pencils!

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I hope you enjoyed this simple step-by-step tutorial on how to draw a realistic eye with pencil. If you have any questions or requests, let me know in the comments below!

So tell me… was that an easy eye drawing tutorial? Or does it need some improvement? Your feedback would be greatly appreciated :)

Want more eye tutorials?

How to draw a realistic PAIR of eyes

How to draw an eye from the side

Darlene Nguyen

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.