Facial Features Drawing: Eye, Nose, Ear and Mouth Construction

Object Drawing Lessons

This lesson teaches construction of the eye, nose, ear and mouth as separate small-scale drawings. It uses a simple convention: x-height is measured from baseline to midline, and letter styles vary, so valid alternatives exist. Each feature is built from labeled landmarks rather than copied as a single outline. Work at a comfortable small scale, measure your actual equipment, and treat any numerical values here as hypothetical examples. The goal is reliable structure, not portrait likeness or expression.

Practice materials: Printable downloads are not available for this lesson yet. Use the instructions and four exercises below.

Convention and setup

Use a baseline and midline for every feature. The x-height is the distance from baseline to midline; this is your working height for small-scale construction. Letter styles vary, so do not force one universal shape. Measure your paper, pencil and eraser with a ruler and record actual sizes. For example, a hypothetical 10 cm by 15 cm card and a 0.5 mm pencil are examples only; substitute your measured values.

Draw a light frame for each feature. Label landmarks with short words, not numbers alone. Keep lines light so corrections are easy. A checkable arithmetic habit: if your frame is 6 cm wide and you divide it into three equal parts, each part is 2 cm. Use consistent units, such as centimeters, throughout.

1. Measure your paper and pencil; write the actual dimensions on the page edge.
2. Draw a baseline and a midline; label the x-height distance.
3. Create four small frames, one per feature, each with its own baseline and midline.
4. Label landmarks before drawing curves.

Eye construction

The eye is built from an upper lid arc, a lower lid arc, an iris circle and a pupil. Place the iris center on the midline. The upper lid arc starts at the inner corner and peaks above the midline; the lower lid arc stays closer to the baseline. The iris circle should cross the midline. Keep the pupil centered in the iris.

Landmarks: inner corner, outer corner, upper lid peak, lower lid low point, iris center. Check symmetry by measuring from the iris center to each corner; these distances should be close, not identical. Valid alternatives include a rounder or narrower iris, provided the midline crossing remains clear.

1. Mark inner and outer corners on the baseline.
2. Mark the iris center on the midline.
3. Draw the upper lid arc from inner to outer corner, peaking above the midline.
4. Draw the lower lid arc below the iris, staying above the baseline.
5. Add the iris circle and a centered pupil; check that the iris crosses the midline.

Nose and ear construction

The nose is built from a bridge line, a tip point and two nostril arcs. Place the bridge line slightly off vertical, then mark the tip on the midline. Nostril arcs sit below the tip and above the baseline. The ear is built from an outer helix curve, an inner curve and a lobe. Place the ear frame so the lobe sits near the baseline and the top curve rises above the midline.

Landmarks for the nose: bridge top, bridge bottom, tip, left nostril, right nostril. For the ear: top curve, inner curve start, inner curve end, lobe. Measure the distance from tip to each nostril; these should be close. Valid alternatives include a wider or narrower ear, provided the lobe and inner curve remain labeled.

1. Nose: mark bridge top and bottom, then the tip on the midline.
2. Nose: draw two nostril arcs below the tip, above the baseline.
3. Ear: mark the top curve above the midline and the lobe near the baseline.
4. Ear: draw the outer helix curve, then the inner curve, then the lobe.
5. Label all landmarks and check distances with a ruler.

Mouth construction and checking

The mouth is built from a center line, an upper lip curve and a lower lip curve. Mark the mouth center on the midline. The upper lip curve dips slightly below the midline at the center; the lower lip curve sits below it, above the baseline. Corners sit on the baseline or slightly above it. Keep the curves light and label the corners.

Check method: measure from the mouth center to each corner; these distances should be close. Measure the vertical gap between upper and lower lip curves at the center; it should be small and consistent. Valid alternatives include a fuller or thinner lip, provided the center line and corners are labeled. Use simple arithmetic: if the mouth width is 4 cm and the center is at 2 cm, each half is 2 cm.

1. Mark the mouth center on the midline.
2. Mark left and right corners on or near the baseline.
3. Draw the upper lip curve dipping below the midline at center.
4. Draw the lower lip curve below the upper curve, above the baseline.
5. Measure center-to-corner distances and the center gap; record results.

Worked example

Construct an eye in a hypothetical 6 cm by 6 cm frame. Baseline is at the bottom, midline is 3 cm above baseline. Mark inner corner at 1 cm from left, outer corner at 5 cm from left, iris center at 3 cm from left on the midline. Draw upper lid arc peaking 1 cm above midline, lower lid arc staying 1 cm above baseline, iris circle crossing the midline, and a centered pupil. Label landmarks and state one check.

Four practice exercises

Common mistakes

• Drawing the iris entirely above or below the midline. Place the iris center on the midline and check that the circle crosses it.
• Placing nostril arcs below the baseline. Keep nostril arcs above the baseline; measure the gap with a ruler.
• Making the ear lobe float above the baseline. Mark the lobe near the baseline before drawing the outer curve.
• Skipping landmark labels. Label inner corner, outer corner, tip, lobe and mouth center before adding curves.

Self-check rubric

• Baseline and midline are drawn and labeled; x-height is stated.
• All required landmarks are labeled for each feature.
• Iris crosses the midline; pupil is centered.
• Nostril arcs sit above the baseline; tip is on the midline.
• Ear lobe is near the baseline; inner curve is labeled.
• Mouth center is on the midline; corners are labeled; center gap is measured.
• Measurements use consistent units and simple arithmetic is shown.
• Valid alternatives are accepted if landmarks and checks are clear.

Questions and answers