Last Updated on November 17, 2023 by Dee
Dive into portrait drawing with our straightforward guide: “Master the Art: 12 Simple Steps for Perfect Side Profile Drawings.” This guide is designed to help artists of all levels easily achieve accurate and beautiful side profile sketches.
We’ll walk you through each step, from the basic outline to the final details, ensuring you grasp every aspect of side profile drawing. Whether you’re a beginner eager to learn the basics or an experienced artist looking to refine your skills, these 12 steps provide the tools and techniques you need to create stunning and lifelike profile drawings.
Let’s start your journey to mastering side profile art today! 🎨✏️🖼️
Table of Contents
Let’s Draw a Female’s Side Profile.
It is important to note that a female’s facial features and head structure differ slightly from a male’s.
For starters, a woman has a softer jawline and a rounder, more petite nose. This side profile drawing will look more like an “S” shape than the male side profile I will draw afterward.
When you start out on your side profile drawing, it is important to remember that just like there are many variations in facial features – no two side profiles are the same!
In other words, if your side profile drawing does not look exactly like mine, that’s ok!
Remember that it may be helpful for you to lightly sketch the guidelines on your drawing paper before you begin.
After all your side profile drawing guidelines are drawn, it’s time to begin!
As I said before, side profiles can seem complicated – but don’t worry …follow these steps, and you will be well on your way.
[Related article: 121 Fun and Easy Objects to Draw]
Woman Side Profile Drawing Step-by-Step.
Here is a helpful infographic to print out if you would like to keep this nearby! Follow the easy steps below to start your side profile sketch.
Step 1. Draw a Simple Circle
To draw a side profile accurately, you need to understand the main structure beneath the face.
The human skull comprises different shapes that make up its complete form. Start by drawing a simple circle, which will be the guideline to fill in the jaw, ears, eyebrows, and other facial elements.
Step 2. Add Rulers to the Circle
Draw a vertical line and a horizontal line directly down and across the middle of the circle. They will intersect at the exact midpoint.
Divide the circle’s top half and the circle’s bottom half in half and draw two more horizontal lines that run parallel to the mid-line.
These lines give you good reference points for filling in your facial features and shapes.
Step 3. Outline the Shape of the Nose and Lips
You can now draw a light outline of the nose and the lips. The nose begins at line B (the mid-line) and comes in again at line C.
The top lip begins from line C, continuing naturally into the mouth, where the bottom lip begins and continues to form the shape of the chin.
Related Article: 136 Drawing Ideas for Adults
Step 4: Outline of the Chin and Jaw
The chin juts out from the base of the bottom lip and then curves inwards, creating a gentle arch toward the intersection of the vertical mid-line and line C.
Related article: Skull Drawing Reference
Remember to keep your mark-making light with not too much pressure on the pencil. This is important because you want to be able to erase lines or soften lines easily as your drawing develops.
When you draw someone’s jawline (particularly when you are doing a side profile drawing of a woman), often it isn’t a strong definite line that defines it, but rather a gentle gradient of shading. As a result, you don’t need a strong, hard pencil line.
Remember to stand back from your drawing often! If the chin, lips, or nose look wrong, make small adjustments and review them.
PRO TIP: Monitor the progress of your drawing by looking at it in a mirror or through the camera on your mobile phone. This helps your brain to see anything that looks ‘wrong’ or isn’t working!
Step 5: Draw the Outline of the Neck
Lightly outline the back of the neck. This line gently curves outward and mirrors the line of the person’s spine.
The front of the neck begins at the base of the chin, moves inward toward the body, and then starts to move outward from the collarbone at the start of the chest cavity.
Related article: How to Draw a Background | 11 Easy Tips for Beginners
Step 6: Draw the Ear
The ear is formed by drawing a tilted “C” shape. The ear is slightly off-center and falls to the left of the vertical mid-line.
When a beginner starts drawing the ear, they often spend a lot of time trying to draw all the lines and shapes within the ear – often using the same mark-making pressure throughout.
This is not the best way to draw the ear because it can look like it has been “stuck on” the side of the head!
It’s best to define the outer shapes of the ear and then very lightly add shading to the inner shapes. If you soften the shapes within the ear, the ear appears to fit more naturally on the profile.
Related article: The Ultimate List of 50 Fun Things to Draw When Bored!
Step 7: Draw the Eye
The middle of the eye (and where the corner of the eye comes together) falls on the horizontal mid-line (Line B).
The eye shape is a basic ‘V’ shape turned on its side, with an ellipse for the iris.
The top of the eyelid is defined with a single line.
I have also added eyelashes to the top eyelid.
Step 8: Define the Nose and Nostril
Create a sense of the nostril by drawing a tilted ‘C’ shape and adding the nostril itself. The ‘C’ shape of the nostril will sit on line C.
Step 9: Draw the Eyebrow
Draw the shape of the eyebrow, beginning at the edge of the forehead and ending just beyond the edge of the eye.
The eyebrow starts off thicker and curves towards a tapered end.
Make sure to draw this shape lightly because you will erase it as you start the shading of the side profile drawing.
PRO TIP: To shade eyebrows, you should follow the direction of the eyebrow hairs. Start with your pencil tip at the base of the hair and flick your pencil toward the eyebrow hair. In this case, it would be up and the left. Repeat this exercise until your eyebrow is fully shaded.
Step 10: Draw the Outline of the Hair
I have chosen to draw this woman with straight, long hair tied in a ponytail at the base of her neck.
Make sure to follow the skull’s base circle to get the hairline’s shape accurately rendered.
The hairline will cut across the side profile and tuck in behind the ear, ending almost on the same horizontal line as the jawline.
Step 11: Shade the Hair
Following the same principle as eyebrow shading, try to follow the direction of the woman’s natural hair with your shading.
I worked into the hair with repeated lines that I made darker and closer together in the shaded areas, and lighter and further apart in the highlights.
Step 12: Final Shading of the Face
Using soft tonal gradation and blending gently build up the shadow areas on the side profile.
Take note of the shadows under the chin and down the neck, under the lips, under the nose, and beside the eye on the nose.
The side profile will also have a natural shadow where the hair meets the skin.
PRO TIP: To create tonal gradation and blending, hold your pencil almost parallel to the paper’s surface so that the lead is on its side. Using broad strokes, gently build up the surface of the side profile. Use a kneadable eraser to “dab” off areas of pencil and highlights.
Let’s Draw a Male’s Side Profile
Male Side Profile Drawing
Drawing a male’s side profile differs from a female’s.
The side profile is more angular than a female side profile.
A male side profile also tends to have an unevenness around the hairline, with sharp corners where the side of the head meets the hair.
A male will also often have sideburns and stubble.
A male side profile is often more defined and angular than that of a female side profile.
[Related article: 150+ Cute Drawings]
Step 1. Draw a Simple Circle
Start off by drawing a simple circle, which will be the guideline you use to fill in the jaw, ears, eyebrows, and other facial elements.
Step 2. Add Rulers to the Circle
Draw a vertical line and a horizontal line directly down and across the middle of the circle. They will intersect at the exact midpoint.
Divide the circle’s top half and the circle’s bottom half in half and draw two more horizontal lines that run parallel to the mid-line.
These lines give you good reference points for filling in your facial features and shapes.
Step 3. Outline the Shape of the Nose
You can now draw a light outline of the nose. The nose begins at line B (the mid-line) and comes in again at line C.
[Related Article: 18 Standing Poses Reference: How to Draw the Human Figure in a Standing Position]
Step 4. Draw the Outline of the Top Lip
The top lip begins from line C, continuing naturally into the mouth.
PRO TIP: Monitor the progress of your drawing by looking at it in a mirror or through the camera on your mobile phone. This helps your brain to see anything that looks ‘wrong’ or isn’t working!
Step 5. Draw the Outline of the Bottom Lip
The bottom lip begins and continues to form the shape of the chin.
The chin juts out from the base of the bottom lip and then curves inwards, creating a gentle arch toward the intersection of the vertical mid-line and line C.
Remember to keep your mark-making light with not too much pressure on the pencil. This is important because you want to be able to erase lines, or soften lines easily are your drawing develops.
When you draw someone’s jawline (particularly when you do a side profile drawing of a woman), often it isn’t a strong definite line that defines it, but rather a gentle gradient of shading. As a result, you don’t need a strong, hard pencil line.
Remember to stand back from your drawing often! If the chin, lips, or nose look wrong, make small adjustments and review them.
Step 6: Draw the Jaw Line
This male’s jawline has a curve to it and begins at the base of the ear, curves around towards the chin, and then meets the bottom lip.
Remember that a male’s jawline is far more angular than a female’s!
Step 7: Draw the Neckline
Lightly outline the back of the neck. This line gently curves outward and mirrors the line of the person’s spine.
The front of the neck begins at the base of the chin, moves inward toward the body, and then starts to move outward from the collarbone at the start of the chest cavity.
In this sketch, I have added a collared shirt to help define the neck line.
Step 8: Draw the Ear
The ear is formed by drawing a tilted “C” shape. The ear is slightly off-center and falls to the left of the vertical mid-line.
When a beginner first starts drawing the ear, they often spend a lot of time trying to draw all the lines and shapes within the ear – often using the same mark-making pressure throughout.
This is not the best way to go about drawing the ear because it can look like it has been “stuck on” the side of the head!
It’s best to define the outer shapes of the ear and then very lightly add shading to the inner shapes. If you soften the shapes within the ear, the ear appears to fit more naturally on the profile.
Step 9: Draw the Eye and Define the Nose and Lips
The middle of the eye (and where the corner of the eye comes together) falls on the horizontal mid-line (Line B).
The eye shape is a basic ‘V’ shape turned on its side, with an ellipse for the iris.
The top of the eyelid is defined with a single line.
I have also added eyelashes to the top eyelid.
Create a sense of the nostril by drawing a tilted ‘C’ shape and adding the nostril itself. The ‘C’ shape of the nostril will sit on line C.
Step 10: Draw the Eyebrow
Draw the shape of the eyebrow, beginning at the edge of the forehead and ending just before the edge of the eye.
PRO TIP: To shade eyebrows, you should follow the direction of the eyebrow hairs. Start with your pencil tip at the base of the hair and flick your pencil toward the eyebrow hair. In this case, it would be up and the left. Repeat this exercise until your eyebrow is fully shaded.
[Related article: 20 Anime Chibi Poses for Drawing]
Step 11: Draw and Shade the Hair
Following the same principle as eyebrow shading, try to follow the direction of the man’s natural hair with your shading.
I worked into the hair with repeated lines that I made darker and closer together in the shaded areas and lighter and further apart in the highlights.
Step 12: Final Shading of the Face
Using soft tonal gradation and blending, gently build up the shadow areas on the side profile.
Take note of the shadows under the chin and down the neck, under the lips, under the nose, and beside the eye on the nose.
The side profile will also have a natural shadow where the hair meets the skin.
PRO TIP: Hold your pencil almost parallel to the paper’s surface so the lead is on its side to create tonal gradation and blending. Using broad strokes, gently build up the surface of the side profile. Use a kneadable eraser to “dab” off areas of pencil and highlights.
Tools and Materials Needed:
Graphite or Lead Pencils (2B, 4B, 6B, 8B)
Paper or Sketchbook (The paper must be strong enough to withstand firm erasing of lines)
Frequently Asked Questions about Side Profile Drawing
What is a profile portrait?
A side profile portrait is a drawing of the side view of the head and face.
Why is drawing faces so hard?
It is only hard to get started. Once you have mastered the side profile portrait, drawing faces from other angles will be much easier.
How do you fix drawing mistakes?
There are several ways to fix drawing mistakes. First, make sure you always start drawing with a soft touch. Use soft, light lines to sketch out your artwork.
Second, use a kneadable eraser to lift graphite without damaging the paper.
Finally, you can always draw on top of your mistake with a darker tone to cover up the mistake if needed.
[Related article: How To Trace On Procreate in 11 Easy Steps]
How do you identify drawing mistakes?
Everyone makes mistakes in their drawing. The best way to identify these errors is by regularly standing back and looking at your work from a wider angle.
You can also hold up your drawing in front of a mirror, or look at the artwork through your mobile’s camera! This is a great way to help your brain spot inaccuracies and problem areas in your drawing.
What are common mistakes people make when drawing human faces?
The most common mistakes people make when drawing human faces include making the person’s eyes too big, and the nose too small.
People struggle with getting the facial features in proportion. This is why using a tool or step-by-step methodology like the one I created is good to get more accurate results. You can also read my article on How to Improve Your Drawing.
Other Drawing Articles that you might enjoy…
How to Start a Daily Sketchbook
Action Poses to Improve Your Drawing
Looking for things to draw on your hand?
Sitting Drawing Reference | 18 Free Poses to Help You with Figure Drawing
11 Anime Pose Reference Images to Improve Your Art
15 x Male Poses Drawing Reference: How to Draw Dynamic Poses