In the last Portrait Gem, I told you I’d been drawing dozens of portrait study sheets.
With a new sheet, come more demon faces. More little experiments. And it still surprises me—even after three years, I keep learning something new.
So today, I thought I’d share my step-by-step process and a few lessons I’ve picked up along the way.
Lesson 1 — At the beginning, your brain wants to jump into details. But if you follow that urge, the drawing stiffens up. Start with clean, simple shapes, because that’s what gives you freedom later—and helps your style come through.
Lesson 2 — For me, the sketch phase is always chaotic. It’s just how my brain works. I used to fight it, but it only made things worse. Now I let it be messy—because that’s what gives the portrait its energy later on. This drawing is a reminder that the ugly stage isn’t something to rush through or avoid—it’s where ideas take shape.
Lesson 3 — In my process, the only purpose of linework is to clean the space and create a clear visual hierarchy. I focus on organizing the drawing before shading begins.
Lesson 4 — Separating light and shadow before rendering makes everything easier. It helps you build a more interesting shadow shape, and makes the rendering phase feel less overwhelming. It’s a small extra step—but it changes everything.
Lesson 5 — During the rendering phase, leaving some areas completely blank often has more impact than shading them. It creates contrast. It lets the eye breathe. And most of the time, it says more than details ever could.
Your turn — Have you learned any valuable portrait lessons lately?
I’d love to hear them. Share your thoughts in the comments 👇
This beautiful portrait was a birthday gift from @jossy_ewens! Thank you so much I love it! 🖤
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I always felt so overwhelming when I started drawning because my sketches are absolutely hideous and because of that I kinda dropped it in the middle. Thanks for the tips, I will embrance the messy caos
J'aime beaucoup ton travail.j'ai téléchargé cette application spécialement pour te suivre...<3
I always felt so overwhelming when I started drawning because my sketches are absolutely hideous and because of that I kinda dropped it in the middle. Thanks for the tips, I will embrance the messy caos