Draw faces with confidence
A complete, step-by-step path from a blank page to a portrait you're proud of — written for people who have never picked up a pencil before, and mean it.
Faces feel hard because no one showed you the order.
Most people quit somewhere between "I can't get the eyes right" and "nothing looks like a face." This guide breaks the process into a sequence small enough to actually follow — proportion first, features second, likeness last.
Build the map before the details
Every face — yours, mine, a stranger's on the street — sits on the same basic proportional grid. Learn it once, and every feature you add afterward lands in the right place.
One feature at a time
No lesson asks you to draw a whole face at once. You'll isolate eyes, then nose, then lips, then bring them together — the way working artists actually practice.
A plan for the next 30 days
Knowing the steps isn't the same as having a habit. The guide ends with a day-by-day practice plan so the skill actually sticks.
Ten lessons, in the order your hand needs them
67 pages, laid out so each lesson builds directly on the last. No filler chapters — every page earns its place in the sequence.
Getting started
Materials, mindset, and the handful of tools you actually need — no expensive kit required.
Understanding proportions
The measurements and guidelines that underpin every face, so nothing you draw next is a guess.
Sketching the basic head shape
Turn the proportion grid into a real, three-dimensional head you can build features onto.
Eyes: the windows to expression
Shape, spacing, and the small details that make an eye look alive instead of drawn.
Nose & lips: adding character
The two features beginners avoid longest — broken into shapes simple enough to trust.
Ears & hairlines: framing the face
The details that quietly finish a portrait, even though they're rarely taught properly.
Shading & light: creating depth
Turn a flat line drawing into something that looks like it has form and light falling on it.
Bringing it all together
A full guided portrait, start to finish, using everything from the lessons before it.
Common mistakes & how to fix them
The recurring errors beginners make — named clearly, so you can catch your own.
Your 30-day practice plan
A day-by-day structure to keep drawing after you finish the last page.
A few pages from the guide
Warm, uncluttered layouts made to sit open next to your sketchbook — not a wall of text.
Built for absolute beginners
- You've never taken an art class, or it's been years since you tried
- You want a clear order to follow, not a pile of loose tips
- You're happy to practice a little most days rather than binge once
- You'd rather learn with a pencil and paper than an app
- You're already comfortable drawing full portraits from life
- You're looking for digital painting or Procreate-specific lessons
- You want a printed, bound book rather than a digital download
- The full 67-page guide (PDF, instant download)
- All 10 step-by-step lessons, start to finish
- The 30-day practice plan
- Readable on any device, print it if you prefer paper
- Free updates if the guide is revised
Secure checkout via Gumroad. You'll get your download link immediately after payment.
A few things people ask
I genuinely can't draw at all. Will this actually work for me?
That's who it's written for. The lessons start at "what a pencil is for" and move in small steps — you're not expected to arrive with any existing skill.
What format is the guide, and how do I get it?
It's a 67-page PDF. After checkout you'll get an instant download link — no shipping, no waiting.
What materials do I need?
A pencil, an eraser, and paper. The materials chapter covers a few optional extras, but nothing expensive is required to start.
How long will it take to see results?
That depends on how often you practice — the guide is built around consistent short sessions rather than one long sitting, with a 30-day plan to help you pace it.