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Sketching people · portraits

Faces

Draw faces that look like people. Proportions you can measure with your pencil, features built from simple shapes, and a full three-quarter portrait.

You will draw: a front-on portrait and a three-quarter head, from the reference photos on screen

Length
60 minutes
Level
Some practice
Focus
Proportion and likeness
You need
A pencil and paper. A darker pencil (2B or softer) helps but is not needed.

A pre-recorded lesson, broadcast at your start time to everyone booked in. It cannot be paused or rewound. Your written feedback follows within 48 hours of uploading your drawing.

The plan

The hour, step by step.

  1. 0–6min

    Part 1 of 5

    Warm-up

    Quick ovals and guide lines, loose and light, so nothing is precious yet.

  2. 6–20min

    Part 2 of 5

    The map of a face

    The halfway line for the eyes, the thirds for nose and mouth, and the one-eye gap between the eyes.

  3. 20–34min

    Part 3 of 5

    Eyes, nose and mouth

    Each feature as simple shapes and shadows, not outlines. The trick to eyes that look back at you.

  4. 34–52min

    Part 4 of 5

    A full portrait

    A three-quarter view from a reference photo: block in, place the features, then shade the planes of the face.

  5. 52–60min

    Part 5 of 5

    Look back, then send it in

    Step back from your page and compare it with the reference. Then photograph it and upload it from the class page for your personal written review.

What you get

  • Sixty minutes: the map of a face, eyes, nose and mouth, then a full portrait
  • Reference photos stay on screen while you draw
  • Pre-recorded and broadcast at your start time, so everyone draws along together
  • Personal written feedback on your drawing: upload a photo after class and a reviewer replies within 48 hours
  • Just a pencil and paper. Nothing to buy.
  • One payment for one class. No subscription.

Good for

  • Drawing friends and family
  • Getting proportions right
  • Anyone who finds faces scary

Some practice helps. First Lines is a good first step, but not required.

Feedback on your drawing

When the lesson ends, photograph your page and upload it (up to 3 photos). A reviewer looks at what you drew and writes back within 48 hours with what is working and the one or two things to try next. It is part of every booking.

On the day

How the class runs.

  1. Five minutes before

    Your join button unlocks in your dashboard. Open it and you are in the waiting room.

  2. On the dot

    The class starts by itself at the start time. If you are late, you join it where it has got to.

  3. An hour later

    The lesson is over. Photograph your drawing and upload it from the class page or your dashboard (you have 7 days).

  4. Within 48 hours

    Your personal written feedback arrives in your dashboard and by email: what is working, and what to try next.

Questions

I have never drawn before. Is that all right?

Yes, that is who the classes are for. Start with First Lines, which assumes nothing. Every class is taught step by step, and nobody sees your page except you and the person who reviews it.

What do I need?

A pencil and some paper. Any pencil works, even the one in the kitchen drawer, and plain printer paper is fine. An eraser is useful. Nice extras, never required: a soft pencil (2B or 4B) for darker shading, and a sketchbook.

How does the feedback work?

At the end of the class, photograph your drawing and upload it from the class page or your dashboard (up to 3 photos). A reviewer looks at your actual drawing and writes back with what is working and the one or two things to try next. It arrives in your dashboard within 48 hours, and by email. You have 7 days after the class to send your drawing in.

Are the classes live?

The lessons are pre-recorded and broadcast at the scheduled time. Everyone in a class sees the same moment at the same time, with no pause or rewind, so it runs like a class rather than a video library. The teacher on screen cannot see you during the class; the personal part is the written review of your drawing afterwards.

How do I join my class?

Sign in with the email you booked with. Your join button appears in your dashboard five minutes before the start, and the class begins on its own at the start time.

What if I am late?

You join the class where it is. It does not restart, but you can still send in whatever you drew for review.

Can I pause or rewind?

No. The class runs on the clock for everyone. That is deliberate: a set time is what gets most people to actually sit down and draw. Each section leaves time to work, and the reference images stay on screen while you draw.

Which class should I book first?

First Lines if you are new or rusty. After that, follow what you want to draw: Faces or Figures for people, Places or Landscapes for the world around you, and Realistic Still Life when you want a slower, more detailed challenge.

All you need is a pencil and paper. A darker pencil (2B or softer) helps but is not needed.