KAREN CAMPBELL, ARTIST
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Let's Get Your Creative Juices Flowing!!!

EASY Pencil Shading Drawing Tutorial for Beginners

22/2/2022

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Need an EASY pencil shading drawing tutorial that's simple enough to do even if you've never tried shading a drawing before? You're in the right place!
Today we're creating 3 line drawings & taking them to the next level by adding a simple shadow with one of the easiest pencil shading techniques I've learned to date.
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If you feel comfortable with the line drawings and shading practice in today's video, I'd LOVE to teach you how easy it is to draw a simple FACE in pencil.

I make cheatsheets and videos for EVERYTHING - especially when it comes to drawing faces! Click the button below to request my FREE whimsical face drawing guidelines,  and I'll email them right over.
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​After you print your guidelines cheatsheet, here's a playlist of FREE face drawing videos from my YouTube drawing channel so we can practice drawing and shading simple faces together, step by step.
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Let's get back to today's lesson! 

If you've been following either of my YouTube channels lately, you know I've been introducing you to some of my favorite art books - showing a flip through, and then trying an entire project or demo-ing a technique from the book. 

The book I'm featuring this week on my drawing channel is actually more of a mixed media book, but there is a BRILLIANT pencil shading technique for beginners in it that I just had to share with you. 
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Before we continue, super quick announcement: All product links are Affiliate. I may earn a small commission if you choose to order through these links but by law there is never any additional cost to the consumer for doing so. I thank you for your support.
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​Danielle Donaldson's Creative Girl: Mixed Media Techniques for an Artful Life is simply gorgeous (if the book isn't available on Amazon, you can also find it here). 

I actually love this book so much that I featured it last week while doing the watercolor trees for beginners project on my mixed media channel.

Today, I'm sharing Danielle's super simple analogy of adding shading to a drawing at "5 o'clock." 
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On page 54 of her book, Danielle says "Shadows are the thickest at  5 o'clock." I decided to try this shading technique out on three simple line drawings. 

First, I drew the water bowl sitting on my art table with a paint brush inside. Then I picked up a blending stump (remember - the dirtier, the better when it comes to blending stumps), and thickened the shadow at an imaginary 5 o'clock position of my water bowl.  
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Here's another shot showing you what I'm imagining in my head...

Right where the imaginary hour hand of the clock is pointing to 5 is where I'm thickening the shadow with my blending stump.
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Below is another example of this easy shading technique for beginners on a line drawing of a flower vase. 
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Isn't that the easiest concept to imagine so you know exactly where to add shadows to your drawing?! I think it's brilliant. 

My final doodle example for today, below, is of a cat - inspired by my art studio "terror," Tippie (she's just recently claimed my art table as her own)!

When I look at all three drawings together, I immediately notice how all the shading looks consistent, showing shadows off to the lower right. 

This is a really important concept to think about for beginner artists.
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Your work will look more sophisticated if you your shadows are all drawn in the same direction, like they're all being hit by the same light source. It makes more sense visually, and can make even simple whimsical, or semi-realistic drawings like these, look more advanced. 
Make sure you watch today's video to see these simple shading techniques in action. And grab a pencil and piece of paper before you press play so we can do this together!

Stay with me till the end for a quick flip through of Danielle's adorable book. ​Thanks for hanging out with me today!!

When you watch the video, you'll hear me mention my Retro Redezvous Art Party. While the live portions of the Retro Party have passed, the lessons are still available at Awesome Art School, here. 

If you are a member of an Awesome Art School club (The Fun Fab Drawing Club, Mixed Media Society, or Celtic Collective), you've been given access to these lessons for free as a membership perk. Enjoy!!

Happy drawing!

❤️ CHECK OUT ALL MY ONLINE ART CLASSES & Art Clubs
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EASY! Drawing Necks Realistically in Just 5 MINUTES with Karen Campbell

5/10/2021

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Wanna practice drawing necks realistically in JUST 5 minutes?! LET'S DO IT!! In today's step by step drawing lesson, we're going to be drawing 5 female necks in real time, directly onto my FREE drawing worksheets. If you need help with how to draw necks, have always wanted to learn how to draw a face, are struggling with how to work drawing practice into your daily life, or need to add MORE FUN into your art practice, THIS SERIES IS FOR YOU!! ​
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I'd love for you to draw right along with me! Simply click the button below to grab my FREE 5 in 5 Facial Features Drawing Packet, and I'll send it straight to your email inbox.
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Today's video is a follow up to a facial features drawing series I did a couple of months ago because I'm getting a lot of requests for how to draw necks and eyebrows!
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If you're just discovering this series on how to draw facial features, the whole point of this thing, is just to get us practicing our drawing skills. We're not making it our "life's work," it's just a little drawing exercise, and we're only going to spend about 5 minutes working with each neck drawing reference photo, then we're moving on.

You'll see a stop watch going in the bottom of my screen. It's not here to stress you out. It's just to 
remind ME not to spend more than 5 minutes with any one reference image. 
​
Before we continue, super quick announcement: All product links are Affiliate. I may earn a small commission if you choose to order through these links but by law there is never any additional cost to the consumer for doing so. I thank you for your support!
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When we're working on these drawing worksheets, there are three things I encourage you to focus on one at a time, when looking at each neck drawing reference image:

1. Shape
2. Value
3. Details 

For my supplies today- I'm just using my favorite Blackwing pencil - it's like a soft 4B, and super smooth to work with. You're also gonna need a blending stump, an eraser (I love my vanish eraser and the tombow mono eraser). 
In each neck drawing reference photo, I left in the jawline visible so we can look at how thick the neck is, and where it begins in relation to the head.

​I started drawing the jawline on my first reference image with the chin, then added in the angles I saw in the model's face shape. 
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Once the angles were penciled in, I took a minute to study the reference for any other lines that felt like they need to be drawn in (see below). Then I grabbed my blending stump to begin dragging some graphite around to help indicate the shadows I saw in the model's neck.
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Make sure you download your 5 in 5 Drawing Packet so you can practice right on the drawing worksheets with me. Then click over to the video so we can do this quick drawing practice together in real time (no timelapse).

While doing this drawing practice, I realized necks are really WAY more about shading than drawing!
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If you're someone who's been afraid to try drawing a face realistically,  or if you've been afraid to try adding a little bit of shading to your drawings - this is the PERFECT drawing exercise for you! Plus it's quick - something I always love!!
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If you need to knock back any areas of your shading because they've gotten too dark, use your eraser to "pounce" and lift a little graphite off the page. Click over to the video to see this drawing technique. Keep checking your reference image to compare the lightest and darkest areas on the model's neck with your own drawing. 

Our next reference image has a more rounded face shape than our first model, and a wider neck. 
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My hope in today's free drawing lesson is that you can sharpen your observational skills, and let go of any fears you have about not having an anatomy background for drawing.

You don't need it for the kind of drawing we're doing! This is just some light practice, and the anatomy can be indicated with your shading. 
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Our third reference image has some super dramatic shading for us to work on in the neck and collarbone. If you want to add in her braid- feel free, but don't stress about it.  Today's practice is just about focusing on the neck.
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Did you grab yourFREE 5 in 5 Drawing Practice packet and print it out yet? I hope so!!

As I always say, "You'll NEVER get worse with more practice." So print that sucker out, and let's get to work! 

If you're enjoying today's episode, make sure you check out the entire series on my YouTube drawing channel, because I teach you how to draw and shade eyes, eyebrows, noses, lips, hair, face shapes & more! Plus, each facial feature has 2 pages of black and white face drawing reference images to study and capture in your own drawing practice - right on the same pages.

Our fourth neck drawing reference is SUPER subtle, and will help you sharpen your observational skills as we zero in on the highlights and shadows in this image together.
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Our last drawing reference (below) for today has a super unique shape and lots of beautiful values for us to concentrate on replicating in our own drawing. 
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​Make sure you grab my 5 in 5 Practice Packet so YOU can sharpen your drawing skills right along with me. 

​Thanks for hanging out with me today!

Interested in learning about how to create a mixed media portrait, but  missed my Mixed Media Art Deco Workshop last week?

Don't worry! You can STILL sign up and do this at your own pace - any time you want!! No art experience is needed for this super FUN online art class - I'll teach you everything you need to know, and we'll go step by step, together.
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❤️ CHECK OUT ALL my art books on AMAZON
❤️ MY FAVORITE ART SUPPLIES on AMAZON
❤️ MY BELOVED FACEBOOK GROUP  
❤️ FOLLOW ME ON INSTAGRAM
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REALISTIC EYEBROW DRAWING in JUST 5 MINUTES! (#DrawingFacialFeatures with Karen Campbell)

17/9/2021

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Ready to learn realistic eyebrow drawing in just 5 minutes?! LET'S DO IT!! In today's step by step lesson, we're going to be drawing 5 sets of eyebrows in real time, directly onto my FREE drawing worksheet. If you need help with how to draw eyebrows, have always wanted to learn how to draw a face, are struggling with how to work drawing practice into your daily life, or need to add MORE FUN into your art practice, THIS SERIES IS FOR YOU!! ​
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I'd love for you to draw right along with me! Simply click the button below to grab my FREE 5 in 5 Facial Features Drawing Packet, and I'll send it straight to your email inbox.
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Today's video is a follow up to a facial features drawing series I did a couple of months ago because I'm getting a lot of requests for how to draw eyebrows and how to draw necks!
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If you're just discovering this series on how to draw facial features, the whole point of this thing is just to get us practicing our drawing skills. We're not making it our "life's work," it's just a little drawing exercise, and we're just going to spend about 5 minutes working with each reference photo, then we're moving on.

You'll see a stop watch going in the bottom of my screen. It's not here to stress anyone out. It's just to 
remind me not to spend more than 5 minutes with any one reference image.

Before we continue, super quick announcement: All product links are Affiliate. I may earn a small commission if you choose to order through these links but by law there is never any additional cost to the consumer for doing so. I thank you for your support!
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There are three things I'd love for your to focus on one at a time, when looking at each eyebrow reference image:

1. Eyebrow Shape
2. Value 
3. Details 

For my supplies today- I'm just using my favorite Blackwing pencil - it's like a soft 4B, and super smooth to work with. You're also gonna need a blending stump, an eraser (I love my vanish eraser and the tombow mono eraser). 
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So with our first reference, as you can see- I draw in the general shape I'm seeing for the right eyebrow.  The value I see is really pretty black, so I reach for my blending stump right away and then try to add in a few individual hairs even though I don't really see them in this particular photo - they're definitely there. 
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On the left eyebrow in this reference image, (above) you can definitely see a LOT more individual hairs, so I make sure to add those in where I see them, to make my drawing look more realistic.
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or our second reference image, I'll show you how to draw bushy eyebrows - 2020 style. Lol! After these were drawn in with a little shading added, I carved out some highlights using my tombow eraser for detail.

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The next face drawing reference has some really unique eyebrows for us to draw. They're much thinner than the last set, and are great practice if you're trying to learn how to draw curved eyebrows. 
This style (above) is actually my favorite to draw on the mixed media portraits and whimsical drawings I love to create. 

QUICK TIP: When you're ready to draw the individual hairs on the eyebrow, make sure your pencil tip is really sharp, or switch to a mechanical pencil.

Doing drawing practice like this with drawing reference photos and cheatsheets can help you think of new ways to draw from your imagination later. 
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Our fourth reference today has a very different shape and is a great face drawing reference photo if you've been looking for something to help you with how to draw a natural eyebrow. 
QUICK TIP: You always draw things that grow (hair, grass, etc.) from the ROOT up to the tip. 
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I hope you find these eyebrow drawing references helpful for your own face drawing practice. Remember to grab my cheatsheet so you can do your drawing practice right on the drawing worksheet like me. This drawing worksheet is part of my 5 in 5 Facial Features Drawing Series on my YouTube drawing channel.

In case you missed that- it's a super helpful 6-part video series on how to draw facial features with a worksheet of drawing references to go with each feature.

We worked on how to draw realistic eyes, how to draw realistic noses, how to draw realistic lips, ears, how to draw different face shapes and how to draw fun female hairstyles in 5 minutes.

​I popped these new eyebrow drawing worksheets at the end of my drawing packet. You'll also see worksheets for how to draw necks - that's coming up on my YouTube channel soon, so stay tuned for that!

​Thanks for hanging out with me today!
Interested in learning how to create gorgeous mixed media portraits and learning how to draw art deco style? Join me for my upcoming 1-week, online art workshop starting September 27, 2021.  
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I'll teach you how to upcycle an old record jacket from the thrift shop into your very own mixed media canvas. Then we'll collage our hearts out, do a little mixed media drawing, and I'll show you ALL my tips and tricks to mixed media layering like a pro!

CLICK HERE to SIGN UP for the WORKSHOP and take advantage of my special 60% OFF Coupon Code before September 27th

If you do plan to join me for this upcoming workshop, one of the mixed media art supplies I ALWAYS use is faber castell gelatos. I have heard from a number of my students that they can't get their hands on gelatos, so I just did a video on my mixed media YouTube channel about Faber Castell Gelatos Alternatives, and test a huge variety of gel crayons out for you so YOU don't have to! Make sure you check this out before the workshop starts on September 27th.

See ya there!!

❤️ CHECK OUT ALL my art books on AMAZON
❤️ MY FAVORITE ART SUPPLIES on AMAZON
❤️ MY BELOVED FACEBOOK GROUP  
❤️ FOLLOW ME ON INSTAGRAM


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QUICK & EASY Face Shape Drawing Lesson! (#DrawingFacialFeatures​​​​​ with Karen Campbell)

8/3/2021

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Only have 5 minutes? Today's face shape drawing lesson is for YOU!

In today's quick, step by step tutorial, we're going to be studying reference photos for drawing 5 face shapes in real time. If you've always wanted to learn how to draw a face, have been struggling with how to work drawing practice into your daily life, if the faces you draw ALL LOOK THE SAME, or ... if you need to add MORE FUN into your art practice, THIS 
SERIES IS FOR YOU!!l
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We're in week six of the 5 in 5 Drawing Facial Features series on my YouTube Drawing Channel, and this week is focused on how to draw a face shape step by step!! 

If you're just discovering this series, we are working on drawing facial features and only spending about 5 minutes with each face drawing reference I've provided. 


This whole series on my YouTube drawing channel is a FUN way to help us establish a daily art practice that doesn't take forever, and will help increase your drawing skills as an artist - EVEN if you're a beginner, who just wants to finally learn how to draw a face!!! 
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If you don't have my 20 -page, 5 in 5 Practice Packet - you'll want to download that now. This has all the face drawing references you need for the entire series, and you can work directly on each practice worksheet. Best of all, it's yours, FREE.

Simply click the button below, and I'll send it straight to your inbox! 
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Even though I'm on week six of the series, don't feel like you're behind if you are just discovering this. This drawing practice is for YOU to do on your own time, at your own pace. There is no schedule, just FUN!!

All you need to do the drawing exercises is my 5 in 5 Practice Packet is basically a good eraser and a pencil. You totally don't have to get fancy. 

Before we continue, super quick announcement! All product links noted below are Affiliate. I may earn a small commission if you choose to order through these links, but by law there is never any additional cost to the consumer for doing so. I only reccommend products I actually use and love. Thank you for your support! 
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​





If you are interested in some fancier drawing tools - I'm using two of my favorites today: a Blackwing pencil, and my vanish eraser. 

Since today we're just going to draw face shape, there isn't any shading, so, no need for a blending stump. In fact, if all you have is a regular #2 school pencil- that's perfect! You never need fancy supplies when you're hanging out with me. 

​Let's get started!! 

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Face shape drawing may not seem like it's all that important, but I feel like it's something that's typically overlooked, because it's so subtle. 

It's SUPER easy for artists who love whimsical face drawing to discover a "way" they like to draw face shape (mine is by drawing a zillion ovals, on the left above!!). Then before you know it, suddenly we find ourselves with a portfolio of faces that all look the same - even if they're beautiful!! 

One of the ways you can avoid what we call "same face syndrome" in art - is to use a face drawing references when you're drawing, because these images will inspire you to try new angles, facial feature positions, etc.

​Hop over to the video so I can SHOW YOU exactly what I mean ;) 
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When I'm trying to vary face shape, I pay close attention to bends and angles in the jaw, because this varies so much from human to human. 
As you'll see in the video, I can't even start this face without drawing a million ovals, LOL! That's just my thing!! From there, I note my face drawing guidelines, and start to refine, based on what I see in my reference photo.

If you're not sure what I mean when I say "face drawing guidelines," you DEFINITELY need my cheatsheet to help you understand where the facial features should rest on every face you draw. Guidelines are THE KEY to making your face drawings proportional! 

Simply click the button below, and I'll send you my one-page Whimsical Face Drawing Guidelines.  
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I printed and laminated this cheatsheet for myself because these guidelines are SO important. They will make every face you draw look proportional, no matter what ethnicity you're drawing. 

In general - we're surprisingly ALL the same as humans in this regard, even though we're all so unique! If you check out my Whimsical Women of the World face drawing series on YouTube, you'll see exactly what I mean!! ​
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Sketching in my face drawing guidelines helps me zero in on each little section of the face, one at a time. This helps me pay closer attention to the angles and curves I need to replicate in my drawing, and helps the WHOLE face not feel so overwhelming.

Remember I'm doing all of this in real time over on YouTube, so be sure to join me so I can teach you HOW to draw a face shape step by step!!  
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I spend the bulk of my time for each of these face drawing references observing, and trying to replicate what I see.  There's no shading or extra detail to layer in like we had in previous weeks, so you will likely breeze through these exercises!

Just because you might get through them quickly doesn't mean they're not worthwhile!! You're definitely sharpening your observational and drawing skills as you draw face shapes. 
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Our second reference image has more curves happening in her face shape. Again, it helps me to first sketch out an oval, mark my face drawing guidelines, and focus on drawing one small section at a time. 
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As I get to reference image 3, I notice she has a very different chin from the others. Looking at this makes me go back and take a second look at the previous chins to see if I caught the nuances there, or if I need to make adjustments.

​Remember, you can ALWAYS go back and do the same when something new like this catches your eye.
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I specifically chose each of these face shape drawing references on purpose because I felt they were all so unique, and wanted to give you some good practice at drawing different face shapes! The one below felt like really great practice for round face shape drawing. 
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Her angles and curves are SO interesting, right?!
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As you focus on basic face shape drawing with me today (and I HOPE you're doing this with me!!!), you'll notice that you don't need to make huge variations from face to face for each drawing to take on a life of its own! 
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If you haven't been using drawing reference images for your art in the past, I think they will help you sharpen your observational skills and make your drawings look SO much more sophisticated.

Even if you want to draw in more of a whimsical or cartoon style vs realistic - taking characteristics from real life people will add more depth to your work. 
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I hope you enjoyed today's face shape drawing tutorial, and the whole 5 in 5 Drawing Series! 
​
❤️Want FREE, immediate access to my Fun Fab Drawing Club and/or Mixed Media Society plus discounts on all my art books, sneak peek at YouTube videos and new book content, behind-the-scenes fun and MORE? Join me over on Patreon today and get HUGE PERKS in return for a small monthly donation. 
​
❤️ CHECK OUT ALL my art books on AMAZON (available in both Kindle and Paperback)

❤️ SIGNED COPIES of my art books on ETSY


❤️ MY FAVORITE ART SUPPLIES on AMAZON

❤️ MY BELOVED FACEBOOK GROUP  

❤️ FOLLOW ME ON INSTAGRAM

❤️ FOLLOW ME ON FACEBOOK
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DRAWING FEMALE HAIRSTYLES in Just 5 MINUTES! (#DrawingFacialFeatures​​​​ with Karen Campbell)

1/3/2021

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Ready to learn about drawing female hairstyles in just FIVE minutes?!  In today's step by step lesson, we're going to be drawing 5 hairstyles in real time. If you've always wanted to learn how to draw a face, have been struggling with how to work drawing practice into your daily life, or need to add MORE FUN into your art practice, THIS SERIES IS FOR YOU!!
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We're in week five of the 5 in 5 Drawing Facial Features series on my YouTube Drawing Channel, and this week is focused on girl hairstyles drawing! 
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Make sure you download my 20-page drawing practice packet so you can draw right along with me. It's got all the hair drawing reference (female) images for this week, and all the drawing reference photos for every other week in the series. Best of all, it's yours, FREE. Simply click the button below, and I'll send it straight to your inbox! 
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Even though I'm on week five of the series, don't feel like you're behind if you are just discovering this. These drawing exercises are for YOU to do on your own time, at your own pace. There is no schedule, just FUN!!

All you need to do the drawing exercises in my 5 in 5 Practice Packet is basically a good eraser and a pencil. You totally don't have to get fancy. 


Before we continue, super quick announcement! All product links noted below are Affiliate. I may earn a small commission if you choose to order through these links, but by law there is never any additional cost to the consumer for doing so. I only reccommend products I actually use and love. Thank you for your support! 
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If you are interested in some fancier drawing tools - I'm using three of my favorites: a Blackwing pencil, vanish eraser, and my Tombow Mono Eraser (that's the one that looks like a mechanical pencil, but is an eraser!). This thing is AMAZING  for carving out teensy highlights!!!

If you have a blending stump - get your dirtiest one ready! If you don't have one - just use your finger or a q-tip to help you with blending.
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If you're just finding this series, I'm trying not to spend more than 5 minutes on each drawing prompt. It's not because I'm trying to  "hurry" myself, but because I'm specifically trying NOT to get bogged down with details. This keeps our drawing practice light-hearted and more FUN. 

And- if we're having fun - drawing practice is something we'll want to do again, which will naturally make us better artists! 

As I have done with each of the videos in this series, I'm asking you to focus on three things with each drawing prompt: 
  1. Shape 
  2. Value 
  3. Detail
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If you like to paint and are familiar with my Mixed Media channel on YouTube, you may recognize the first reference image as one of my favorite hairstyles! I LOVE painting variations of this one, and am excited to teach you how to draw hair blowing in the wind!

To get started, draw an oval for the face. I'm not drawing in any of the facial features today because this lesson is focused on simple hairstyles drawing only. If you missed any of the previous episodes, click here for LIPS, here for NOSES, here for EYES, and ​here for EARS.

When your oval is ready, go ahead and sketch in a horizontal line across the approximate middle of your oval. This is our imaginary "eye line."  Next, check your reference to see which way her part is going. Draw a mark on your oval to note that location. 

Then take another look at the reference to see which direction the hair is going out of that part. 

When you're working with a photographic reference it makes drawing super easy because the "answers" are right in front of you. Your brain can kinda relax and just record what you're seeing in the reference on your drawing paper!
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One of the most important things to remember about hair is that is has VOLUME to it. That means it always extends UP and OVER the face shape you've drawn. It also will typically fall into the face shape as well in some way. 

I usually just sketch in a general outline for the hair shape I see in my reference, then add shading and detail.
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To make this a quick drawing and shading practice, simply scribble in the areas that are super dark with your pencil. Then we'll drag that graphite around with a blending stump, and chisel some highlights out with an eraser at the end. 
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It's a bit tricky to see the part on reference #2, but since her hair is perfectly symmetrical, we can assume her part is down the middle.

Mark your page in the middle of your oval for her part. Then go ahead and sketch out the general outline of her hair, including the bangs. Remember to sketch her hair shape UP and OVER the oval of her face to indicate volume.

For hair this dark, you don't have to draw every line, and we've got a blending stump to help us as our time saver "cheat" today. Feel free to add in some loose strands if you want to with the same pencil or a mechanical pencil to vary the line weight. 
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If you'd like to learn MORE about drawing different hairstyles, the hair section of my How to Draw & Find Your Style Book has some great hair drawing tips, including an "Action Plan" for highlights. Be sure to watch the video so I can explain these options to you so they make sense. 
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For the third and fourth hair drawing references today, we're focusing on bun hairstyles drawing. Our third image is a set of super cute, double buns!

Follow the same method we did for the other prompts. Look for the part, then draw an outline of the hair shape that extends UP and OVER the oval head.  Even though this girl's hairstyle is pulled back, she still has volume extending outside of her "oval," if you look closely. Making observations like this will help your whimsical drawings look more realistic. 
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​After our double buns, I'll show you how to draw hair in a bun on top of a girl's head. I LOVE this cute top knot! She is gorgeous, and I'm already excited to add her glossy highlights in!
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Like prompt #2, this one doesn't show a visible part. When that happens, we again can simply assume it's in the middle - especially if you see a hair bun or ponytail in the middle of her head. 
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After we note a spot for the part and sketch in an outline of the hair, I draw individual lines and pay special attention to the directionality so what I'm drawing resembles my hairstyle drawing reference. 
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Once I've blended the graphite, I'll show you how to draw hair highlights. These highlights remind me of some of the glossy higlights we had in our Realistic Lips drawing video. I find it super easy to carve a few highlights out with my mono eraser in cases like this. Just replicate the shapes you feel the highlights are making on the bun as your eye moves across it. 
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Since I spent so much time on long hairstyle drawing, I thought we DEFINITELY had to do a little SHORT hairstyle drawing as well, so for our last drawing prompt today, I'm going to show you how to draw a pixie cut! 
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After you get your head shape drawn, sketch in the eyeline (half-way down the oval).  Then pencil in some approximate eyebrows, note the part location, and start sketching in where the bangs fall. 

Even when you're drawing short hair, there is volume, so be sure your hair outline indicates that. If you're not sure how to draw short hair, make sure you're watching the video here because everything is in real time, and will help you SO much!! 

Before you start penciling in the strokes of individual hair strands, make sure you really look at your short hair drawing reference to consider the directionality of her hair. Which way does it extend from the part? 
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I hope you found this video on drawing female hairstyles super helpful!!

I'll see you back here NEXT Monday for our next facial feature...

​Have a wonderful week!!! 

Want to learn how to draw a simple whimsical face in pencil?

Want
 to work on shading a face? 

❤️Want FREE, immediate access to my Fun Fab Drawing Club and/or Mixed Media Society plus discounts on all my art books, sneak peek at YouTube videos and new book content, behind-the-scenes fun and MORE? Join me over on Patreon today and get HUGE PERKS in return for a small monthly donation. 
​
❤️ CHECK OUT ALL my art books on AMAZON (available in both Kindle and Paperback)

❤️ SIGNED COPIES of my art books on ETSY


❤️ MY FAVORITE ART SUPPLIES on AMAZON

❤️ MY BELOVED FACEBOOK GROUP  

❤️ FOLLOW ME ON INSTAGRAM

❤️ FOLLOW ME ON FACEBOOK
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HOW to DRAW REALISTIC EARS with Pencil in 5 MINUTES! (#DrawingFacialFeatures​​​ with Karen Campbell)

22/2/2021

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Want me to teach you how to draw realistic ears with pencil in just FIVE minutes?! LET'S DO IT!!

In today's step by step lesson, we're going to be drawing 5 ears in real time. If you've always wanted to learn how to draw a face, have been struggling to work drawing practice into your daily life, or need to add MORE FUN into your art practice, THIS SERIES IS FOR YOU!!
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​We're in week four of the 5 in 5 Drawing Facial Features series, and focusing on ear drawing (EASY and QUICK)! 

I'm actually super surprised by how much I ENJOYED this week's ear drawing practice!! I know that sounds a little ridiculous, but I have to say I kinda LOVED drawing them, and this week might be my favorite in the series so far. 

​I think it totally has to do with the shading, and just how FAST we can knock each one of these babies out!! Each one took me around 4 minutes. 
​
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​Make sure you download my 20-page drawing practice packet so you can draw right along with me. It's got all the ear drawing reference images for this week, and for every other week in the series. It's yours, FREE. Simply click the button below, and I'll send it straight to your inbox! 
​
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​Even though I'm on week four of the series, don't feel like you're behind if you are just discovering this. These drawing exercises are for YOU to do on your own time, at your own pace. There is no schedule, just FUN!!

All you need to do the drawing exercises in my 5 in 5 Practice Packet is basically a good eraser and a pencil. You totally don't have to get fancy. 


Before we continue, super quick announcement! All product links noted below are Affiliate. I may earn a small commission if you choose to order through these links, but by law there is never any additional cost to the consumer for doing so. I only reccommend products I actually use and love. Thank you for your support! 
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If you are interested in some fancier drawing tools - I'm using my favorite Blackwing pencil, vanish eraser, and Tombow Mono Eraser (that's the one that looks like a mechanical pencil, but is an eraser!). This thing is seriously magical for chiseling out teensy highlights!!!

If you have a blending stump - get your dirtiest one ready! If you don't have one - no problem, use your finger or a q-tip to help you with blending.
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I've had a lot of people ask about the portfolio I'm using to store my practice pages in (see above), so here's the link if you're interested in that too! Don't feel pressured to grab that. Any old folder will do! 
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I'm pulling out my phone to set my timer because I'm trying to get away from perfectionism with these facial feature drawing exercises. For me this is more about trying to establish a daily art practice, and showing YOU that it CAN be done ;)

If you're someone who tends to think you need to set aside large chunks of time to work on your art, and subsequently aren't doing anything, or are doing very little (don't worry- this is SUPER common), you definitely need to watch episode one in this series, because I talked a lot about mindset shift. It's at the heart of WHY I'm doing this series.
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Ok! Let's draw. As you can see, above, ears typically start with a variation of the letter "C."  Then I work my way around the inner folds, lay down a little graphite for shading and that's about it. Easy, right?

If you're new to the series, each week I've been reminding people drawing along with me (I HOPE you are!!) to focus on these three things:
  1. SHAPE - focus on the outline of your ear drawing
  2. VALUE - make sure you're using darks and lights to shade
  3. DETAILS - add highlights and finishing touches to make it pop

(FYI - there aren't many details when it comes to the ears, unless you're adding in earrings - like we do in the very last exerise for today). 
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I don't know about you, but when I get up close and personal with the ear like this, the whole thing totally doesn't make sense!  Ears are wierd, right?!

Oh well! Whenever I start thinking stuff like this while I'm drawing, I tell myself to just ignore that thought. It doesn't need to make sense-  I  just need to draw it. I tell my students that too!! Just be systematic with it,  and go one wierd fold at a time. 

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Make sure you click over to watch this ear drawing tutorial so we can do these ear drawings step by step together. Everything is in real time (no sped up timelapsing) to help you out. If you feel like anything is going too fast, pause whenever you need to. 
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I'm really noticing a consistent pattern from week to week when I do these drawing exercises. The first drawing is like a warm up and by the last one I feel like I'm on FIRE! Lol!
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Practice really is a "thing," and you DO become a better artist with the more practice you do!
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After you get your main ear shape down, it's ok to scribble some graphite down to just get things started- then you can drag the graphite around with your blending stump to smooth things out. ​
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Ears are really great for drawing practice with the value scale because they are a convaluted mix of highlights and shadows around crazy shapes.

Drawing ears feels very similar in a way to drawing noses or drawing hands because these features don't have hard lines and they really don't come to life until you start shading them. That's where the magic happens!!!
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For the last ear drawing image today, I'm going to show you how to draw ears with earrings. It's really not that much different -it's just a bit more detail to play with at the end!
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When I got to the earring part of this drawing I switched over to my mechanical pencil because the lead is thinner. 

​Here's a quick look at all of the ear drawing images for today- all done! I HOPE you're drawing along with me. I can't wait to see how you do!
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Be sure to post your progress in the Facebook Group for Awesome Art School. Thanks SO much for hanging out with me today!! 
I'll see you back here NEXT Monday for our next facial feature...

​Have a wonderful week!!! 

❤️Want FREE, immediate access to my Fun Fab Drawing Club and/or Mixed Media Society plus discounts on all my art books, sneak peek at YouTube videos and new book content, behind-the-scenes fun and MORE? Join me over on Patreon today and get HUGE PERKS in return for a small monthly donation. 
​
❤️ CHECK OUT ALL my art books on AMAZON (available in both Kindle and Paperback)

❤️ SIGNED COPIES of my art books on ETSY


❤️ MY FAVORITE ART SUPPLIES on AMAZON

❤️ MY BELOVED FACEBOOK GROUP  

❤️ FOLLOW ME ON INSTAGRAM

❤️ FOLLOW ME ON FACEBOOK
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HOW to DRAW EYES REALISTICALLY in Just 5 MINUTES! (#DrawingFacialFeatures​​ with Karen Campbell)

15/2/2021

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Want me to teach you how to draw eyes realistically in just 5 minutes?! LET'S DO IT!! We're drawing facial features right now on my YouTube drawing channel and spending about 5 minutes drawing each reference image. If you've always wanted to learn how to draw a face, have been struggling to work drawing practice into your daily life, or need to add MORE FUN into your art practice, THIS SERIES IS FOR YOU!! ​
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We're in week three of the 5 in 5 Drawing Facial Features series, and focusing on how to draw eyes - everyone's favorite! 

Make sure you download my 20-page drawing practice packet so you can draw right along with me. It's got all the drawing reference images in it and is yours FREE. Simply click the button below, and I'll send it straight to your inbox! 
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Even though I'm on week three of the series, don't feel like you're behind if you are just discovering this. These drawing exercises are for YOU to do on your own time, at your own pace. There is no schedule, ok? 

I thought this packet might help us to "get out of our own heads" about how much time we need to set aside each week to actually DO an art project. That's one of the main reasons I'm trying to only spend about 5 minutes per eye drawing.

I also know perfectionism is a big thing we all grapple with at times, especially when it comes to drawing. I'm hoping this will help! If you missed the first episode - I talked a lot about mindset shift, so make sure you check that out if it's something you struggle with.
​
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Let's get to it!! We've got five gorgeous eyes to focus on today. 

As we work on each eye drawing picture provided, I mainly want you to think about three things: 
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  1. SHAPE - focus on the outline of your eye drawing
  2. VALUE - make sure you're using darks and lights to shade
  3. DETAILS - add highlights and finishing touches to make it pop

Before we continue, super quick announcement! All product links noted below are Affiliate. I may earn a small commission if you choose to order through these links, but by law there is never any additional cost to the consumer for doing so. I only reccommend products I actually use and love. Thank you for your support! 

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We're doing all of drawing practice in pencil, so grab your favorite and make sure you have a good eraser. If you have a blending stump - get your dirtiest one ready! If you don't have one-  no problem, use your finger or a q-tip to help you with blending.

If you are interested in some fancier drawing tools - I'm using my favorite Blackwing pencil, vanish eraser, and Tombow Mono Eraser (that's the one that looks like a mechanical pencil, but is an eraser!). This thing is seriously magical for chiseling out teensy highlights!!!

​This week I also busted out my mechanical pencil because there really are some fine lines when you're drawing eyes and I feel like a thinner lead can really help with replicating that detail. 
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I spend the bulk of my time on each eye trying to get the SHAPE right so it looks like the photo. It really helps to have a black and white image when you're drawing in pencil. And I gotta say, I really love working directly in the packet because I'm drawing right next to each reference.
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My goal was to spend roughly 5 minutes on drawing each reference image. This one took right around 6, so not bad - especially considering I threw an eyebrow into the drawing as well! 
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Look ot this gorgeous second prompt!

I'm trying to challenge us by using a variety of references from different ethnicities, AND I've switched things up so some of the references are the right eye, and some are the left.

Aren't her lashes just stunning?? If you are interested in learning how to draw Asian eyes, I have two different tutorials you can check out from my last series that spend a little more time on this specifically. I've got one in greyscale of an Asian woman, and one of an Asian male, in color. 
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Isn't this one pretty?! I JUST LOVE how each eye is so unique.
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As we move on to the third reference, you'll see her eye has a much different shape than the other two. 
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When you're studying a reference photo, and things feel overwhelming, try to look for shapes you can copy in your drawing. For example, I always find it helps me to look at the tear duct of an eye as its own shape. 

In our third eye in today's worksheet, there is a very pronounced tear duct, as well as a pronounced wet line under her eye (this is where I felt the need for the mechanical pencil to jump in!). 
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If you haven't seen me do this before, I totally help myself out and use a circle template when it comes to the iris, and sometimes even will use it for the pupil! 

I have no shame in using a template here,  and neither should YOU!! It's just a little cheat to save time and get over that perfectionism trap we can all fall into when trying to draw a "perfect" circle. 

Can you spend time drawing each iris from scratch? Of COURSE you can! But that's not what this exercise is about. We're doing quick and easy practice. My circle template is a tool that helps me achieve that goal, so I encourage you to use one if it helps you too!!
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When it comes to the eyelashes - I LOVE adding eye makeup drama here. I know eyelashes can really be tough to draw for all of us at times, so I've got a cheatsheet with all my tips on eyelashes drawing. You can grab that here if you haven't already!
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Don't forget to kinda zoom out and hold your drawing out from a distance to compare it to the reference every so often.

​This will help you find little tweaks you can make to get your drawing to look more like the reference. When I did that with the above image, I noticed I needed a bit more shadow under the lower lid, so popped that in with my blending stump.
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lf you've never done drawing like this before, please don't be intimidated, and come try this with me. Beginners are ALWAYS welcome, and this is an amazing exercise to work on together.  
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I LOVE the highlight on the iris in our 4th photo!! It's like a perfect little window!!
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The lashes on our last reference photo are AMAZING!! They're also downturned a smidge. Gorgeous right? 

Make sure you're watching the video so I can show you exactly how I sweep in with my pencil to capture what I see in these unique eyelashes.

In case you need my 5 in 5 Practice Packet link one more time - here ya go - cick the button below and I'll send it straight to your inbox!!
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Good luck with today's eye drawing tutorial over on my YouTube drawing channel! I can't wait to see your work!! Please share it with me!
​
​Thanks SO much for hanging out with me today!! I'll see you back here NEXT Monday for our next facial feature...

​Have a wonderful week!!! 

❤️ Want FREE, immediate access to my Fun Fab Drawing Club and/or Mixed Media Society plus discounts on all my art books, sneak peek at YouTube videos and new book content, behind-the-scenes fun and MORE? Join me over on Patreon today and get HUGE PERKS in return for a small monthly donation. 
​
❤️ CHECK OUT ALL my art books on AMAZON (available in both Kindle and Paperback)

❤️ SIGNED COPIES of my art books on ETSY


❤️ MY FAVORITE ART SUPPLIES on AMAZON

❤️ MY BELOVED FACEBOOK GROUP  

❤️ FOLLOW ME ON INSTAGRAM

❤️ FOLLOW ME ON FACEBOOK
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HOW to DRAW NOSES REALISTICALLY in Just 5 MINUTES!  (#DrawingFacialFeatures​ with Karen Campbell)

8/2/2021

0 Comments

 
Want me to teach you how to draw noses realistically in just 5 minutes?!  LET'S DO IT!!

Last week I started a new series on my drawing YouTube channel ALL about drawing facial features! Each week we're going to focus on a different facial feature, and will draw it five different times (from reference images provided), and will ONLY spend five minutes on each drawing! 

Sounds FUN right?! 

​If you've always wanted to learn how to draw a face or how to shade a face, have been struggling to work drawing practice into your daily life, or need to add MORE FUN into your art practice, THIS SERIES IS FOR YOU!!
​
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Last week I showed you how to draw lips realistically, and this week we're gonna tackle how to draw realistic noses!!! The only supplies you need are a pencil, an eraser, and my 
FREE 5 in 5 Practice Packet.

If you haven't downloaded your packet yet, CLICK the BUTTON below and I'll send it straight to your inbox. Simply print it out, grab a pencil and click over to today's video on my YouTube Drawing Channel. 
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If you missed last week's video on how to draw lips realistically, make sure to check that out, and draw along with me at your own pace on pages one and two of your packet. 

Feel free to go out of order and skip around. This is FOR YOU, and no one else.

I've got 5 nose drawing references for us to work on today, so if you're drawing along with me (and I hope you do!!) flip to those two pages and let's get started!
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​The goal is to spend about 5 minutes total on drawing exactly what you see in the reference image photo. You can draw right into your packet in the empty white space next to each photo. 

While we're doing these drawing exercises, I mainly want you to focus on three things: 
  1. SHAPE - focus on the outline of your nose drawing
  2. VALUE - make sure you're using darks and lights to shade
  3. DETAILS - add highlights and finishing touches to make it pop
Before we continue, super quick announcement! All product links noted below are Affiliate. I may earn a small commission if you choose to order through these links, but by law there is never any additional cost to the consumer for doing so. I only reccommend products I actually use and love. Thank you for your support! 
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​I'm working  with my favorite Blackwing pencil again today. I love these because the graphite is SO soft. They are a luxury if you buy them individually, but around $2/each if you buy them in bulk.  

I feel like the lead is equivalent to a 4B, so I suggest working with that if you have it. If you don't - you can use a straight up #2 school pencil. I'm not kidding! Whatever gets the job done and has you drawing is what is most important!! 

As you'll see in the video, I do pull out my phone to time myself for each drawing. You totally don't have to do that!! I'm just doing this to keep myself focused because I could spend an hour working on ONE nose drawing, and that's not what this kind of drawing practice is about.

​What we're interested in right now is just spending time on something that is QUICK and EASY! 
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​I spend the bulk of my 5ish minutes observing my reference photo and trying to replicate what I see next to it in pencil. Once I'm happy with the gist of my nose outline drawing, I use the side of my pencil to get some graphite down and drag that around with a blending stump to add some shading. 

If you don't have a blending stump, don't worry about it! You can use your finger or a q-tip! If you DO have a blending stump, you WANT it to be dirty. In fact, the dirtier, the better!

After I get the darkest part of my drawing done (nostrils), I pull out my Tombow Mono Eraser (I LOVE this thing)! If you haven't used one of these before, it's basically a mechanical eraser, like a mechanical pencil! It has this SUPER teeny tip that is awesome for carving out detail highlights. ​
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​After you're done with your first nose drawing, make sure you hold your paper back a little to get some perspective. Compare your work to the reference to see if there are tweaks you want to make.

If you're happy, move on to reference image number two! If you see something you could have done better, try to keep that in mind as you move on to the second image, and definitely don't beat yourself up about it! 

I'm finding as I do these drawing exercises with you that my first drawing is really a warm up, and I often get better the further into the packet I get!! 
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​The second nose has a really has a unique shape, doesn't it? That's exactly why I chose it!

I really hunted around to try and find a wide variety of nose reference photos for you, so I HOPE you're drawing along with me while you watch my YouTube drawing tutorial, because this is ALL in "real time" with no timelapsing to help you make the MOST of your drawing practice!
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​When I sit back and look at my drawing from a distance, I see that I really could have made the center highlight a bit more pronounced, so I make a few adjustments. 

Drawing has SO much to do with observational skills, so really take your time when studying each reference image. 

If you're just learning how to draw faces, or anything for that matter - your observational skills will develop and improve over time with practice.

These little exercises are PERFECT to help you fine tune the way you look at images. Plus- if you watch my YouTube drawing lessons, you KNOW I'm all about pointing these little nuances out to help you along!! 
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​This third nose is super random, and not like ANY nose I've ever drawn before, but it gives me a great opportunity to teach you how to draw a nose from an angle. It's kind of an upturned nose.

​As you can see in the image above, really the ONLY drawing that goes into a nose is at the base, where the nostrils are. The rest is basically ALL shading and highlights!!

​Crazy, right?! 
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​If you've been away from drawing for a while, or get caught in a mindset of thinking you don't have enough time for drawing practice - I HEAR you!! SO many people have shared this concern with me, and it's one of the reasons I created this 5 in 5 Practice Packet! 
​
What I'm challenging each of us to do is to only carve out 5 minutes of time to work on each reference photo in the drawing packet. That can help us slowly shift our mindsets into thinking of our art practice in a different way.

We don't have to set aside TONS of time for drawing practice. Just a few minutes a day is SOMETHING, and it's time you're carving out just for yourself. You're WORTH IT! 
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​Now my last nose of the day was actually my favorite of all five and I did that one the fastest! See... there's something to that whole idea of PRACTICE and not needing to spend ALL DAY on it either!! 
​
In case you need that link for the 5 in 5 Practice Packet one more time, here ya go - click the button below and I'll send it straight to your inbox! 
​
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Good luck with today's fun nose drawing practice!! I hope it goes awesome for you. Make sure you click over to my drawing YouTube channel so we can do it TOGETHER!!!

See ya there.
​

​Thanks SO much for hanging out with me today!! I'll see you back here NEXT Monday for our next facial feature...

​Have a wonderful week!!! 

❤️ Want FREE, immediate access to my Fun Fab Drawing Club and/or Mixed Media Society plus discounts on all my art books, sneak peek at YouTube videos and new book content, behind-the-scenes fun and MORE? Join me over on Patreon today and get HUGE PERKS in return for a small monthly donation. 
​
❤️ CHECK OUT ALL my art books on AMAZON (available in both Kindle and Paperback)

❤️ SIGNED COPIES of my art books on ETSY


❤️ MY FAVORITE ART SUPPLIES on AMAZON

❤️ MY BELOVED FACEBOOK GROUP  

❤️ FOLLOW ME ON INSTAGRAM

❤️ FOLLOW ME ON FACEBOOK
0 Comments

HOW to DRAW LIPS REALISTICALLY in 5 MINUTES! (#DrawingFacialFeatures with Karen Campbell)

1/2/2021

0 Comments

 
Want me to teach you how to draw lips realistically in just 5 minutes?! LET'S DO IT!!

Over the next few weeks on my YouTube drawing channel, we're going to be drawing facial features and spending 5 minutes on each reference image. If you've always wanted to learn how to draw a face, have been struggling to work drawing practice into your daily life, or need to add MORE FUN into your art practice, THIS SERIES IS FOR YOU!!
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Before we go any farther, you need to download today's FREE 5 in 5 Practice Packet so you can draw and shade along with me in this series. Simply click the button below and I'll send it straight to your email.
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TONS of people tell me about how they really struggle with not having enough time in their day to get a little art practice in. I get it!! Outside of my art - I'm a mom, I've gotta walk my Maggie a zillion times a day, figure out dinner every stupid day (LOL!). I'm with ya. We all have stuff!! 

But, if art is something YOU LOVE, and making the time to practice feels overwhelming because you feel like you need to dedicate a super long session of time to it - let's reframe that mindset. 

You don't need to have super long periods of time set aside to art. You can actually spend a few minutes a day on it if you want to, STILL have fun, and STILL grow as an artist! 

If you're hoping to get a more regular art practice started, one of my recommendations for that is to actually PUT IT IN YOUR CALENDAR. I know!! Sounds SO easy, right? But if you schedule some time for yourself - just as you would for something like a doctor's appointment - it's WAY more likely to happen. 

YOU'VE GOT THIS!! 

AND to help you have something TO DO for each of these little mini practice sessions, I've got a FREE surprise for ya!! 
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​I've created a fun (and FREE!!!) Drawing Practice Packet for us to do together!

We're gonna spend the next few weeks drawing and shading lips, noses, eyes, face shapes, hairstyles and last but not least...ears!! All in pencil!!! Each week we're gonna study 5 reference photos of the same facial feature. For each reference photo - we're going to ONLY spend 5 minutes or less drawing what we see right next to each facial feature we're studying. You can do all of your drawing practice right inside this packet!! 

​Why only spend only 1 - 5 MINUTES per drawing prompt?! Because another thing a lot of my students struggle with is perfectionism!!

​YOU know who you are... LOL!
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​All you're gonna need to practice with me is a pencil with an eraser. 

If you're new to me or my YouTube drawing channel, I'm all about using what you have, and not buying stuff just to buy it (which your wallet is gonna LOVE). Don't get me wrong- my shelves are FULL of fun products to use. But if I share info about a fine art product I enjoy - please don't feel obligated to use it. 

On the other hand, if you're interested in taking your art to the next level - fine art supplies DO make a difference in your art, so I try to show you my favorite supplies as I discover them to save you both time and money. That way you don't keep collecting a variety of cheap to middle of the road products and overspending on stuff that isn't going to give you the quality you're hoping to find. 

With that being said -every single one of these drawing exercises can be done in a good old fashioned #2 school pencil if that's all ya got!! And if that's all you've got, you're STILL going to grow as an artist. PROMISE.

Ready to download and print your own Practice Packet so we can get started? Simple click the button below and I'll have it sent STRAIGHT to your inbox!! Then meet me over on today's how to draw lips YouTube video and I'll teach you exactly how to draw lips realistically step by step!!
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Before we continue, super quick announcement! All product links noted below are Affiliate. I may earn a small commission if you choose to order through these links, but by law there is never any additional cost to the consumer for doing so. I only reccommend products I actually use and love. Thank you for your support! 
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Ok! Let's get started...​

​My favorite drawing pencils are by Blackwing. They're stupid expensive if you buy them individually, but are closer to $2/each if you buy them in a pack of 12. To me the splurge is worth it - they are silky smooth and draw like butter!!! They also have this cool eraser on the end of them that is a tiny rectangle (and replaceable!!), which makes it so easy to carve in little highights or to erase angluar mistakes!!
If you're in the market for new erasers, I've got two favorites: the vanish eraser (takes care of the bigger mistakes / adjustments) and my Tombow Mono Eraser. THIS is the coolest. It's kind of like a mechanical pencil, but it's a mechanical eraser!! Here you can see the teensy tip of it (below, right) - it's amazing for carving out itty bitty highlights!
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Additionally, you might want to have a blending stump or two to help you shade a little quicker, and a bit more delicately. Again, you don't have to have these at all - you can totally use your finger without spending a dime!! A q-tip works well for this too!

​Because we're doing these exercises in pencil, it helps tremendously if the face drawing reference photos are ALSO in black and white instead of color. That's why I chose black and white reference photos! It makes a big difference when you're focusing on face shading techniques or just learning how to shade a face. 

​For each of the drawings we work on together in the Practice Packet, I want you to be thinking of three things:
  1. SHAPE (where I tend to spend the longest time)
  2. VALUE (how light or dark you're shading)
  3. DETAIL (don't get too caught up here because we're just doing some light, QUICK practice!)
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As you can see, I'm doing my sketching and shading directly in my Practice Packet, so no fancy paper is needed either!

I hope you're drawing with me right now!! Make sure you click over to the video because this is all being done in REAL TIME, step by step over in my YouTube drawing tutorial so you can draw right along with me.

​These drawing exercises are SUPER EASY and beginners are totally welcome, so don't worry about it if you've never done this before. There's a first time for everything!!

After I get through the first two lip drawing images, I discover I'm spending about 1 minute to get the lips outline drawing in place, then about 3-4 minutes putting some graphite down to shade and blend, plus adding a few more pencil lines or highlights for detail. I'm seriously trying not to care so much (which is HARD, I know)!

Just keep telling yourself, this drawing exercise isn't about hyper realism - it's just about showing you how YOU CAN give yourself just a few minutes here or there each day to accomplish something, call it "good enough," and create a little drawing habit for yourself!  
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​You can TOTALLY make time for this practice, and it doesn't have to be at home. If you've got a doctor's appointment coming up and you know you're gonna be stuck in the waiting room for a bit - throw this packet and a pencil in your purse and go. It will distract you while you're sitting there, and if drawing makes you happy, it will also help to decrease your stress level. 
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​Just a little note for my Fun Fab Drawing Club members - if you're hanging out with me for this facial features drawing series, a lot of the face drawing reference photos I'm using for this series are in your 2021 UPDATED Membership Guide!!! So check the digital eBook version out right here in the classroom, or order yourself a copy over on Amazon if you prefer a physical copy! This guide has GROWN so much from last year and is now a fat 259 pages in its second edition!! 

NOT a Fun Fab Drawing Club member but interested in learning more? CLICK HERE.

NOT a Fun Fab Drawing Club member but WANT to BE?! CLICK HERE to join the waitlist.
(Membership enrollment opens twice a year- in the fall and in the spring).

If you're interested in grabbing ALL my cheatsheets at once- go ahead and hop over to Awesome Art School, and you'll find them in my YouTube & Cheatsheet Library.
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So for this last practice image, I did go a little over the "time limit," but that's ok. Go easy on yourself. There's no pressure here.

The point of me trying to throw a timer into this exercise for myself, is just to remind me NOT to spend 45 minutes working on that one gorgeous mouth, and getting SO fussy about it that I'm trying to make it perfect. We're doing quick and dirty, and 6 minutes is still quick in my book!! 
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How adorable is this last mouth? The top lip totally has a heart shape to it!! I LOVE it and that's why this mouth made the practice packet! LOL! 

I'm gonna say it again...you BETTER be drawing with me, and you NEED to click over to this drawing video on YouTube so you can do this with me in real time. 

Did you download your Drawing Practice Packet yet??? Here's that button if you need it again...
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Now go check your inbox and come on over to YouTube so we can get started together!! 

I hope you LOVE doing this as much as I do!!

Thanks SO much for hanging out with me for today's lip drawing tutorial!! I'll see you back here NEXT Monday for our next facial feature...

​Have a wonderful week!!! 

❤️ Want FREE, immediate access to my Fun Fab Drawing Club and/or Mixed Media Society plus discounts on all my art books, sneak peek at YouTube videos and new book content, behind-the-scenes fun and MORE? Join me over on Patreon today and get HUGE PERKS in return for a small monthly donation. 

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    Karen Campbell

    Founder of Awesome Art School.  Mixed Media Artist.  Author of 18 Instructional Art Books!

    Posting on YouTube every single Wednesday of the year!  

    The Alliance of Independent Authors - Author Member

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"Karen is flipping hilarious and she's very real...I like the way she teaches in a way that really gives you confidence, whether you're a beginner or advanced there's always something new to learn!"

- Elizabeth W.

What Fans Are Saying

Karen, you are absolutely fabulous! You make me feel like I can draw anything. I have recently retired and finally have the time to do some of the art that I have loved since I was in school. I am really at the beginning of my art journey and I hope to learn as much as I can. Thank you for all you do.

​-Jill Y.

I ordered your Fun Fab Faces book and loved it! I was having a little trouble getting the noses I wanted and now it's easy! Also, I love how you stressed how important having the three tones in your drawing is. Thanks a bunch!

-Donna L.

Thank you Karen! I never though I could do faces. You broke it down so it was understandable! And I love your book! I got it yesterday! Can't wait to start practicing! It's so much fun!!!!!

​-Debbie M.

Thank you for the encouragement to get back into my drawing and painting. After being away for 35 years.  THANK YOU.

- Teresa S.

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