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I used to STRUGGLE with my profile face drawings because they ALL LOOKED LIKE ALIENS ...  OR...had FISH LIPS!!!  If you're ready to toss your sketchbook because you don't know how to draw a face that looks "right" as a side view drawing... You're in the right place! HELP IS HERE!!! As you may know, I'm a mixed media artist, but I REALLY value the skill of drawing because it makes my mixed media foregrounds look SO much more interesting and beautiful if they are based on accurate drawing proportions of the face.  It wasn't until I wrote my second book, How to Draw MORE Fun, Fab Faces, that I really held myself accountable to finally figure out how to draw 3/4 portraits and profiles in a CLEAR, step by step way! In today's drawing tutorial I'm pulling out ALL MY TIPS for face drawing, and I'm gonna walk you through profile drawing STEP BY STEP so it's easy for you to replicate on your own at home! ALL you need to do this project right along with me is a piece of paper and a pencil - ANY pencil with an eraser will do!  When you're working on a profile sketch, there are little tweaks you can make to help your faces look more realistic. Even if you're doing a a stylized whimsical drawing (like mine!), paying attention to angles of the face and the placement of facial features will give your drawing greater sophistication. Download a copy of my FREE Profile Face Drawing Guidelines here. After you grab your guidelines, let's get started. Don't worry- this is an EASY drawing for beginners!!! The first step is to simply draw a circle. Don't stress over it - just grab something near you that has a circular shape and trace around it. DONE!  Before we sketch in your guidelines, there is something I need to show you. The angle from nose to chin varies a TON from face to face in real life. The pix below are from my book, How to Draw and Find Your Style. Look at that pink arrow focusing on the angle from nose to chin. See how it differs from the photo on the left? They are COMPLETELY different!  SUPER INTERESTING right?!! This is an example of one of the little nuances that trip us up as artists when we try to draw profiles! The angles are seriously tricky!!!! But we're NOT gonna let them get the better of us. How do we draw this in an easy way without having issues? CLICK HERE and I'll demonstrate for you step by step. When you sketch in these simple guidelines, it will help you focus on drawing proportions of the face- which is just a fancy way of saying YOUR girls won't look like aliens the way mine did ;)  One of the biggest rules to remember about profiles is the lips should NEVER stick out beyond the nose. See how that first set of double circles (above) looks just under my rough nose sketch? Those will soon become lips ... see below!  The more you work on your face drawing practice - the more these guidelines will become second nature to you. You’ll know how to draw facial proportions for your side view face sketches correctly & will have drawings in your sketchbook you can be SUPER PROUD OF!! I PROMISE!!! EVEN BETTER - it doesn't have to be hard anymore when you're armed with my Profile Face Guidelines Cheatsheet. I HOPE you have FUN with this video and find the guidelines helpful. Make sure you're drawing right along with me because that is how you will learn best- with practice!!! STAY TUNED for next week's video, because I'm gonna teach you HOW TO SHADE today's profile (see below!). And YES, of course I gave her elf ears / fairy ears because I LOVE (and DO BELIEVE in) fairies!!!  See ya over on YouTube!!! ❤️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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Scrapbook paper backgrounds are my GO TO for the mixed media art I create on canvas or in my art journal! Before I get into WHY - I want to show you some of the effects you can achieve with various types of collage material - in case you're new to the world of collage or creating mixed media backgrounds! In the pic below you'll see a closeup view of one of my favorite mixed media collage projects from my book, Mixed Media Magic. See the wrinkly, raised bumps of texture? That happens when you collage with NAPKINS in your bottom layer!  Some people LOVE this kind of texture in their art (I'm one of them!!). From a distance, the texture in the background is very prominent. You can see the wrinkles and bumps from my napkin pieces. This is a look I was going for on purpose in this particular painting.  Some people aren't into this bumpy goodness, and that's ok! YOU do YOU!!!! In case you're one of them... here's what collaging with TISSUE PAPER can do in your mixed media art backgrounds!!  See the typewriter words smack dab in the middle of her face? That is a ripped piece of tissue paper! Tissue paper will give you a transparent effect in your collage, which I also LOVE!!! You can definitely see there are some bumps and wrinkles up close, but it's more chill than using napkins like I did in the previous piece. From a distance, the tissue paper texture is VERY understated...  The next example I'm going to show you is a piece I started with a collage layer of torn scrapbook paper pieces!  Look closely at the background of this mixed media girl painting. You'll see there are 3-4 sheets of scrapbooking paper that were collaged into my first layer of this canvas. I like to rip palm sized chunks from papers that have the same color scheme going on. It's SO easy to find matching colors with an assortment of patterns because ALL the craft stores sell these giant books of gorgeous sheets with repeating color schemes that are totally designed to be used together!  Personally, this is my FAVORITE collage material because you really DON'T get any wrinkles at all! This type of collage creates a smooth surface that is PERFECT to paint on. That doesn't mean it will create a "boring," or texture-less background. Take a look at this painting close-up! As you can see below... there are pretty subtle, raised edges from each chunk of scrapbook paper I used. And I have to say, I'm OBSESSED with this look!! I really feel like it adds a layer of sophistication to my art. You can achieve some VERY rich, complex backgrounds that really pull your eye around the piece as a whole, and make it interesting to look at- both from a distance, and up close!!  In today's mixed media tutorial, I've got a FULL-LENGTH, FREE art lesson for you!! I'm showing you my EXACT mixed media collage process using scrapbook paper so you can play right along with me at home. I find this process works amazing on canvas boards, wood panels, or as an art journal page or spread. It's a little harder to do on pre-stretched canvas because the middle of a pre-stretched canvas isn't super sturdy, so you have to be a bit more gentle. When you do collage work, you add a lot of pressure to whatever surface you're working on, and I don't want to be precious about anything- so I reach for something like a canvas panel, because it's more substantial (AND they are super cheap!!). Here is your supply list for today's project:
Go grab your supplies and meet me over on YouTube to get crafting with me!!!! CLICK HERE or press the play button below when you're ready to start!! 💜Product Links listed may be affiliate. I only link to products that I have personally used and tested and love! I may receive a few pennies if you purchase through these links, but no worries, there is never any cost to the consumer for doing so! I love a simple mixed media art project!! This one is quick and easy and trust me, ANYONE can do it (even YOU!). All you need are the following supplies:
 Also, if you have been wondering when to choose matte medium instead of mod podge for your mixed media art projects, THIS VIDEO is A MUST WATCH! So grab your supplies and meet me at your art table and press play! there's so much fun to be had! I'm about a week away from celebrating the release of Vol 2 of Learn to Draw Art Deco Style and I couldn't be more excited. One of the most fulfilling art activities that I do is coloring the drawings that I create. In the book, I'll teach you how to draw this dapper dude and his sweet pup! But more fun than that, I show you how to use a combination of watercolor markers and colored pencils to create super realistic clothing. I also use this same technique to color many of the dresses that appear in Vol. 1! So there are a lot of takeaways in this lesson.  So come back in time and bring your sense of adventure! And let's color him together! For this activity I'm using my favorite watercolor markers by Winsor-Newton but any brand will do (and there are lots! Think Tombow, Arteza Brush Pens, Ecoline and more!!) You can learn more about watercolor markers in last weeks video. But to follow along and learn how to render clothing, watch today's! It's so cool to see your drawings come to LIFE! Time is flying by! My kids go back to school on Monday (virtually), my 16 year old is 2 weeks away from getting his driver's license (shriek!) and I've just finished up work on Vol 2 of Learn to Draw Art Deco Style. It's a BIG week! Here's a peek at some of the projects inside Vol 2!! I've had many many requests to include more animals so there's lots of furry friends including this next book! Here's a peak at 2! (oooooh make sure you have images enabled on your email so you can see how cute they are!)  And here's one of a super sleek car. Why why WHY are cars not made like this anymore?! I don't even LIKE cars, but cars this sexy are too good to pass up!  But as much fun as the furry friends and cars, I really enjoyed drawing the house furnishings!!! And cocktails!! And handsome mens, oooooh MAN there are sooo many things in this new upcoming book!!! But BACK to mixed media, as this is why I'm writing today! If you're anything like me, you have WAY more art supplies than you actually use. Or need. Or both. Wouldn't it be awesome to know the EXACT bare minimum of supplies to use to make the MOST awesome projects? Well that's what's covered in today's video! It's a list of the most important supplies. I hope this video helps you sort out what you have and also helps determine all that you DON'T need to use OR to buy!! Especially in light of the world's uncertainties. I also hope that it sheds light on how much you can do with so little!! You'd be surprised! I'm also answering a lot of questions I get about managing smear control from highly reactive products like the Stabilo, best surface prep options, sealers, paint markers and MORE!! This really is an info PACKED video so if you have questions about Mixed Media supplies I highly recommend a watch! Click the play button below to be on your way! Travel back in time with me and learn to draw and color 69 fabulous and authentic Art Deco style projects! Sharing my Quadrant Method secrets for the first time in print, Karen leads you through each project with crystal clear step-by-step instructions so you know exactly what to draw and how to blend, shade and color to perfection. Watch your drawing skills soar and see fashion figures, jewelry, clothing, faces and features come to LIFE!! And now you can see the entire book!! ENJOY the sneak peek! Drawing Proportions of the face in the correct way is what takes your drawings to the next level. Most importantly, it takes your "off" looking faces, and turns them into something beautiful!! I know sketching a girl is fun and you CAN make your work look beautiful on your own, but when you USE drawing guidelines - it makes a world of difference! In today's sketching tutorial, I'll show you HOW to draw facial proportions correctly for a whimsical face (SECRET: it's all about that THIRD EYE but also so much more...). I've created a simple cheatsheet to make this easier for you. If you've been paying attention to my recent uploads on YouTube you'll know how obsessed I've been with these Fountian Pen inks!! My vintage bottle collection hasn't slowed down either (sorry wallet!!). But I love "shopping" for my favorite color on my ink shelves!!! Check out this fancy new bottle I discovered on Etsy!  In today's video I am seeing if PanPastels can work over Fountain Pen ink to make a mixed media portrait! I used my beloved Noodler's ink in my favorite strathmore watercolor sketchbook and was pleasantly surprised by my experience! I have a new, free (as always) mixed media art tutorial for you! I'm showing you how simple is it to create a monochromatic painting, art deco style! I'm working to render this 1920s fashion illustration with only a SINGLE color of watercolor paint on my favorite Fabriano watercolor paper. Through this video I want to show you that shading and making objects, faces and figures can be done by anyone, even if you only own a single color. Let that sink in! I hope that this video inspires some new watercolor painting ideas and shows you how easy it is to get fast results (and SERIOUS DIMENSION) with such ease!! If you've been following my journey, you know I've been obsessed with teaching people how to draw!!! There's just something so magical about having an idea in your head and then making it come to life on your paper! It's also such a great distraction during these very difficult times. It's been hard having three kids home for so many months and I find myself wracked with a lot of emotions. I am worried about my children, growing up in an age of a Pandemic, wearing faces masks and not shaking hands or seeing their friends. I get anxious when I think about this as being the new "normal" when there's nothing but fear and worry when we leave the house. We left the house for the first time in four months this week, for just three nights. We went to a small cabin, close to our house, that was on a lake. My kids and I didn't leave the water all day I don't think!!! Just getting OUTDOORS for an extended period of time was heaven. Being out of the same four walls, also heaven.  I find that drawing, for me, offers me a similar feeling of peace. When I'm in the lake, I'm fully absorbed by the water, staying afloat, watching my kids to be sure they're safe, totally immersed in the beauty of nature. When I'm drawing I am so totally absorbed in my lines, in the gorgeous reference picture I may be using, in my drawing tools and if they're behaving and moving in the ways that my brain is envisioning. And in both instances I'm leaving all outside thoughts and anxieties behind to focus on the task at hand. I also did a drawing while we were at the lake! It's supposed to be of a video game characters my kids play although they informed me afterwards that it looks nothing like her. Nice. Thanks boys.  I also love drawing so much because it takes very little in the way of supplies! You can create so much using so few tools! Unlike mixed media (my other true love) which usually takes everything and the kitchen sink to make the same effect! lol! Oh well, I still love them both equally. I also love to come up with systems for things, to make art easier for people. I know a lot of my students just want to get to their happy place, and start creating, but that's really hard if you don't know how to do it!! In the past I've come up with a fun system for creating successful mixed media projects. I call it my "Hamburger" system. People LOVE IT!!! Well I also know how hard it is for people to draw PEOPLE and so I've come up with a cool, fun and easy method for drawing people as well!! Although in reality, you can use this exact system to draw really ANYTHING. It's a little bit tricky to explain but it's similar to the Grid Method. Although instead of drawing an exact grid on your reference and then using the same grid lines to draw the object on your own paper, you draw Quadrants instead. The beauty of this Quadrant Method is that there is no limit to how many Quadrants you can draw to help you out if you need more reference lines!! You can see in this photo how the Quadrants look on both the reference image (left) and my own drawing (right).  It's a little bit easier to explain in person that on paper (although in my new Art Deco book I take quite a lot of time and project and pages to explain it as best as I can!!) so I made a video that shows exactly what this entails. If you're skeptical if this system can work for you, don't take my word for it!! I've been teaching this to my students who are in the Fun Fab Drawing Club (at AwesomeArtSchool.com) and the results have been OUTSTANDING!!! Even beginner drawings have had HUGE success with this!! Here's just one example of many...  So if you're looking for a way to break down difficult subjects into easy ones, I highly suggest to give this a shot!! You can also check out my brand new book, Learn to Draw Art Deco Style Vol. 1 (available on Amazon's worldwide and soon-to-be in my Etsy Shop) where I teach you, step by step, this exact Quadrant method to draw amazing fashion figures of the 1920's and 30's. SOOOOOO fun!!!  I also included videos for many of the projects in the book as well!!! All of these are completely free and are on BOTH of my YouTube channels. Just follow the links inside and you can get another whole spin on each project!! One of my favorite projects in the book (and favorite videos to boot!) is making SMOLDERING eyes from the 1920's!! This era was a BIG DEAL to women because it marked the first time in history that women got to where make-up, OTHER than stage performers and streetwalkers that is!!! Also, these make-up techniques are SUPER fun to draw!! Want to see? Of course you do!!! You can watch (and hopefully draw) along with me right here!! Just press play and away we go! Subscribe to my YouTube channel while you're there so you never miss the new videos when they are posted weekly! Have a great week and I'll be popping back over to the blog soon for more fun news and videos for you!!
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Karen CampbellMonFounder of Awesome Art School. Mixed Media Artist. Author of 9 Instructional Art Books!    
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