Caroline
The face is probably the aspect of the human form that we are most familiar with, as it is what we will be looking at when interacting with anyone.
Despite this familiarity, it can still be really difficult to portray a human face in a drawing, as there are many different aspects to get right.
This will be the case no matter what the angle is, and this can make learning how to draw a side profile quite a challenging task to take on.
As with any drawing challenge, it can be made much easier when you know what to do, and that is what this tutorial is here to help with.
Our step-by-step guide on how to draw a side profile in just 6 steps will show you just how easy drawing this angle of a human face can be.
How to Draw A Side Profile – Let’s Get Started!
Step 1
To get started with this guide on how to draw a side profile, we will begin with the front and the top of the outline for the face.
We will be using some curved lines for what will be the front of the face to begin. This will comprise the forehead, the nose, the lips and the chin.
When drawing these aspects, try to replicate them exactly as they appear in the reference image.
For the top of the head, we will be using several curved lines to create the hair texture for this head.
The back and the base of the head will be left open and blank for now, but we will fill that in soon as we proceed to future steps.
Step 2 – Now, draw some of the first facial details and the back of the head
With the start of the outline drawn, the next aspect we will be working on will be some of the inner details of the face as well as the back of the head.
First, use some curved lines for the eyebrow near the top of the face. Then, you can draw the eye beneath it using two very slightly curved lines with a curve at the front of them.
Then, add some pupil details at the front of the eye.
Next, use some simple curved lines for his lip and mustache details. You can then finish off this step by drawing the back of his head using another curved line.
Step 3 – Draw some more details and the collar of his shirt
For this third step of our guide on how to draw a side profile, we will be adding quite a lot to the image.
First, we will be using some curved lines that have some sharp angles to them for the beard covering his chin. This will extend into another curved line for the curve of his chin.
Next, we will be drawing his ear. The positioning of this will be quite important, so try your best to position it exactly as it appears in our reference image.
Once these are all drawn, we will then draw the collar of his shirt using some more curved lines. Finish off with some lines for his shoulders and then we can proceed to step 4.
Step 4 – Next, draw more of the outlines for his hair and beard
Now you’re ready to finish off the outlines for his beard and hair as we move to the fourth part of this side profile drawing.
For his inner hair outline, we will be drawing lots of curved lines connecting to one another to create the feeling of flowing hair.
Then, we will be using some more curved, slightly jagged lines for the outline of his beard, and we will draw some fairly straight lines extending into the beard interior.
Draw another straight line in his neck to give it some more definition, and then we will move on to the final details in the next step of the guide.
Step 5 – Add the final details to your side profile drawing
Before we add some colors to your picture, we have a few final details to add in this step of our guide on how to draw a side profile.
The hairstyle that we are portraying in this image will have the sides of his head closely shaved, and then there will be some small lines drawn near the top and back of his hairstyle.
Then, we will finish it off by adding some more details to his shirt like some creases and buttons. Once these have been added, it’s up to you to finish off in any way you see fit!
You could do this by adding your own details or even by crafting a cool background. How will you complete this drawing?
Bonus: Make This Side Profile Easier And Add Your Own Details
Drawing an even somewhat realistic human face and head can be a real challenge, and you probably found that out in this guide. Some people have a knack for these kinds of drawings, but others may find it hard to do.
If you fell into that second group, there is no need to be ashamed! We have a few more tips you can use to make it a bit easier.
Not only that, but you can also make your drawing more personalized with these changes. For that reason, you may want to try out these tips even if you found this side profile drawing to be easy.
One way that you can make it easier would be to change the art style of the picture. This could be turning it into a simpler cartoon style, for instance.
Or, you may like to draw anime style characters and find that easy to do. It depends on whatever you find easiest and most comfortable, but whatever it is you can use it for this design.
If you would like to stick to the design in this guide, then we would recommend practicing a few times and using a pencil to prepare for the drawing.
You could also get someone you know to pose in the same way as the person in the picture, and then you can use their real side profile. It would help even if they don’t look the same as the person in the image.
If you wanted to make the drawing look more like your real life model, that would be cool as well! If you take on all of these tips, you will hopefully have a much easier time working on this drawing.
Step 6 – Finish off your side profile drawing with color
This is the final step of your side profile drawing, and in it you can finish off with some colors. In our reference image, we went with browns for his hair and beard.
Then, for his shirt we used some bright oranges to color it in.
These are the colors we would go for, but you should feel free to experiment and use any other colors you want!
This is your drawing, and you should do whatever you think would make it perfect for your tastes.
Do you have some ideas for which colors and art mediums you feel would best suit this picture?
5 Tips To Make Your Side Profile Drawing Even Better!
Make this side profile sketch look even cooler with these 5 tips!
This drawing of a side profile shows a man with a modern haircut. It looks great but you could also use other hairstyles you like.
This would be a great way to personalize your picture and make it more to your tastes. You could look up pictures of popular haircuts and styles in order to get some inspiration.
What sorts of hairstyles could you use for this side profile?
Changing the hairstyle is just one way of personalizing this side profile. You could also add various pieces of clothing and accessories.
These could be small details such as ear or maybe nose piercings. Or, you could give him a hat, scarf or maybe some glasses.
This is a great chance for you to design a cool style for this man!
Once your side profile drawing looks as you want it, you can then add more of his body to draw more of his outfit. This would be challenging but make it look even cooler!
If you were to do this, you would benefit from getting someone with a similar build to pose for you. How much more of him would you like to add?
Once you have designed this man to look exactly as you want him, you could take what you learned to design a new character. There are a few ways you could make them look unique.
One would be by choosing someone with a different build to him, or you could draw someone of a different age or gender. This would be another great time to use someone as a model!
Finally, you could finish it all up with a background. There are so many places that you could set this drawing!
You could use a real location or use your imagination when designing the background.
Whatever you choose will give your side profile sketch more of a sense of place, and you could include all sorts of fun details.
Your Side Profile Drawing is Complete!
That brings you to the end of this guide on how to draw a side profile! As we mentioned at the start of this guide, drawing a human face isn’t always an easy or straightforward task.
By working hard and following the guide, you managed to do an amazing job on it, though!
Now that you have completed this picture, be sure to keep it going with your own details, elements and ideas.
We spoke about a few ways that you could go about doing this, but what else can you think of to finish off your image?
You can then find more awesome drawing guides on our website to enjoy! We upload new guides often, so be sure to keep visiting.
Please also remember to share your finished side profile drawing on our Facebook and Pinterest pages for us to enjoy!
