How to Get Better at Drawing Portraits

[@lorenknowles1521]

I’m a retired illustrator and graphic artist. For well over 30 years, I did art to meet the needs of my clients, and I did very well. After retiring, I have struggled trying to get back to the joy I had as a kid doing art for fun. For me, it’s like starting over learning new skills. Your advice is definitely helpful. Sometimes you need someone to remind you of the basics and to try a different philosophy from time to time.

[@JeffHainesArt]

Thanks Loren, I worked in the printing industry (prepress) for many years. Taking up drawing again after years of mostly digital work was like a revelation for me. I wish you all the best with your drawings!

[@SUGAR_XYLER]

That's the problem with a lot of adults...they don't like to do the things they once did as a child. I never lost that feeling of being a kid

[@PatGirvin]

Jeff, I love to draw and have shifted my focus at different times from the figure, to faces, to buildings and environments, and landscapes sometimes. I have to say, that faces are very elusive and require the most time to regain facility. I can construct buildings and spaces, but to get a true likeness seems to be 80% frequent practice and 20% alchemy. Thanks for posting this; it’s quite inspiring to me.

[@robbitpat]

Many helpful advices. Thanks!

[@attractinggood]

How did you get in an industry like that?

[@algernonwolfwhistle6351]

Sage advice. As the Chinese say, there are many paths to the top of the mountain. As someone who's struggling in the foothills I always value the guidance given by those who are capable of the kind of quality portraits you post here.

[@JeffHainesArt]

Thanks so much for the poetic comment, love that!

[@JhonnyWaltz]

Nice

[@markl240]

As a fellow traveller stumbling towards Base camp I really appreciate your comment and this great encouraging video. Thanks to both of you for posting

[@cunninglus4795]

Holy smokes, I've always been so particular with sketching precisely trying to focus more on line art. When I switched to doing little scribbles here and there not caring if I made a mess I feel a shift in the way I draw. Honestly, I feel better this way cause I've always been so critical of the process and I'm starting to see magic happen in my drawings! They look more alive.

[@JeffHainesArt]

Yes! You are developing a facility for drawing. Best of luck to you!

[@TocharaehD]

5:11 is great advice. As a child I was discouraged from drawing because I was drawing from references that I really liked a lot, but friends and family simply saw it as "copying". I cannot stress this enough, a healthy practice from references are invaluable. Art professionals in the animation, and game industry are prime examples that working with references never stop being one of the many tools in your toolbelt. Furthermore, drawing from a reference, still life, and/or from Life will continuously build an artist's "visual library", thus giving you increasing familiarity and understand with shape, form, structure, proportionality, how light interacts with the subject, and three dimensionality.

[@JeffHainesArt]

Thanks for commenting! I agree with you. :)

[@dplj4428]

Some of my greatest leaps in progress were from a specific artist, 30 days straight or less.

[@AAWOLFE-zc6ly]

As an old school Parsons student, I'm 56 now, I wish you could have been my teacher... what you said in this one video rang so true for me... THANK YOU SIR and a hello from Central Mexico...

[@JeffHainesArt]

Hello and thanks you! Very kind of you to say.

[@Brovillion559]

I used the rule of 3 when I started drawing. Just draw anything 3 times for however long you have the time. Eventually your proportions get better, shading gets better and so on. Then one day you will nail it. I kinda see like learning how not to draw and then being an artist all of a sudden. Practice makes improvement

[@vaenii5056]

Learning is failing upwards.

[@vkpskulls]

I’m 50 years old now. I spent a lot of time in my youth drawing. I haven’t done much in the past 20years, but I’ve committed to an hour a day focusing on portraits. I appreciate the wealth of information freely shared. Thank you. I’m falling in love with drawing again.

[@JeffHainesArt]

Thanks so much for the comment, I love hearing that. I have a similar story. Best of luck with your drawings!

[@SonneSuppe]

This is my first comment on KZbin ever... but I saw your first videos two years ago... I copied every one of your pictures in charcoal... you draw people's souls. I learned that from you... when I draw I'm scared, but I learned from you how to capture the soul... I rarely show my pictures but when I do, people are amazed, thanks to you... thank you very much again

[@JeffHainesArt]

Thanks so much for commenting. I really love hearing things like this. I wish you the best with your drawing.

[@dorukcansev]

@@JeffHainesArt This is what stroke me first about this channel. My first time visiting but really loved how characteristic & soulful your drawings look. Thanks for sharing

[@kelleyspartiatis4776]

I'm told that I am far too critical of my work. I don't fish for compliments. I just see what can be better with practice and when I get it right I am the first person to say that I love it.

[@savvysod8995]

This is the video I needed at this time of me doubting my art journey. Solid advice, not sugarcoating it, straight to the point and informative. Thank u so much for this. The part where u said that some people or artist take offense in u learning and drawing from reference is true. Most if not all veteran or professional artists would tell you to draw from reference and it's often times the amateurs or people who have no idea how drawing works and put it on to "talent" that says otherwise.

[@JeffHainesArt]

Thank you for commenting! Happy that you're getting something from the videos that you find useful!

[@pat4005]

In all my years of doing art professionally, I have never once heard of another person or artist take "offense" from learning or drawing from reference. Sometimes you have to use reference IF you can't see and study the real thing in person (which is ALWAYS a far better choice to draw from (for your own learning and reference). Whenever I've had newbies ask me what the best way to learn to draw is, I ALWAYS suggest to draw from real things and during different times of the day so that you can see how the changing light affects objects. Of course, you can also practice drawing things with the aid of moving a light around an object to see how the form changes, or turn it. Drawing portraits in person is always an awesome learning experience, because you can view and study the shapes in their natural 3D state AND you are seeing the person or pet, etc. in stereo-vision. 😊 You see and learn much more because your two eyes each see from a slightly different angle, and your brain melds the image together. A photo image is a flattened 2D image, and because you loose making that natural 3D interpretation that your mind (and memory) creates for you, you miss out on accumulating that knowledge of the object that you can draw upon when creating future people, objects and more from your imagination. In some cases, photo reference just doesn't give enough info, or it's very limited. But like I said earlier, it is still useful if you can't see something in person. And of course, sometimes reference is just needed for basic info, proportions or details. "All's well that ends well."

[@savvysod8995]

@@pat4005 Thanks for the great advice! I've been slowly cultivating a habit of drawing when I'm outside or drawing from life. I was always shy on drawing outside cause I don't want people to look at my work while I draw but I'm slowly getting out of my comfort zone. And ur lucky to have not encountered people who take offense looking at reference. Growing up in my preteen years back in the day in the early 2014 onward when I first started doing art, People have this bias that artists have this innate "talent," that it's something you're born with rather than something you train for. I think it goes to the fact that people around me have no knowledge or background on how drawing or painting works and chalk it up to, your either good at it from the get go or not. I was one of the few people in my school that took interest in art and drawing and when my schoolmates would look at my art they'd compliment me for how "talented" I am and they wished they could do that too. When I told them they could and they should just practice, they always say "Oh I'm not good at drawing" and that they're not as "talented" as me or they would try drawing for a week and then give up because they see no "progress" Like no shit, you just started. It's like going to a gym in a month and being disappointed ur not as ripped as a greek sculpture. When I show them my process in drawing by using reference their opinion of me changes like suddenly "Oh ur not as good as I thought" because of the belief that "real" artists draw from memory. I think in general social media ruined the average person's view on how an artist should work. It creates an illusion that artists should always be good at the get go because artists on instagram and twitter hardly ever posts their "bad" art or art when they first started. I'm glad that it's changing though, like people are starting to realize art is like a sport or any type of skill-based hobbies. That you need to dedicate time to practice and learn new things if you want to improve.

[@XxRaphaellxX]

Your voice is like music to my ears and your artworks are fallen pieces of heaven itself.

[@JeffHainesArt]

Haha! Thanks! Can't do much better than that. :)

[@michaelmcewan432]

You actually made my drawings better,even tho I have been doing portraits for as long as I can remember I always try to do things in different ways just to learn more Thanks for everything you do

[@JeffHainesArt]

Thank you Michael, I appreciate your comments :)

[@sunil5738]

Your progress as an artist relies on a healthy dissatisfaction with everything you've done up until this point. Wow!! So true 👍

[@sukalemn1211]

Thank you, thank you!!! Everything you said is true. Best for me, thinking that there's a specific way/rule to drawing/painting. I searched so hard and and I tried to copy every one else, and in the process I forgot myself. It's my way, my painting, my look at the world! Thank you kindly

[@JeffHainesArt]

Glad that you liked it!

[@NorahsYarnArt]

I can sit and listen to you all day.

[@susanbennetttellstales7998]

Yes!

[@aliyutube]

3:28 is like a trap, I've been told to do this specific thing. What nobody told me is proportions can change, there are a lot of parameters that can be changed in the facial structure. I very much agree on your opinions.

[@vaukest5888]

You're very correct. I've been following the advice "The nose is always the middle third of the face" until I looked in the mirror and realized that was a lie. took me a while to notice

[@aliyutube]

@@vaukest5888 proko? I read the head and hands book of loomis and rewatched proko's oldest head vid. Loomis never indicated a 2/3 measurements and relationship. And it took me 5 years to realize and break out of that fixed proportion thing.

[@aliciasam5239]

​@@vaukest5888l knew this was a lie by observation.People with big foreheads has slightly bigger heads and l suppose their proportions vary slightly. Some people have a small cranium no matter the race and young black boys have bigger craniums. People like my brother's cranium is not completely circular but has a heart like curve at the back.

[@dpelpal]

Have any of you even bothered to _read_ Loomis' book? He SPECIFICALLY says that proportions vary between people. He _encourages_ you to look for the proportions. He offers his method as a guideline, and says so specifically lol.

[@aliyutube]

@@dpelpal yes.

[@g.e.whitman]

title should be "Earl Nightingale tells you how to get good at drawing"

[@JeffHainesArt]

Haha!

[@Lolzzzx-o4e]

Dissatisfaction is something I truly struggle with,it always feels like u can’t do anything right &no matter how much compliments u get other peoples criticism hurts even if u hate the drawing urself

[@awaywegrow6114]

Many years ago, a young chef Jamie Oliver travelled to a small island in either Greece or Italy. There he worked in a very small, popular quayside restaurant, under the watchful eye of the owner. Jamie was sent to select the day's catch from the fishermen and create a menu which he prepped for service later that day. The restaurant was busy and service hectic. Jamie used the opportunity to 'pull out all the stops' and showcase his skills. At the end of the evening Jamie was exhausted and felt confident he'd done a fantastic job, as he'd tried so hard to please the diners. At the end of service the owner then did something unexpected. He gave each diner pen & paper and asked for their anonymous and honest assessment of their meals. The owner then went through the results with Jamie. Much of the feedback was positive, some contained constructive criticism and a small number, negative. The criticism was mainly to do with trying too hard - using too many different 'fussy' ingredients, overcomplicating the dishes and thereby overwhelming the star ingredient - the beautiful fresh fish. Jamie seemed a bit dejected after all his hard work. The owner took Jamie aside, scrunched up all the positive reviews and threw them in the bin. He then gathered up the negative slips, put his arm around Jamie's shoulder and tucked the bad reviews into Jamie's shirt pocket. "Forget all the good ones, these are the ones to learn from".

[@JeffHainesArt]

Not all criticism is the same, "your drawing is bad" isn't helpful to you, but "the eyes are too low" can be because it gets you thinking. Try to change the way you view criticism (and ignore it if it's not helpful to you in some way). Good luck!

[@JeffHainesArt]

Great story awaywegrow! I plan on re-telling it. :)

[@awaywegrow6114]

Thank you for your response. When I typed the comment and hit 'send', it disappeared and I haven't seen it since! 😳😆 By the way, your advice is valued and your artwork is beautiful. Thank you x

[@ancoopa]

What a great points. Thank you for sharing your experience.

[@pianoatthirty]

This video is an absolute masterpiece. Beautiful drawings, beautiful advice. Thank you for this.

[@JeffHainesArt]

Thanks so much! Glad you liked it.

[@jmarcguy]

Great video! I’m getting back into drawing after not doing it consistently for a decade. I’m trying to start with the basics & work on fundamentals. I draw regularly but I’m guilty of trying to to complete things & spending too much time rendering. I need to work on structure a lot more.

[@gioargentati7802]

Thank you for posting this, Jeff! It is very helpful and inspiring!

[@JeffHainesArt]

Glad you liked it Gio!

[@MauroRincon]

Wow, this is so true. I'm a beginner and have always had a bit of natural skill. But always end up spending a lot of time rendering and very little sketching, so I don't seem to progress. Will start doing this!

[@JeffHainesArt]

Good luck!

[@kevinnoel9024]

Jeff, I follow you on your Facebook page and have benefitted from the drawings posted. Charcoal at first intimidated me because of the dustiness plus getting the lifelikeness proportion and value being issues I struggled with, my artwork wasn't pleasing. So I am happy for your knowledge and for sharing with us vital techniques to get better results. Thank you, Mr. Haines

[@JeffHainesArt]

Hey Kevin! Good to see you here and thanks for your comments!

[@incognito3620]

Really good advice. More important than the sketches shown. Listen, think and then draw. And draw, and draw, and draw, and draw. No substrate for practice.

[@paulrodberg]

Substitute

[@Diom_des]

I find myself coming back to this video a lot not realizing Ive already seen it, your art style is just so appealing I wish i could replicate it

[@JeffHainesArt]

Glad you like it! Best of luck!

[@lovelifedrawing]

this was great! i love that your advice on the best approach is simply to pick the one that works for you

[@JeffHainesArt]

Thanks so much! Love your channel!

[@sakissk]

Jeff, really thank you man about the advices, your work is sooo nice, your portraits so unique..keep us learning with the right way mate!

[@JeffHainesArt]

Happy that you liked it!

[@MercenaryMuse]

ASMR voice says wise things that help me relax about my weird methods. Thank you!

[@JeffHainesArt]

Haha, thanks so much! I usually see weird as a positive thing. Keep going weirdo.

[@kalospiano9470]

wow, I love that head construction between 3:09 and 4:00, so quick and so effective!

[@rolfarnquist8343]

Thank you Jeff for making this video. Much good advice and information.

[@Makerdude23]

Greetings Jeff - wanted to say thanks so much for uploading these videos. Your work is a real inspiration to someone like myself that used to enjoy art as a kid and now returning to it many years later just for the enjoyment, and challenge of it. So cool! Please consider making more tutorials or commentary vids they are so immensely helpful! If you had a course for sale I'd buy it in a heartbeat (I'm sure I'm not the only one). Thanks for sharing your work and your thoughts, looking forward to more.

[@JeffHainesArt]

Thanks so much! Glad tat you enjoy them :)

[@leadlefthand]

01:00 - best insight I've heard when it comes to practice and it's something I'll keep in mind every time I attempt to draw portraits. I've always wondered why I struggle to draw freehand. Now it makes sense to me. I've developed good techniques for rendering, but my ability to abstract reality to draw the underlying construction of my subject is severely lacking. I get bogged down with seeing details and my tendency is to render as I construct. Forcing myself to just practice the construction in my journal can hopefully detach me from the tendency to focus on details.

[@JeffHainesArt]

Thanks for commenting! Best of luck with your work.

[@JohnDawson-b2k]

I'm really glad I watched this particular video. All of your points are valuable, but the quantity over quality exercise is probably something I need to do. Thanks for posting this, and keep posting!

[@iangallager4091]

Often, not wanting to get deeply involved in a finished work of art ,

[@iangallager4091]

I meant to say was I find an image on line, glance at the clock and say to myself, ,' you have 30 minutes to look as intensively as you can to get a fair likeness ' and sometimes the outcome is not so bad and can be rewarding

[@richardteale3217]

Brilliant advice sir……only matched by your obviously fabulous drawing skills. Many thanks and good wishes from England

[@JeffHainesArt]

Thanks so much Richard, best wishes to you too!

[@samanthathompson9812]

This is one of the best videos on drawing advice I've ever seen.

[@JeffHainesArt]

Happy that you like it Samantha!

[@doksart2841]

I could listen to a audiobook voiced by you. You have such an informative way to your voice

[@JeffHainesArt]

Thanks so much!

[@susanbennetttellstales7998]

Absolutely!

[@yezdived]

Reminds me of agent smith’s voice

[@Travis-du2ml]

Execelent advice! And fantastic work! I appteciate the slight caricature feel of your drawings. Ill use them in class -Art Teacher

[@JeffHainesArt]

Thanks Travis! I appreciate that.

[@therustedmachine3988]

I love your comment about self criticism, I see many artists feeling bad about being self critical about their own work, but there's nothing wrong with that, as long as you can see the good parts and achievements you've made too.

[@JeffHainesArt]

Well said!

[@Poker.anonym0us]

Thank you sm :) what I personally recommend is to draw 15 mins for every single day until forever and also practice sketching just for a short time every day! Don’t put pressure on yourself and practice every single day for short amount of time ^^

[@kreenoks]

I'm very grateful for this man's advice, and hard work.

[@Keeloheikkola]

Quantity over quality hit me right between the eyes. I have been naturally blessed in my capabilities of fine detail and fully rendering but I have always been mystified at how people could sketch such great looking work so quickly and I take forever. It is because I have been struggling through the beginning to get to the end, where it is easier for me. As a result I struggle with proportion and perspective every time I draw! Thank you so much for this video, this is life changing for me.

[@JeffHainesArt]

Thanks for the message! Happy that you got something from it. Best of luck to you!

[@jameskenedy7961]

thank you so much one of the best videos if seen so far when it comes to help with anything. i love you man !

[@JeffHainesArt]

Glad you liked it James!

[@kikib48grid]

Wow, thanks! Your comments were so freeing.

[@JeffHainesArt]

Glad you liked it!

[@CoolButter]

I don't usually write comments, but really thank you for making this video. I have had the longest art block until now. I was so stuck on making everything perfect that i barley made any progress. I dont know how to explain this, something in this video clicked something. I feel like a printing machine. I just did three portraits in an hour and im super happy with them. Keep up the good work

[@JeffHainesArt]

Thanks so much for commenting! I love hearing things like this so much, makes all the effort worthwhile. Best of luck with your drawings!

[@kathleencampisano8079]

I truly enjoyed this tutorial! Thank you , Jeff. I’ve always admired your work.

[@JeffHainesArt]

Hi Kathleen! Thanks!

[@susanwong6471]

Great advice! straight to the point and very practical. I once attended an atelier school where student spend months working on perfecting a painting. I completely agreed with you take that it is more beneficial to paint more less perfect painting and working on only one perfect painting. Needles to say, I quickly quit the atelier and paint daily on my own.

[@JeffHainesArt]

Think of it as necessary and unnecessary. Very quick, timed sketches of just a few minutes is a good exercise in recognizing what’s necessary. Good luck!

[@fernandotrochez7205]

Thanks man, I started drawing again after not picking up a pencil for years even tho I’m 19 years old, listening to this advice not only made get out of my mental block but also made me get some anatomy books to study more about it😂, I appreciate it

[@JeffHainesArt]

Thanks for your comment! Best of luck with your drawing!

[@davidstephenson3615]

GREAT wisdom here, every artist needs to hear this. Actually, every person needs to hear it.

[@JeffHainesArt]

Thank you David!

[@kenneth1767]

I value your opinion, and you've won a subscription. Beautiful drawings, all of them.

[@JeffHainesArt]

Thanks so much! Welcome!

[@MooseJawKim]

Wow, Jeff your advice is spot on and pure gold. The quantity over quality, was especially insightful. This was the first time I enjoyed one of your videos, but you caught a devoted follower all the same. Thank you !

[@JeffHainesArt]

Thank you Kim! Welcome to the channel.

[@leelanandaihalagamage8005]

Thank you for your great and valuable advisers. I have been engaging in painting but still have little doubt about portraits, however, I must practice I will follow your videos. thank you Jeff

[@JeffHainesArt]

Glad that you liked it!

[@user-sv4rp4iz81]

This is such a great video. I have always loved drawing ( my late mum was an accomplished artist who did amazing drawings and paintings) ❤ I’m not very good, but have enjoyed sketching my 5 grandchildren over the years. They seem to like the pics and I love spending time with them watching them do creative things. ❤

[@JeffHainesArt]

Thanks so much!

[@dannyfoxguided]

Like many others, I’m getting back to drawing that I enjoyed when I was a kid. This video is very helpful and inspiring. Thanks.

[@SUGAR_XYLER]

I've always like to draw.... I'm a kid again 😄

[@karenb9517]

This video was totally golden for me!! Thank you for these tips. It’s time for me to go back to practicing portraits again. This was a very inspiring video for me.👏👏👏

[@JeffHainesArt]

I love hearing that! Good luck Karen!

[@remember1084]

Your voice very soothing and the content reassuring I’m a rank amateur, but loving it

[@JeffHainesArt]

Thanks so much!

[@levskiski]

Thank you for your words of wisdom! I'm an incoming architecture student and I know for a fact that I'll be able to apply your advices in my studies as well as my drawings. ❤

[@KitchenCounterCrafts]

0:49 “less developed and less refined…” whoa!!! Incredible!

[@alibraim2381]

merci beaucouppour cette brillante explication j'adore votre art👍👍👍👍

[@JeffHainesArt]

You're very welcome, thank you for watching!

[@shatha8908]

This is the best art video I ever watched! Inspiring encouraging and empowering! Thank you!

[@JeffHainesArt]

Thanks you! Glad you like it.

[@sodawannabe9423]

This is my second video I’ve watched, and I noticed how you draw the chin into the head. I’ve never thought to do it in that way and I think I’ll try it in my next practice session.

[@JeffHainesArt]

Thanks so much! Best of luck with your drawing.

[@giuseppesechi6920]

Amo profondamente il tuo modo di disegnare, Mi sono avvicinato al ritratto con il carboncino attratto dalla semplicità e alla spontaneità e freschezza dei tuoi ritratti. Spero un giorno, guardando i miei disegni di provare la stessa soddisfazione che provo guardando i tuoi . Grazie. Un tuo ammiratore.. Giuseppe

[@JeffHainesArt]

Thank you so much Guiseppe! Much appreciated!

[@NeptunesHorses5909]

I just found you and subscribed; love the use of the phrase/point "healthy dissatisfaction" (re all one's previous work). I will be working with overwhelmingly organic forms, mainly animals, but bringing in effective figures with true likenesses is a plus, for all that formal human portraiture was never studied - thank you!

[@dandan2.0p]

0:21 this part made me chuckle 😂

[@Cheburashka_420]

You're very honest and I appreciate you and your video.

[@JeffHainesArt]

Thanks so much, I appreciate that.

[@Cheburashka_420]

@@JeffHainesArt you're very welcome.

[@MariamPareArt]

I really like your teaching style. Your explanations are excellent.

[@lesserknownname9269]

This video was really motivating and I agreed with everything you said. I feel like I have learned my methods through watching videos and taking parts of other artists methods and combining ones that worked for me, such as the loomis method and measurements for the face. Now I’m working on preserving gesture as I know that’s my current problem area. Thanks for sharing! 👍🏻💯

[@usernotfound0114]

When something doesn't look like something at the beginning of the drawing, I get desperate and can never be patient. The solution to this, of course, is to practice a lot. But sometimes I act like I don't have an eraser, like I can never fix it. This is a situation I experience frequently in my life. I don't have the patience to try some things, I feel like giving up at the beginning. I hope I can solve it. Thank you very much for your advices.❤

[@JeffHainesArt]

You're welcome. And best of luck to you :)

[@victoradino6322]

No questions. I just like your work. It's great. Thanks

[@odedonn3912]

Love your videos Jeff and I find this one to be one of the best. Golden advices to the aspiring portrait artists 🧑‍🎨 thank you for sharing your wisdom and expertise 🙏 ❤

[@JeffHainesArt]

Thanks! Happy that you liked it :)

[@yavnrh]

This is a great video! The advice is spot on. I'm an anime-stylized artist and everything here applies just the same to my type of work. I feel like I'm being held back by the lack of quantity, and planning to fix that by regularly doing copies/studies. It's a bit weird that copies can be a bit controversial whereas drawing from nature isn't. But I think it's a fair game if we're honest and upfront about the work being a copy/study. What I like the most about this type of practice is that it shortens the time to start drawing -- no agonizing over the subject, the pose, the burden of being creative 😅 And I hope (well, I know) that these skills will transfer to my original work in the future.

[@JeffHainesArt]

Thank you! Best of luck with your work.

[@yajy4501]

These are great! I’m still a beginner though. I used to draw all the time when I was young, so I developed some raw abilities, but I never studied drawing seriously. Now I’d like to slow down, get back into it, and learn how it’s really done.

[@JeffHainesArt]

Sounds like you have the right attitude. Best of luck to you!

[@MrKravmagadude]

I'm just starting out. Thank you for the inspiration and knowledge. Good man

[@JeffHainesArt]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@wendydashwood7879]

Very helpful! Thank you. I attended a course recently which was soooo focused on Anatomy when all I wanted to know was how to use a conte pencil! It really put me off my sketching for weeks as I felt intimidated and overloaded with information. Anyway, I will take a leaf out of your book and send some time on construction and simple drawings to get back into the swing of things, as I find sketching very mindful and relaxing. 😊

[@JeffHainesArt]

Thank you Wendy! I find loose sketching very relaxing as well. Almost like meditation.

[@normalbiadam]

What a wonderful chance to watch this video as a life time advice for getting better on drawing portrait, thank you sou much!

[@themole2024]

Jeff you are a talented artist and teacher. So glad I came across this video. Your advice to focus on quantity and structure/construction certainly seems to ring true.

[@JeffHainesArt]

Thanks so much! Glad you like it.

[@Upstart800]

Excellent advice; to work more on the quick studies then trying to do complete portraits when starting off. Thanks!

[@JeffHainesArt]

Thanks you! and good luck to you.

[@deathtricker6780]

Thank you! I will put into practice your suggestions!

[@Ivert2211]

Check my art broo

[@tdkrasu]

Thank you very much for the advice. Everything you said is all great advice, to me it was about not spend too much time with details especially when practicing. Thanks

[@proton9551]

Thats VERY GOOD advice to go MANY incomplete to the last detail portraits. I will make it my goal 2024. thanks

[@JeffHainesArt]

Thanks! and good luck with your drawings!

[@StefanNuetzel]

Great video and very concise. So many good statements under advice. Btw! I could listen to you voice for hours. 😊

[@JeffHainesArt]

Thanks Stefan! Glad you liked it :)

[@pamelabozzi239]

thank you. these hints are useful and I plan to use them!

[@JeffHainesArt]

Thanks! and good luck!

[@Daemonpool65]

First time seeing your videos. I gotta say, what an awesome voice you have! 😮 It reminds me of the old radio voices of the 1920s! Subscribing for that and the art! XD

[@JeffHainesArt]

Haha, Thanks! Welcome to the channel!

[@Johnotattoos]

thank you i feel i found this video at the perfect time for me in my journey so yes i cant thank you enough for making it!

[@JeffHainesArt]

Glad you got something from it John!

[@coolshah1662]

Very helpful. Thank you!

[@JeffHainesArt]

Glad you find it helpful!

[@JulieLong-w2m]

Thankyou Jeff. your tips on improving portraiture are a great help & cemented my works progress, am looking forward to continued improvement 👍

[@JeffHainesArt]

Thanks so much!

[@davidshetsky104]

Great, great job. I’m a fine art portrait drawer and you definitely hit the nail on the head all around

[@27Pyth]

Really enjoyed your talk. All good and welcome advice. I'm not a professional but I've been drawing on and off my whole life and about drawing from references. I completely agree that drawing from life is great, if only because one tends to do it infrequently and it presents new challenges. Just setting up little still lives under a lamp to really observe shadow, I think every artist should do this. But most drawing I think is done from photo reference and that's completely fine, and please let's not overlook drawing from other drawings. So called, "copying" -- it's one of the oldest training methods and it's a good one! In 8th grade when I first began drawing seriously I stumbled into a wonderful resource and it became my private tutor, it was a book called "Drawing Lessons from the Great Masters" and I began copying images that inspired me ... copying Rembrandt and Michelangleo and Duhrer and Rubens etc etc... these things combined with my own life studies taught me sooo much, taught me about the worth of every line, taught me how incredibly intensely these great artists looked at their subjects and how sensitive they were to contour and form, taught me sooo much anatomy. If I have one regret about drawing and art it's that I let myself stop drawing many years, and stopped thinking of art as a possible career because I became discouraged by meeting artists my own age who were even more accomplished than I was. Don't fall into the trap of thinking you're good! You meet someone better and suddenly you are in a crisis! Don't compare yourself, at all... it's a trap! Just draw what you love, train your eye... and train your .

[@JeffHainesArt]

Thanks for your thoughts! I agree with all of it. Especially regarding master studies. They are indeed wonderful practice and seeing another artists interpretation can be very enlightening. Thanks again!

[@tramnguyen-gq1ez]

Oh man, it is super helpful when you said choose the method for that is right for me. I am super struggling with calculate methods, but still keep doing it cause it seems like everyone is doing that. Thank you so much. And I love your videos 😊

[@JeffHainesArt]

Glad you found this helpful!

[@masteragi513]

Great advices, thank you so much

[@markaguzmanartist630]

Interesting vedio it is true for example I been using the Loomis method or the oval or the cross method so many of them but I made it easy to understand it making it my way, for example the Loomis method can be changed in son many ways even Loomis him self you can tell from his sketch es he does draw in different ways he did not only use the ball method or dividing the ball he does all kinds of alternative s

[@walkeveryday777]

Thank you for making these!

[@grilledcheese225]

thank you so much for this video!!! i’m 15 and i want to get into drawing more realistically so hopefully one day i can start painting and stuff. i learned a lot from this video and i took notes :)

[@JeffHainesArt]

Glad that you found it helpful! Best of luck with your art!

[@yesmahman5833]

Ohmahgod Im inlove with your Art, AMAZINGG.

[@tomphillips8565]

I agree and appreciate all your instructions. Very good!

[@JulietIkatongaFonua]

This is the best advice I have ever heard ❤.Thank you 😊.Peace ✌🏼

[@JeffHainesArt]

Thanks Juliet!

[@Brovillion559]

Bob Ross said it best. My art is my art and your art is your art. You should never try to paint my paintings. You strive to paint your paintings similar to mine if you’re painting a portrait with me.

[@JeffHainesArt]

Well said. Thanks for the comments!

[@row8760]

The video matches your drawing skills, Amazing.

[@pruntyportraits]

Great video Jeff

[@JeffHainesArt]

Thanks Simon!

[@ammanbansal2265]

TBH, I've been learning to draw faces for quite some time now yet I feel like I'm not getting anywhere. I want to be a comic book artist but I feel like I may never get there. I've been on Udemy for a year now and I just want it SO MUCH and SO BAD but who knows what's gonna happen years from. All the best to everyone still grinding!

[@JeffHainesArt]

I’ve had long periods where it seemed like I was making no progress at all. And later when I did seem to have some breakthrough, I realized I was improving the whole time, I just didn’t know it yet. Drawing progress can seem unpredictable sometimes. You’ll get there.

[@ducksoff7236]

A year isn't "quite some time" lol. Especially if you are just starting out you barely scratched the surface. However if you really do practice in a structured way things fall into place naturally and you gain an understanding. Once you "get it" your knowledge gain accelerates quickly. Then you'll plateau sometimes you'll yo yo. Its never as bad as the beginning though. Once you make a process for yourself you always have it.

[@ammanbansal2265]

@@ducksoff7236 I just want it so bad at the end of the day you know? Whatever happens happens!

[@ammanbansal2265]

@@ducksoff7236 at the end of the day, I just want it SO BAD and SO MUCH you know?