Basics and tips for drawing a face

The goal is to capture the actual difference between actual photographs, muscle and bone structure, and how they are depicted as manga characters.

When it comes to face balance and illustration, it's all about symmetry. If you divide a person's face into 15 equal parts like in the photo, you'll see that the balance is better when each part is symmetrical.

Here's an actual photo. To capture the characteristics of each part, divide it into three vertical parts and five horizontal parts.

The key is to be symmetrical.

Photo reference: Jessica Radanavong from Unsplash

He has a slightly elongated figure, with cross marks that fit into the center of each part, based on a reference photo.

We use the position and size of the actual features as a base, and then deform the face in the drawings. The trick is to capture the nose bridge while making the nostrils simpler and drawing them larger than they actually are.

Manga character

It's not exactly the same as the real thing, but if you keep the main parts in place, it'll be more balanced. As a suggestion, you could make the eye larger in the illustration.

The main issue is the left-right asymmetry.

It's always a good idea to keep symmetry in mind when you're drawing the position of facial parts. If you divide a face in half vertically and have some features that are asymmetrical—like the position of the eyebrows, the size of the eyes, or the length of the lips—it'll look unbalanced and unnatural.

However, it's fine to make it a bit asymmetrical when you're creating an expression.