Giving shape to faces

We see human faces everywhere we go, yet drawing them to the beginner, may seem a difficult task. Perhaps, some expect instant skill and are therefore, surprised to find it is not so easy to draw. The ability to produce such pictures can only come with practice and knowledge. Start by jotting down the accurate outline - don't bother with details, until later.

Profile and frontal

It's vital to picture in your mind the basic shapes of a skull, front and side. Look at Figure 1. Notice how the outlines can be simplified into a sound structure on which to build a drawing. Think of a head as an egg with the broad end on top (frontal view). Half way from the top to the bottom of this is where the eye line is. Then half way between the eye and bottom of the jaw, is the underside of the nose. Half way between the end of the nose and the chin is where the mouth line should be. The same guide applies to a head in profile, but the shape from the side is different because the skull extends further back.

Look at it from the side, the structure of a face is still rather like an egg but one with a flattened side. Notice how dotted lines, lightly drawn, will give you the correct positions for eyes, nose and mouth. And now the neck lines have also been marked on the example in Figure 2. The neck does not pop straight up from the top of the body. It comes out at an angle which varies with each individual. While these proportions give a fairly accurate form to work from, remember that faces vary; some have long jaws, high foreheads or narrow faces and so on. Just as an egg is rounded, so is a head. See the faces in Figure 3. Copy them - outlines first. Next, have a close look at the profile in Figure 4 and do the same exercise.

Drawing the ears

A common mistake when drawing a face in profile is to put the ear in the wrong place. It's much further towards the back of the head than is often imagined. See Figure 5. The distance from the outside corner of the eye to where the back of the ear comes, should be roughly equal to the space from there to the bottom of the jaw. This of course, will vary slightly between individuals, as do all other features.

Turn your head

After practising frontal and profile sketches we move on to find out what to do when a face is partly turned. The drawing procedure is the same although we are seeing the person from an angle.

Observe the egg shape and how those dotted frontal position - lines would give an illusion of a curve if the egg were turned; then build your drawing on the right structure. See Figure 6. The bottom head - I completed the sketch, shaded it in simply by using close, even lines, and solid black hair.

To be good at this branch of art is rewarding.

Dress modestly!

Today new trends are sweeping into the lives of people faster than it takes the Earth to spin around its own axis .Modern trends in every sphere of life have captivated the young and old alike and we can see a drastic change in the lifestyle of many . The fashion industry is one arena where change is flowing in, with every season. The new trends in clothing, especially for the youth are indeed mind boggling .

Everyone likes to be hip and follow fashions.There may be many among you who love to dress up and be in fashion.It is certainly all right to follow fashion but one must be careful as to what extent you do so because not all the fashions that hit the fashion runways suit everyone. We in this part of the world need to pay extra attention to the type of clothes we choose to wear especially because of our cultural background. It is important to be modest in your mode of dress. Young girls must avoid being scantily dressed even though the fashion trends may be clothes designed with barely a span of fabric...Many young girls don't think twice about running around in clothes that expose most of their bodies.

It sure seems so cool to be trendy!But as growing children you must pay more attention to the clothes you choose to wear...If you respect yourself then do not follow fashion for the sake of being 'with it ' and end up with no respect.

Girls especially need to be modest in every aspect and clothing plays a key role in this department. It is important to dress modestly from your young days so that you are well atuned to modesty when you grow up into a young woman and know where to draw the line when following fashions. So, follow fashions but dress modestly, always!.

Here is a great story told by a daughter of a famous personality to help you realize the value of modesty...The following incident took place when Muhammad Ali's daughters arrived at his home wearing clothes that were not modest.

Here is the story as told by one of his daughters:

When we finally arrived, the chauffeur escorted my younger sister, Laila, and me up to my father's suite. As usual, he was hiding behind the door waiting to scare us. We exchanged many hugs and kisses as we could possibly give in one day.

My father took a good look at us. Then he sat me down on his lap and said something that I will never forget. He looked me straight in the eyes and said, "Hana, everything that God made valuable in the world is covered and hard to get to. Where do you find diamonds? Deep down in the ground, covered and protected. Where do you find pearls? Deep down at the bottom of the ocean, covered up and protected in a beautiful shell. Where do you find gold? Way down in the mine, covered over with layers and layers of rock. You've got to work hard to get to them." He looked at me with serious eyes. "Your body is sacred. You're far more precious than diamonds and pearls, and you should be covered too."

Source : Taken from the book: More Than A Hero: Muhammad Ali's Life Lessons Through His Daughter's Eyes.

"You are not responsible for what people think about you.

But you are responsible for what you give them to think about you"