Drawing the face in proportion

These are general guides; every face is different, so always look carefully.
The eyes are about halfway down the head (from the top of the skull to the chin).
The head is about five eyes wide, with about one eye-width between the eyes.
The bottom of the nose is about halfway between the eyes and the chin.
The mouth line is about one third of the way down from the nose to the chin.
The corners of the mouth line up roughly with the centres of the eyes (the pupils).
The ears sit between the eye or eyebrow line and the bottom of the nose.

1. Draw a light egg shape for the head.
2. Add a vertical line down the middle and a horizontal line halfway down for the eyes.
3. Mark the nose and mouth lines.
4. Place the features, checking widths against the eye-width.
5. Add the neck: it is wider than many people think, starting below the ears.
6. Build up tone: eye sockets, the side of the nose and under the lip and chin are usually shadowed.

A portrait is an artwork showing a particular person. A self-portrait shows the artist.
Portraits can be realistic or expressive, showing personality and mood through colour, line and pose.
Artists have made self-portraits for centuries, for example Rembrandt (Dutch, 1606 to 1669) painted himself many times through his life, and Frida Kahlo (Mexican, 1907 to 1954) is famous for her self-portraits.