How to Draw a Nose - Realistic Graphite Do's and Don'ts

1. 1

   Step 1: Sketch the Nose as Shapes, Not as a Nose

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   Start with the B pencil and go slowly. The don't version rushes this part. Kirsty's fix is to stop thinking "nose" at all. Look at the reference and copy the shapes you can see: the curve of each wing, the round of the ball, the two soft lines up the bridge.

   Keep the lines light. Then mark where the darkest shadows will sit and where the bridge highlight will run, so you know where the pencil never goes. Make this the slowest part of the drawing. If the structure is off, no amount of shading saves it.

   Tip:

   Hold the pencil further back than usual for the sketch. A longer grip forces a lighter line that erases without a trace.

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   Used in this stepDerwent Graphic Drawing PencilsStaedtler Mars Lumograph Drawing Pencil SetStrathmore 400 Series Drawing Paper Pad

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2. 2

   Step 2: Block In the Nostrils With Charcoal, Tapered Not Round

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   Switch to the extra hard charcoal pencil and put down the darkest marks first: the nostrils and the shadow along the underside of the nose. Charcoal gives a flat black with no shine, which is why Kirsty uses it here instead of a soft graphite.

   The don't mistake is two dark circles. Draw each nostril as a slim, tapered shape that fades out at the ends. From the front you see very little of the opening; most of what reads as "nostril" is the shadow of the wing curling over it. Taper that shadow off, no hard edge.

   Tip:

   No charcoal pencil? A 6B or 8B graphite does the same job. It will shine a little under a lamp, which is the only reason to prefer charcoal.

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   Used in this stepGeneral's Extra Hard Charcoal PencilStaedtler Mars Lumograph 8B Pencil

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3. 3

   Step 3: Lay In the Shadows With Small Circles

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   Back to the B pencil. Shade every shadow area using small circular motions and almost no pressure, building the tone up in thin layers. The don't version uses long scribbled strokes, and every one of them stays visible after blending. Circles vanish.

   Leave the paper bare wherever the highlights will go: down the centre of the bridge, the top of the ball, the top edge of each wing. You are drawing the shadows around the light, not the light itself. Check the reference constantly. Every nose has a different width and length, and the shadows follow it.

   Tip:

   If you can see individual strokes, you are pressing too hard. Ease off and add another layer instead.

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   Used in this stepDerwent Graphic Drawing PencilsFaber-Castell 9000 Graphite Pencil Set

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4. 4

   Step 4: Deepen the Darkest Shadows With the 4B

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   Once all the shadows are in with the B, go over the deepest ones again with the 4B: down the sides of the bridge, under the ball, into the creases where the wings meet the face. Same small circles, same light hand. This is the pass where the nose stops looking flat and starts to turn.

   Kirsty stops at 4B on purpose. Softer grades put down more graphite than you can blend, and the shine catches every light in the room. A light 4B blends out matte.

   Tip:

   Keep the 4B sharp. A blunt point lays down wide, dark patches that are hard to soften later.

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   Used in this stepStaedtler Mars Lumograph 4B PencilDerwent Graphic Drawing Pencils

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5. 5

   Step 5: Blend With a Cotton Bud, Never a Finger

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   Take a clean, dry cotton bud and blend the shading in small circles, working from the darkest areas outward so the graphite fades into the paper. The don't move is to rub it with a fingertip. Skin oil makes the blend patchy and unpredictable, and it leaves grease on the paper that never comes out.

   Blending softens the structure, so the nose looks a bit vague at this point. That is fine. This is the base layer. The darks come back in the next step.

   Tip:

   A cotton bud loaded with graphite is useful. Use it to darken an area gently instead of adding more pencil.

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   Used in this stepBlending Stumps and Tortillions SetSoft Blending Brush Set for Drawing

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6. 6

   Step 6: Rebuild the Darks and Blend as You Go

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   Blending lightens everything, so the nostrils and the underside shadow have gone grey. Go back in with the charcoal pencil and bring them back to black. This time blend each patch out with the cotton bud straight away, so the darkest tone melts into the shading next to it instead of sitting on top as a hard edge.

   This second pass is where the structure returns. Work small: a bit of charcoal, a bit of blending, then a look at the reference before the next mark.

   Tip:

   Wipe the cotton bud on scrap paper between the nostrils and the lighter areas, or you will drag charcoal into the highlights.

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   Used in this stepGeneral's Extra Hard Charcoal PencilBlending Stumps and Tortillions Set

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7. 7

   Step 7: Layer Up the Contrast Until It Matches the Photo

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   Keep working around the rest of the nose, adding shadow and blending, until the contrast matches the reference. Save the charcoal for the places that are near black in the photo. Everywhere else use the 4B and the B; charcoal on a mid-tone goes grainy and looks wrong.

   There are no outlines on a real face, only shadow and light, so every change of tone should be soft. Ignore the highlights for now and let the shadows do the work. The don't nose took Kirsty five minutes. This one took forty-five, and the difference is all in this step.

   Tip:

   Step back from the paper every few minutes. Contrast that looks strong up close is often too weak at arm's length.

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   Used in this stepStaedtler Mars Lumograph 4B PencilGeneral's Extra Hard Charcoal PencilPencil Sharpener for Art Pencils

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8. 8

   Step 8: Lift the Highlights With a Kneaded Eraser

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   Highlights come last. The don't move is one hard swipe with a block eraser down the bridge, which leaves a white stripe. Instead, press and dab a kneaded eraser into the shapes you can see in the reference. It lifts graphite gently, and you can keep pressing the same spot for a brighter mark.

   For a wider, softer lift, press clean tissue onto the area first, then dab the strongest highlight on top at the centre of the bridge and the tip of the ball. Once the highlights are in, stop shading. Going over them muddies them.

   Tip:

   Shape the kneaded eraser to a point for the centre of the bridge and flatten it for the ball. Reshape it as soon as it goes grey.

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   Used in this stepKneaded Eraser for DrawingTombow Mono Zero Eraser Pen

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Keep going

How to Draw a Dreidel

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