Head rotation reference

A rotation set follows one head around a full turn, so you can compare how the same cheek, ear and jaw change from view to view. Pencil drawings keep the construction lines and make the contour and overlaps easier to trace; tonal drawings show how the surface turns between those edges. Use the pairs to check the construction of a head before you add detail.

Choose a head angle

Follow one head through the turn

• Hard plane
• Gaunt planes
• Heavy jaw
• Minimal head
• Deep folds
• Soft planes
• Square jaw
• Full lips
• High cheekbones
• Heavy brow

Or turn any of them yourself, angle by angle: head turnaround reference: turn a head through 16 angles.

Practice against the clock

Random heads from this library, 30 seconds to 5 minutes each: timed head drawing practice: random head angles.

See the head from below

Two heads drawn from a low camera, around the turn: head from below reference: the face at a low angle.

See the head from above

The same two heads drawn from a high camera, looking down: head from above reference: the face at a high angle.

Light the same head

One head held still under eight light directions: head lighting reference: one head under eight lights.

Learn the construction

The journal walks through the same heads one angle at a time: how to draw the head at any angle, step by step.