How to draw the head in three-quarter view: 45° reference

Drawing this angle

At 45 degrees, begin with the skull and a wedge for the face. The center line now sits well away from the middle of the outer head shape. Measure the near and far widths at the brow, cheekbones and mouth separately. They do not shrink by one uniform amount, because the nose, lips and cheeks project from different depths.

Look closely at the far cheek. Its visible edge may approach the nose or pass behind it, and that overlap is a stronger clue to the turn than a dark outline around the far eye. Follow the near cheek toward the ear, then down to the jaw corner. Compare the ear-to-eye alignment without turning it into a rigid horizontal rule. In the tonal drawing, group the side plane of the face before shading small features. Finish by checking where the chin sits beneath the nose and how the jaw turns back into the neck.

Step by step: How to draw the head in three-quarter view, one of the head guides in order.