Brenda Hoddinott

P-05 INTERMEDIATE: PEOPLE

A frontal portrait of a teenage girl challenges
artists to draw long strands of realistic hair with
contour hatching. A grid (optional) helps establish
realistic facial proportions and render accurate
outlines of the individual strands of hair.
Crosshatching is used for shading the background,
facial forms, features, neck, and jewelry.

This lesson is divided into the following four parts:
CONTOURING CLIOS FACE AND HAIR: You draw the shape of Clios face, and
outline the strands of hair. A grid helps identify the proper placement of the outlines.
OUTLINING CLIOS FACIAL FEATURES: You follow along with illustrated step-
by-step instructions to outline the various components of her facial features.
SHADING THE BACKGROUND AND PONY TAIL: The dominant light source is to
the front and left. Its placement affects every aspect of the shading in this drawing.
SHADING HER HAIR AND FACE: You finish the hair on the top and left, shade in
her face and facial features, and add final details.
Suggested supplies include good quality white drawing paper, 2H, HB, 2B, 4B and 6B graphite
pencils, kneaded and vinyl erasers, a ruler, and a pencil sharpener.

15 PAGES 27 I LLUSTRATI ONS
This article is recommended for artists of all ages with good drawing skills. The curriculum is easily implemented into
instructional programs for home schooling, academic and recreational learning environments.
Published by Hoddinott Publishing, Halifax, NS, Canada, 2002 (Revised 2007)




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reproduced or used for any commercial purposes whatsoever without the written permission of Brenda Hoddinott.
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2
Art-speak
Contour drawings (also called line drawings): are comprised of lines which follow the contours of the various
components of a drawing subject and define the outlines of its forms.
Contour lines: are created when the shared edges of spaces and/or objects meet. Contour lines can define
complete objects or small sections or details within drawing subjects.
Curved lines: are created when a straight line curves (or bends).
Drawing: is the application of an art medium to a surface so as to produce a visual image, which visually defines
an artists choice of drawing subjects from his or her own unique perspective.
Drawing space(sometimes called a drawing format): refers to the area of a drawing surface within a specific
perimeter, outlined by a shape of any size, such as a square, rectangle or circle.
Form: as applied to drawing, is the illusion of the three-dimensional structure of a shape, such as a circle
becoming a sphere, created in a drawing with shading and/or perspective.
Grid: is a framework of vertical and horizontal reference squares on an image and/or drawing paper, used by
artists to either enlarge or reduce the size of the original image.
Proportion: is the relationship in size of one component of a drawing to another or others.
Shape: refers to the outward outline of a form. Basic shapes include circles, squares and triangles.

CONTOURING CLIOS FACE AND HAIR
In this section you use a grid to outline the shapes of Clios face and strands of hair. A grid is a
wonderful drawing tool that has been used by artists for several centuries. It helps identify the
proper placement of the various parts of a drawing subject. You examine the spaces and lines
within each individual square to measure for accurate proportions.
If you prefer to draw freehand without a grid simply ignore all references to the grid and grid
squares.
TAKE NOTE! Keep your grid and sketch lines very light! My actual drawing is so faint that
you can barely see it; just the weight of the pencil itself created all my lines. I have darkened all the
images in the first two sections of this lesson in Photoshop, so you can see them.
















TI PS FOR WORKI NG WI TH A GRI D: As you draw, dont think about what the
subject is. Focus on the shapes, and negative and positive spaces that define the actual lines.
Focus on only one square at a time and pretend this one square is the total drawing. Look at the
line (or lines) themselves and their positions within the perimeter of this one square. Note the
shapes of the spaces on either side of each line.
Observe whether the lines are straight, curved or angular and take note of the:
directions in which curved lines bend,
size of the angle of angle lines
length and angle of straight lines in relation to the sides of this particular square.

Copyright to all articles, images, text, projects, lessons and exercises within this drawing class belong to Brenda Hoddinott and may not be
reproduced or used for any commercial purposes whatsoever without the written permission of Brenda Hoddinott.
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3
1) Use a ruler to draw a rectangle as your drawing format.
My drawing format is 4 by 7 inches with 1 inch squares. For a bigger drawing, draw larger
squares. For example, with 2 inch squares, your final drawing will be 8 by 14 inches.
2) Use a ruler and a 2H or HB pencil to measure, and divide your rectangle into 28 equal
squares, four across by seven down.
Remember to press lightly with your pencil!
3) Number the vertical squares along the top and bottom with numbers 1 through 4, and
letter the horizontal squares down both sides with letters A through G.
4) Add diagonal lines in the lower 24 squares of the grid to help you draw more accurate
outlines of the very detailed areas of her hair and face (Refer to Figure 502).
5) Draw the outline of her face and the sections of hair (her bangs) that fall downward
onto her forehead.
FIGURE 501 FIGURE 502






















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reproduced or used for any commercial purposes whatsoever without the written permission of Brenda Hoddinott.
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4
FIGURE 503
FIGURE 504
FIGURE 505
6) Outline of the strands of hair on the
top and left side of her head, as well
as the one long strand on the right.
Use the same techniques for drawing
within individual grid squares as
discussed earlier.
7) Add the outline of her neck (on the
left).
Remember to press lightly with your
pencil; most lines need to be erased
when you begin shading. Pressing too
hard can also damage the tooth of the
paper.











8) Add the strands of hair originating
from the pony tail.
9) Draw the outline of the fabric
holding her pony tail in place.









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reproduced or used for any commercial purposes whatsoever without the written permission of Brenda Hoddinott.
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5
10) Draw the outlines of the strands of hair on the right.
Refer to Figure 506 and the close-up view in figure 507. The grid is a great help in getting
these sections accurate.
FIGURE 506 FIGURE 507






















Before you continue to the next section, closely examine the placement of the outlines of the
individual sections of hair, and adjust any areas youre not completely happy with.

OUTLINING CLIOS FACIAL FEATURES
In this section, you follow along with illustrated step-by-step instructions to outline the various
components of her facial features.
Until your eye is well trained to draw proportions correctly, a grid is a huge help in assisting with
the accurate placement of features. Take your time. As you work, constantly check that your
overall proportions are as close as possible to mine.

Copyright to all articles, images, text, projects, lessons and exercises within this drawing class belong to Brenda Hoddinott and may not be
reproduced or used for any commercial purposes whatsoever without the written permission of Brenda Hoddinott.
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6
FIGURE 509
FIGURE 508
Art-speak
Parts of an Eye
Highlight: a bright
spot where light
bounces off the
surface of an
object.
Iris: the colored
circular shape
around the pupil.
Pupil: the dark
circular shape
within the iris that
adjusts its size
under different
lighting conditions.
White of the eye
(also called the
eyeball): the
largest spherical
section of the eye
that is light in
value.

FIGURE 510
Before you begin drawing the eyes, nose, and mouth,
examine Figure 508 and take note that the:
Eyes are approximately halfway between the chin
and the top of the head.
Space between the eyes is the same as the width
of an eye.
Nose is the same width as the space between the
eyes.
In a child, the nose and mouth would appear higher on
the face, closer to the eyes. However, as a child matures
into an adult, the nose and mouth appear to shift
downward on the face.
11) Very lightly outline her eyes and eyebrows.
Refer to figure 509. Because her head is tilted
slightly, one eye is drawn higher than the other.
Dont forget to draw a curved line above each
eye, as the upper eyelid creases.








12) Add the details to the inner corner of each eye.







13) Lightly outline the outer edges of her upper and lower eyelids.
Refer to Figure 511. These lines mark the base of the eyelashes,
where her eyelashes actually grow outward from the eyelids.

Copyright to all articles, images, text, projects, lessons and exercises within this drawing class belong to Brenda Hoddinott and may not be
reproduced or used for any commercial purposes whatsoever without the written permission of Brenda Hoddinott.
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7
FIGURE 511
FIGURE 514
FIGURE 513
FIGURE 512
14) Draw the iris,
pupil and
highlight in
each eye.
Refer to
Figures 512
and 513.
Take your
time! To get a
strong likeness
to Clio, you
need to draw
the various
parts of the
eyes very
accurately.



15) Very lightly draw the outlines of
her nose and mouth.
Refer to Figure 514. Take note of
the lines which indicate the
opening of her mouth.




Compare your
final outline
drawing to mine
(Figure 515), and
make changes to
anything with
which you arent
completely happy.
Use the diagonal
lines on the facial
area, to help you
check the
placement of the
features.


Copyright to all articles, images, text, projects, lessons and exercises within this drawing class belong to Brenda Hoddinott and may not be
reproduced or used for any commercial purposes whatsoever without the written permission of Brenda Hoddinott.
E-mail bhoddinott@hoddinott.com Web site http://www.finearteducation.com or http://www.drawspace.com
8
FIGURE 515
Art-speak
Contrast: measures the degree of difference
between light and dark values within shading.
Crosshatching: is a shading technique, in
which one set of lines crosses over (overlaps)
another set.
Graduated shading: is a continuous
progression of graduated values from dark to
light or from light to dark.
Hatching: is a series of lines (called a set)
drawn closely together to give the illusion of
values.
Light source: The direction from which a
dominant light originates.
Overlapping: refers to the position of an
object when it visually appears to be in front
of another object.
Shading: refers to the various shades of gray
(values) in a drawing that make drawings
look three-dimensional.
Shadows: are the areas on or beside an
object that receive little or no light.
Texture: is the surface detail of an object, as
defined with various shading techniques.
Values: are the different shades of gray
created when you draw by varying the
density of the shading lines, and the pressure
used in holding various pencils.























SHADING THE BACKGROUND AND PONY TAIL
The location of the light source affects every aspect of drawing by showing you where to draw
all the light values and shadows. The dominant light source is to the front and left in this
drawing.
Combine the following three different methods to render an infinite range of graduated values
with either hatching (hair) or crosshatching (background, face, and pony tail fabric):
Use different grades of pencils. By letting your pencils do some of the work, you have
more control over the values you wish to achieve.
Vary the density of the shading lines, by drawing some far apart and others closer
together.
Vary the pressure used in holding your pencils. Press gently for the really light values and
a little harder for somewhat darker values.

Copyright to all articles, images, text, projects, lessons and exercises within this drawing class belong to Brenda Hoddinott and may not be
reproduced or used for any commercial purposes whatsoever without the written permission of Brenda Hoddinott.
E-mail bhoddinott@hoddinott.com Web site http://www.finearteducation.com or http://www.drawspace.com
9
FIGURE 516
FIGURE 517
16) Lightly outline her necklace.
17) Use crosshatching to add
shading to the background.
Remember to erase your grid
lines with either your vinyl or
kneaded eraser before you begin
each section of shading.
Use HB and 2H pencils. Begin
with the darker values and make
your shading gradually lighter as
you get closer to the bottom.
18) Use hatching lines to add
shading to the hair in her
ponytail.
The hatching lines all follow the
outlines you drew for the
sections of hair, and are different
lengths and values.
The hair is lighter in some places
with white paper showing, to
indicate a shine on the hair.







19) Use a kneaded eraser,
molded to a point, to
make the wispy hairs
extending into the
background lighter, so
they stand out against
the dark shading.
The wispy and untidy
hairs keep the hair
looking soft and
natural.


Copyright to all articles, images, text, projects, lessons and exercises within this drawing class belong to Brenda Hoddinott and may not be
reproduced or used for any commercial purposes whatsoever without the written permission of Brenda Hoddinott.
E-mail bhoddinott@hoddinott.com Web site http://www.finearteducation.com or http://www.drawspace.com
10
FIGURE 518
FIGURE 519
20) Shade in the pony
tail fabric with
crosshatching.
Note the sections that
have light and middle
values, or are simply
left white.
Be careful not to add
too much dark
shading to the side
closer to the light
source.
SHADING HER HAIR AND FACE
In this section, you finish the hair on
the top and left, as well as add shading
to the face and facial features.
21) Continue shading her hair, from
the pony tail down to the top of
her forehead, with hatching
graduations.
22) Use crosshatching, to draw the
cast shadows on her forehead,
which are created when sections
of her hair block the light.
The cast shadows help make the
strands of hair look like they are
lifted away from her forehead,
rather than pasted to her skin.
23) Draw the hair on the left side of
the drawing.
Many strands are lighter on this
side, which is closer to the light
source. However, dark values are
added to the shadow sections next
to the outline of her lower face and
neck.
Shading hair with highly
contrasting, hatching graduations,
creates a more realistic portrait, by
giving a persons hairstyle both
depth and texture.

Copyright to all articles, images, text, projects, lessons and exercises within this drawing class belong to Brenda Hoddinott and may not be
reproduced or used for any commercial purposes whatsoever without the written permission of Brenda Hoddinott.
E-mail bhoddinott@hoddinott.com Web site http://www.finearteducation.com or http://www.drawspace.com
11
FIGURE 520
FIGURE 521
24) Use crosshatching to add light and medium
values to the nose and the forms which
define the structure of her face.
Use a 2H pencil. The goal is to simply
accentuate the forms of her facial structures.
Note that the overall shading is slightly darker
on the right.
25) Shade in the neck.
Use 2H and HB pencils. Pay special attention
to the dark shadow area under her jaw and
chin, as well as the cast shadow of the
necklace.
26) Take your time and add final shading to
her bangs and forehead.
You need 2H, HB, and 2B pencils. Refer to
Figure 521.
Note the directions in which the hatching lines
curve. Also, the overall values are darker on
the right.



27) Add a few
wispy hairs
extending
from her
bangs onto
her face.
Refer to
figures 521
and 522.
28) Add more
detailed
shading to
the face
around her
eyes.
Refer to
Figure 522.


Copyright to all articles, images, text, projects, lessons and exercises within this drawing class belong to Brenda Hoddinott and may not be
reproduced or used for any commercial purposes whatsoever without the written permission of Brenda Hoddinott.
E-mail bhoddinott@hoddinott.com Web site http://www.finearteducation.com or http://www.drawspace.com
12
FIGURE 522
FIGURE 523
29) Draw her eyebrows, watching closely the directions in which the hatching lines curve.
30) Shade in each eye, including the iris, pupil, upper eyelid, whites, and corners.
Add darker shading for the shadow sections of the irises, under the upper eyelids. The iris
is also darker on the side where the highlight is left white.
Use a 4B or 6B pencil to shade in the pupils.
The edge of the upper eyelid is in shadow; hence, it needs to be quite dark (I used a 2B).
Shade the shadow sections of the whites of the eyes, under the upper eyelids.
31) With your HB pencil, draw only half as many eyelashes as you think there should be.
Note that the upper and lower eyelashes grow in many different directions, are different
lengths and thicknesses, are curved, appear thicker closer to the eyelids, and grow from the
edges of the upper and lower lids and not the whites of the eye.

32) Add a little
darker
shading
around the
bridge of the
nose.
Note the areas
that are left
white.

33) Add a little darker
shading to the right side
of the nose and the
nostrils.
34) Shade in the lips, the
opening of her mouth,
and the tiny sections of
teeth that are visible.
A full range of values are
used for this detailed area;
some areas are almost black
and other areas are white.
The teeth are not left white;
rather they are shaded with
light and middle values.
Note the creases on the lips
rendered with curved lines.

Copyright to all articles, images, text, projects, lessons and exercises within this drawing class belong to Brenda Hoddinott and may not be
reproduced or used for any commercial purposes whatsoever without the written permission of Brenda Hoddinott.
E-mail bhoddinott@hoddinott.com Web site http://www.finearteducation.com or http://www.drawspace.com
13
FIGURE 524
FIGURE 525
FIGURE 526
35) Draw the details of
her necklace.
Observe closely
how the cast
shadows gives
depth to this area.




















36) Add shading to the hair on the other
side of the head, and the tiny sections
of the background showing through.
Darker hatching lines are added to a few
sections of hair in the shadow areas with
a freshly sharpened 2B pencil.
Dont forget those soft wispy lines that
extend outside each strand and give that
natural look to the hair.


Copyright to all articles, images, text, projects, lessons and exercises within this drawing class belong to Brenda Hoddinott and may not be
reproduced or used for any commercial purposes whatsoever without the written permission of Brenda Hoddinott.
E-mail bhoddinott@hoddinott.com Web site http://www.finearteducation.com or http://www.drawspace.com
14
FIGURE 527
Have one final look at your drawing and touch up any areas you are not happy with. If an area is
too light, add some more shading with hatching lines. If you wish to make a section lighter, pull
and stretch your kneaded eraser until it becomes soft, and then gently pat the shading that is too
dark.


Use your vinyl
eraser to clean up
any smudges or
fingerprints on your
drawing paper.
Put todays date on
the page, sign your
name and pat
yourself on the
back!


There are only three
ways to improve
your drawing
skills practice,
practice and more
practice!
So grab another
piece of paper,
choose another
lesson, and draw
some more!












Copyright to all articles, images, text, projects, lessons and exercises within this drawing class belong to Brenda Hoddinott and may not be
reproduced or used for any commercial purposes whatsoever without the written permission of Brenda Hoddinott.
E-mail bhoddinott@hoddinott.com Web site http://www.finearteducation.com or http://www.drawspace.com
15
Brenda Hoddinott
As a self-educated teacher, visual artist, portraitist, forensic artist, and illustrator, Brenda utilizes
diverse art media including graphite, technical pen, colored pencil, chalk pastel, charcoal, cont
crayon, and oil paints.
My philosophy on teaching art is to focus primarily on the enjoyment aspects while gently introducing the technical and academic.
Hence, in creating a passion for the subject matter, the quest for knowledge also becomes enjoyable.
Brenda Hoddinott
Biography
Born in St. J ohns, Newfoundland, Brenda grew up in the small town of Corner Brook. She
developed strong technical competencies with a personal commitment to self directed learning,
and the aid of assorted Learn to Draw books. During Brendas twenty-five year career as a
self-educated civilian forensic artist, numerous criminal investigation departments have
employed Brendas skills, including Royal Canadian Mounted Police and municipal police
departments. In 1992, Brenda was honored with a commendation from the Royal Canadian
Mounted Police, and in 1994, she was awarded a Certificate of Membership from Forensic
Artists International.
Her home-based art career included graphic design, and teaching recreational drawing and
painting classes. As supervisor of her communitys recreational art department, Brenda hired and
trained teachers, and designed curriculum for several childrens art programs. In 1998, Brenda
chose to end her eighteen-year career as an art educator in order to devote more time to writing,
drawing, painting, and developing her websites.
Drawspace http://www.drawspace.com incorporates her unique style and innovative approach to
curriculum development. This site offers downloadable and printable drawing classes for
students of all abilities from the age of eight through adult. Students of all ages, levels and
abilities have praised the simple step-by-step instructional approach. This site is respected as a
resource for fine art educators, home schooling programs, and educational facilities throughout
the world.
Learn-to-draw books
Drawing for Dummies: Wiley Publishing, Inc., New, York, NY, this 336 page book is available
on various websites and in major bookstores internationally.
The Complete Idiots Guide to Drawing People: Winner of the Alpha-Penguin Book of the
Year Award 2004, Alpha - Pearson Education Macmillan, Indianapolis, IN, this 360 page book
is available on various websites and in major bookstores internationally.