How to Draw Different Nose Types

by easydrawingtips

This tutorial shows an easy approach to drawing different types of noses, featuring step-by-step pencil drawing examples and simple instructions.

Noses different types drawing step by step

Drawing noses in the profile view is not particularly complicated and can be good practice for beginner artists, especially those interested in learning to draw people. This guide starts by demonstrating how to structure a specific nose shape with basic construction lines. It then illustrates how to refine this into a clean outline, and finally how to apply shading in several layers.

The tutorial provides a total of 12 different nose examples, but instead of going into individual instructions for each of them, it looks at an overall approach to drawing them.

If you are going to follow along, it’s recommended that you do so using pencil and paper.

Supplies Needed for Drawing Noses

Regular Pencils: An HB pencil for the initial line drawing and 2B to 6B (softer) pencils for the shading.
White Paper: Standard drawing paper or printer paper.
Eraser: A kneaded eraser is recommended, but a regular vinyl or rubber eraser can work almost as well.

Step 1 – Make a Construction Drawing of the Nose

Noses different types construction drawing

There are many variations in the shapes and sizes of noses. A good way to estimate the proportions of one is to make a construction drawing as shown with the above examples. Use straight lines to set the width, height, and angles of the major parts of the nose you wish to draw.

The reason for working in such a way is that it allows you to quickly establish the nose’s overall shape and easily make revisions if required.

When making the construction drawing, be sure to keep the construction lines very light so that you can easily erase them when they are no longer needed. The lines in the examples have been made darker so that they are easier to see.

Step 2 – Make an Outline Drawing

Noses different types outline over construction drawing

Inside the “construction frame”, make an outline of the organic shape of the nose, with all of its bends and curves. Keep the initial drawing light so that you can easily erase your lines in case you make a mistake. Once you determine that everything is in the right place, trace over the outline with a darker stroke.

Finish by erasing the construction lines so that you have a clean drawing similar to the examples above.

Step 3 – Apply the Initial Layer of Shading

Generally, how a drawing is shaded will depend on the lighting setup you wish to show. In this case, the noses are drawn as though they are in fairly generic lighting conditions, like a well-lit room or daytime outside.

In such a setting, most of the shadows are on the bottom or in areas that are indented. You can distribute them as follows:

The Nostril: Shade the visible nostril to be the darkest part of the nose, as it’s facing away from the light source and is closed off on all sides.
Bridge Side: Darken the side of the bridge with medium-intensity shading.
Nose Bottom: Render this area fairly dark, as it’s facing away from the light.
Below the Nose: Add a cast shadow below the nose if you are drawing the upper lip.

The lighter areas should be:

Front of the Bridge: Leave the front of the bridge unshaded, as it’s facing toward the light.
Above the Nostril: Keep the upper part of the nostril white because it curves up toward the light source.

For the actual process of applying the shading, you can use a light crosshatch, where the strokes are applied in one direction and then a second set is added at a slight angle to the first.

Begin by filling in the areas with the darkest shadows, but do not go full strength with the shading. Keep it lighter than what you intend to have in the finished drawing. You want to start by creating a “shading guide” that establishes the light and dark parts of the subject.

For different types of shading techniques, see:

Shading Techniques and Stroke Types Drawing Tutorial

Step 4 – Refine the Shading to Finish the Nose Drawing

Add more layers of pencil strokes to gradually darken your shading and create smooth gradients between the light and shadowed areas.

If you happen to go too dark with the shading in a particular area, simply lighten it with an eraser.

Kneaded Eraser: Mold this into the desired shape and tap the appropriate area to lift the graphite.
Regular Eraser: Use the corner of a regular eraser for more precise corrections. If it gets too worn, simply cut it to get a sharp edge.

Conclusion

The profile view of a nose is not very difficult to draw and can be good practice for beginners interested in drawing people. Start with a simple construction frame, refine this into a clean outline, and gradually apply shading in several layers. When doing so, also be aware of the kind of lighting conditions you are trying to portray.

If you’ve found the examples and instructions provided in this tutorial helpful, you may also like the following guides: