Mastering the Art of Portrait Illustration: Essential Tips and Tricks

An illustration possesses the power to bring your idea or concept into a contemporary visual existence. It could be a human portrait or a cartoon character, the process of illustration design and the phases of a successful artwork creation do not change. However, you just need to stay updated with the design styles and trends according to the subject of your drawing.

Since practicing is a time-consuming process, it is always better to look for a number of alternatives. That does not imply that you would stop practicing but you should know that other factors matter as well. You could get the ideas or inspiration you want from Best Portrait Illustrators but we have compiled some essential portrait illustration tips for designers.

Draft a rough sketch

Even if you are using design software for illustration creation, it is recommended to go for a hand-drawn draft. A pencil drawing allows you to have a basic idea of the required design elements, anatomy and the overall structure of the portrait. If you are drawing for someone then to gain their trust with your credibility, you can present them a rough sketch of your work and then proceed to transform it into a digital file. The selection of the design software is entirely up to you. You can work on Adobe Photoshop or Illustrator but if you want to perfect the designing phase then it is better to rely on a hand-drawn sketch.

Pay heed to proportions

An accurate anatomical structure of humans or animals matters the most but the entire focus in a portrait is on the facial proportions. Compile basic guidelines regarding the face shapes, expressions and the complete proportions of a human face. Draw out a rough sketch of drawing facial guidelines by observing portrait references and then add the features to the face accordingly.

Background aesthetics

The portrait is not the only essential piece of attention in the drawing. You are given a canvas not only for the character instead you have to utilize it smartly for an accurate background. Enhance the elements of your background or scenery using impactful colors. Do not bloat the canvas with too many details, as it would make the viewer lose focus on the actual portrait. Keep the additional background objects minimal and you can do so by adding mundane colors, textures or gradient patterns for better visual enhancement.

Convey a story

Most people think that it is easier to explain a story in a textual or animated but you can do the same with a portrait illustration as well. You are only given a single canvas to explain the story your character holds and you have to be very careful about it. From the style of your character to its expressions, all of these small factors count in making up a visual story. If someone looks at your illustration, he or she would not expect you to explain it but they would want it to be self-explainable. Therefore, form your visual story keeping the aforementioned factors in mind.

Add emotion to facial features

A portrait illustration carries a lot of details, however, not every specific detail matters. You have to be dynamic about what piece of information you need to pay attention to and then proceed with the drawing process. This saves your time, as filling in each detail tends to be extremely time-consuming. The core focus in a portrait should be the facial features and expressions so work on improving and adding impact to them more. The eyes should convey emotion but the background also needs to be expressive enough as well. That is why illustrator should know that these two factors work hand in hand.