Head Drawing for Entertainment Arts by Chris Legaspi & Charles Hu

Are you an artist aspiring to enter the world of narrative and entertainment arts, such as animation, illustration, comics, anime, etc.? Then mastering the art of drawing human heads is a must-have skill. This comprehensive course, designed for beginners, offers a challenging yet accessible approach to the fundamentals of drawing and designing heads.

Taught by seasoned industry professionals Chris Legaspi, a professional film and games illustrator and instructor at Gnomon School of Visual Arts, and Charles Hu, the founder of 3 Kicks and instructor at Art Center, this class covers key elements of head drawing such as composition, shape design, value design, and three-dimensional structure. With a range of assignments and reference images, you’ll have plenty of opportunities to perfect your skills and bring your head drawings to life.

Level 1

1. Planning Your Head Drawing With Chris Legaspi

Planning is crucial for every artist, and in this first lesson, Chris will guide you through the key aspects to consider before you start your drawing. You will learn about capturing emotions, pose, shape, and how to plan for value design and overall composition.

• Duration: 3 hours 10 minutes
• Level: Beginner-friendly

2. The Lay-in With Chris Legaspi

The lay-in is the foundation of your drawing, determining the placement, proportion, character, and form of your work. In this lesson, Chris will teach you how to create a professional lay-in, efficiently setting the most important elements of the drawing.

• Duration: 5 hours 47 minutes
• Level: Beginner-friendly

3. Light, Shadow & Rendering With Chris Legaspi

There are countless ways to render your head drawings, but there are fundamental principles that remain constant. In this lesson, Chris will show you how to approach light and shadow, simplify your value design, add detail only where necessary, and make strong design choices for a successful finished drawing.

• Duration: 7 hours 4 minutes

Level 2

4. Proportions and Structure With Charles Hu

It’s time to delve into the structural and proportional aspects of head drawing. Join Charles Hu for his renowned head construction lecture, which has been taught to professional artists across Southern California. Get ready to take notes in your sketchbook!

• Duration: 2 hours 12 minutes
• Level: Beginner-friendly

5. The Structure of the Skull With Charles Hu

More than most parts of the body, the look of the head and face is determined by the skull. Learn how to understand and visualize the skull in a way that is simple and architectural. This is a great alternative to diving deep into anatomy, and is a great way to improve your understanding of the forms that make up the portrait.

• 51m 20s Beginner Friendly

6. Lighting the Structures of the Head With Charles Hu

With a better understanding of the anatomy and structures that make up the skull, it’s time to reconsider how light and shadow bring three-dimensional reality to life. Charles will show you how to make clear design choices, use the core shadow, and apply clear value design to make your head drawings look solid, strong, and believable.

• Duration: 1 hour 21 minutes
• Level: Beginner-friendly

If you’ve completed the head drawing course and want to take your skills to the next level, consider enrolling in the Frank Reilly Method of Illustration Drawing, Constructive Head Drawing, or Renaissance Head Drawing. These courses will help you expand your knowledge and provide a deeper understanding of the art of head drawing. The Frank Reilly Method focuses on the principles of drawing and design, while Constructive Head Drawing teaches you to analyze and understand the construction of the head. Renaissance Head Drawing, on the other hand, covers the techniques and methods used by master artists during the Renaissance era. Whichever course you choose, you’re sure to develop a more comprehensive understanding of head drawing and take your skills to a whole new level.