LEARN: How to draw an Ears

Tools needed for this exercise:
Pick up your favorite drawing paper and pencils to complete this tutorial. I used two pencils one is HB (a standard pencil lead) and the other is 3B (softer lead that produces strong darks).

You'll also need a reference photo, take a photo of someone else's ears, or find a photo online. Even better, you could also challenge yourself and draw directly from life.

STEP 1: Start Basic

Once you have the outside of the ear drawn, work inward, breaking down the smaller parts into general shapes. You'll notice that the inside of the ear has its own distinctive shape with smaller sections. Continue working inwards so that you accurately convey every part of the ear.

STEP 2: Refine What you Have

Once you have your shapes, both large and small, blocked in, it's time to refine them and take them from blocky to curvy. Again, start from the outside and work your way in, adding curves to your rigid shapes that mimic what you see in your reference photo.

STEP 3: Begin Shading

Using the lighter pencil, start to shade the overall form of the ear. Remember, it's a rounded body part, so to give it this look, add shading to the edges like the earlobe and reserve the lighter parts for the middle.

Apply shadows, light to medium in tone to the entire form. Again, I'd recommend working from the outside of the ear to inwards. That way, shading won't seem as confusing or daunting.

STEP 4: Finish with the Darkest Shadows

Once your overall shading is complete, grab your softest lead pencil and fill in the darkest areas of the ear. Most likely, this will be the ear canal and the area around the outer ridge. Use this dark pencil sparingly, and only concentrate on the parts that need it.

TiP: When looking at the ear straight-on, it’s often the body part that appears closest to the viewer. It will catch the most light and need the least amount of shading.

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