I've been drawing ever since I was a child. It has been one of my passions. Whenever I do nothing, I get my sister's magazine, select a famous girl to draw and boom my favorite session starts, drawing faces. As an artist I would say, nothing is more satisfying than to see your creation slowly coming to fruition. From the details of her eyes to the details of her nose, the shading of the lips and even the little strands of her hair. I just love when every thing goes together and produce a beautiful creation in the end. For me, nothing is more satisfying than that.

But just like any other piece of art it takes a great deal of patience to make this happen. Any thing you won't put your effort into will not be likely enough to be cherished by others even yourself. So to start I would like to lead you to my very first point.

Make Drawing Your Passion

I cannot fully emphasize more on the importance of this. Because without passion, you wouldn't be able to withstand the patience that is required on producing a great art, even harnessing the very skill needed in creating a great art. Even if you grew up with this great talent in the visual arts, you will not succeed long if your heart is not into it. As Tim Notke says it, "Hard work beats talent when talent doesn't work hard."

Too bad to see talented people totally lacking the drive to improve in their craft. If only they have dedicated even a little amount of their time a day developing their skill, then it would have definitely made a big impact compared to not doing any thing at all.So just to start, make sure your passion in drawing is there, because if it isn't it will show. And it will show also in the kind of work you will have in the end. If you wouldn't have the passion to consider every detail, every stroke, every shade then the final product will be one detail short and in the arena of sketching portraits and realistic faces, it will make all the difference.

Where To Start?

So let's say, you already get this point, you tell me yeah my heart is there I get you, this is what I'm passionate about. So where do I go now? Ok, so if you get the first point then I say you're into a right start. It's a must to build the right foundations first so you can go to the higher steps. I know I wouldn't be able share every steps required in sketching a realistic face on this article due to the limitations, but everything will be useless anyway if you wouldn't get the first point. It would be like building a tall structure, if you wouldn't have the right foundation it will definitely collapse.

Not like any other articles that I have read about this topic (not to downgrade them or anything, I actually have found a lot that are really useful that I suggest you might want to check them out as well), I wouldn't tell you a definite step by step detailed instructions to follow to produce a masterful art, (at least not yet) because I believe creating an art is much more than that, and I believe it is actually the choice of the "artist" (which is you in this case) to decide which techniques will suit you better and which will assist you to better express yourself to help you draw a better realistic faces.

So the question where to start? might not be the right question to answer but... when? And believe the answer to that is.... right now!The Magical Steps For BeginnersI know I said I wouldn't give you a specific step by step rules to follow in sketching (well, at least not yet, we'll save it for later). But this list will be a different one, and the goal of this list is to state the obvious and help you appreciate the importance of each one and the deeper meaning behind it to help you prepare as you go along perfecting your drawing skills for the future.

1. Get a pencil and a paper.Any pencil will do! and any kind of paper. For starters, it's not about the kind of pencil you are using or the type of paper you are sketching into. These things will be just the instruments you will take advantage of, but it will be entirely dependent on you on how to use them. So I suggest to start with whatever pencil you have first in your home and start sketching! Once you can be comfortable using whatever pencil you have, then it will be easy for you to utilize the different kinds of pencils for shading and others in the future.

2. Pick your subject and visualize it first in your mind.Choose your subject first that you find interesting, the one that you would love to finish or even repeat if doesn't go well. I usually go as I said with picture of celebrities in magazines that I had a crush on. LOL, but I'm serious. These are the pictures that I would be very proud once I have drawn them and show to my friends. Now the important part after that is to visualize it in your mind, knowing you have to sketch and replicate it in a piece of paper exactly the same. This is the perfect opportunity to visualize every little details of it and seeing them in your mind in a piece of paper shortly after.

3. Now Draw.Do I have to say more? No matter how you understand the word, that's where you should start. For me, I usually start with the eye and go from there, but it would be different for every other artist, I know some who draw the shape of the head first. But it would be entirely dependent on you. This is the time for you utilize your creativity and imagination.

4. Pay attention to the small details.It's the details that counts. Pay attention to it. Every shade, every little strokes draw it the same way as you can see it. This is the part I can't teach you, but you and yourself will have to develop which leads me to my final point.

5. Invest!Invest your time, energy and yes even your money to be able to fully develop this craft. It will take time. Like the old saying goes practice makes perfect. If at first you don't succeed try and try again. You'll be amazed at how you progress along the way.