How to draw a face

I've gotten many request on doing a beginners art guide so I decided to give you guys what you want.

I'll be using Brushes 3 for iPhone for the sake of the exercise but feel free to apply the techniques in any other medium. I start with a light blue first.

Here is the brush I'm starting with.

Begin with the first layer for the basic sketch or draw lightly if you're using paper.

Start with an oval shape. Don't stress perfection. This is your rough draft.

Draw a line down the middle to divide the head.

Draw a horizontal line like you see here.

And another just below it.

Leave some space and draw a third horizontal line.

Now you're going to create guidelines for the eyes. Keep in mind the space between the eyes is equal to one eye. Take two fingers and measure the space. This takes practice.

Create guidelines for the nose. The measurement for a nose varies wildly so use your best judgement. Drawing from life and photos makes this easier.

Next draw guidelines for the mouth like you see here. See how it lines up?

Now I create a new layer and put it on top.

Next the opacity of layer one is toned down.

I pick a graphite looking color.

Sketch out the eyes on the eyes according to the guidelines.

Do the same with the nose. Stay within the guidelines too. The best advice I have for the nose is to practice constantly. It'll click eventually.

Now for the mouth. He's smiling so the lips are curved. I start with the corner and work my way in on the upper and lower lip.

Next is the hair. I'll keep it simple with just a Caesar hair cut.

Turn down the opacity and make a new layer. For traditional artists now you want to take out a sharpie or something similar.

Here is the brush I switching to. I pick Black for my color. This step is called inking. It's optional.

I simply go over my sketch with black while giving it energy and little details.

And there you have it! Here's the finished illustration. If anyone has additional questions just respond in the comments. Please keep feedback constructive. Thanks! http://raheemnelson.com.