How to Draw Noses: Step-by-Step Guide for Realistic and Stylised Noses
Drawing, Design
Drawing Noses: Realistic and Stylised Techniques
Noses are probably the hardest part of the face — their forms are not easy to understand, and a badly structured nose is a big tell, whether the artist is a beginner or not. This workout will help you understand and learn the structure of the nose, making your portraits look more believable and professional. Let’s proceed!
Step 1: Trace and study the simplified structure of the nose in profile view
Noses are the easiest to understand in the profile view. Start by tracing noses from the pictures you find online. But don’t do that blindly! Think about what volumes are hiding behind the shapes and try to remember them. Do a couple of tracing studies like this, so that the shapes are stuck in your mind. Pay attention to where the nose bridge ends, the tip of the nose starts and how the nostrils wrap around it.
Step 1: Drawing Noses: Realistic and Stylised Techniques
Step 2: Draw the simple combinations of those shapes on top of the provided skeleton
Now let’s try to replicate those shapes ourselves. Use the provided skulls in profile view and add the noses on top. Try playing with proportions, making the noses look different. Think about what character could have a nose like that — long and broken for a dangerous pirate, small and pinched for a fairy or an elf.
Step 2: Drawing Noses: Realistic and Stylised Techniques
Step 3: Refine those 3 combinations so they look like noses
Add details and polish the line art of the noses you just drew. Make them look believable!
Step 3: Drawing Noses: Realistic and Stylised Techniques
Step 4: Draw 3 manipulated boxes on top of 3 Loomis heads
Now let’s try and understand the volumes of noses in different angles. To do this, take the provided Loomis heads and draw manipulated boxes on top. Those boxes are where your noses are going to sit. By using this technique, you will easily understand the planes of noses, and adding light and shadow will be easier in the future.
Step 4: Drawing Noses: Realistic and Stylised Techniques
Step 5: Trace and study the shapes of the nose in ¾ view.
Before refining your boxes, let’s make sure that we understand a nose in a ¾ view. Find some 3’4 references online and trace the noses.
Step 5: Drawing Noses: Realistic and Stylised Techniques
Step 6: Refine your 3 manipulated boxes so that they look more like noses
Now you’re ready! Let’s refine those noses! Try to remember all the things you’ve learned in the previous steps and apply that knowledge to finish this step like a pro.
Step 6: Drawing Noses: Realistic and Stylised Techniques
Great job! We hope that now noses don’t seem nearly as complex as they did before, and your characters are going to look way more believable.
As always, post your results on socials, we love to see your progress!
As always, post your results on socials, we love to see your progress!
Author: Artwod team
Published: Jan 5, 2026
