Hello! In our last lesson, you did a great job learning to construct the foundational Loomis head: the sphere for the cranium, the orienting centerlines, and the sliced side planes. You now have a "wireframe" for the skull that you can turn to any angle.
Today, we'll build directly on that foundation. We are going to use the landmarks you've already established—especially the brow line—to map out the face's primary vertical proportions. This is like defining the main grid coordinates before placing objects within a 3D scene. Our learning outcome is to establish the primary facial landmarks: the brow line and the division of the face into thirds. By the end of this lesson, you'll be able to take your basic Loomis head and add the structural lines needed to place the hairline, nose, and chin correctly.
1. The Brow Line: Your Primary Anchor
In the last lesson, we defined the brow line as the "equator" of the cranium sphere. This line isn't just for showing if the head is tilted up or down; it's the most important measurement point for the entire face. As Andrew Loomis himself said, the point where the brow line crosses the middle line of the face is the key to constructing the whole head. It's a stable landmark because it relates directly to the solid mass of the cranium, unlike the chin, which moves with the jaw.
We begin all our measurements from this line.
2. The Rule of Thirds
The core of today's lesson is a classic artistic principle known as the "rule of thirds." It states that the face, from the hairline to the chin, can be divided into three roughly equal vertical sections. This provides a simple, elegant system for creating a proportionally balanced face.
This article provides a very clear, step-by-step explanation with helpful diagrams.
The Loomis Method of Drawing the Head, a Step-by-Step Guide
Let's read a section from the article 'The Loomis Method of Drawing the Head, a Step-by-Step Guide' by Gvaat's Workshop. It breaks down the facial landmarks and their spacing perfectly.
Please read 'Step 4: The Breakup of the middle line into four sections – hairline, eyebrow line, nose and chin.' Pay close attention to the diagrams that illustrate the equal distances. The main takeaway is the simple rule: the distance from the brow line to the hairline equals the distance from the brow line to the bottom of the nose, which in turn equals the distance from the nose to the chin.
As the article explains, the system is beautifully simple. Once you have your basic Loomis head with the brow line established:
- First Third (Forehead): Measure from the brow line up to establish the hairline. This distance defines the height of the forehead.
- Second Third (Nose/Eyes): Take that exact same measurement and apply it from the brow line down along the center of the face. This marks the location for the bottom of the nose.
- Third Third (Mouth/Chin): Take that measurement one more time and apply it from the bottom of the nose down. This gives you the location for the bottom of the chin.
Let's watch a quick video to see this in action.
Drawing Proportions of the Head and Face | Getting the Fundamentals Down
In this video, artist Bradwynn Jones provides a clear, practical demonstration of finding and applying these thirds.
Watch the segment from 03:40 to 04:51. The artist establishes the thirds in a slightly different order, but the result is the same: three equal sections for the hairline, brow, nose, and chin.
3. Applying the Thirds in 3D
Remember, we are drawing a 3D form on a 2D plane. These division lines are not flat; they are contours that wrap around the volume of the head, just like the brow line.
When drawing a head that is tilted up or down (adjusting its "pitch"), these sections will be affected by foreshortening. For example, on a head tilted down, the forehead section will appear much smaller, while the nose-to-chin section will appear larger. However, the underlying proportions on the head itself remain consistent. Your understanding of perspective will be key here.
It's also important to remember that this is an idealized proportion. As the video Drawing Proportions of the Head and Face mentions (00:13:50), every person is different. Some have long noses, others have high foreheads. This "rule of thirds" gives you a reliable starting structure, a default to measure against when you observe the unique features of a specific person.
Test your understanding!
You are drawing a face in a three-quarter view that is tilted slightly upward. You've established your three equal divisions. Due to foreshortening, which of the three sections (forehead, nose, or chin) will appear largest to the viewer, and which will appear smallest?
Show answer
Because the head is tilted up, the viewer is looking up "under" the chin. Therefore, the bottom third (nose-to-chin) will appear largest. The top third (hairline-to-brow) will be the most foreshortened and will appear smallest.
Practice Exercise (20 minutes)
Now it's time to apply this. Take a fresh sheet of paper.
- Draw several basic Loomis heads from the previous lesson. Include at least one front view, one profile (side) view, and one three-quarter view. Make sure you have the sphere, the middle line, the brow line, and the sliced side plane for each.
- Apply the Rule of Thirds to each head:
- Start with the front view. Mark your brow line. Decide on a distance for the forehead and draw the curved hairline above it.
- Use a pencil or your fingers to measure that exact distance. Mark the nose line below the brow line.
- Measure that same distance again from the nose line down to mark the chin line.
- Now, repeat this for the profile view. The lines will be straight horizontals here.
- Finally, repeat it for the three-quarter view. Remember to keep the lines curved and parallel, wrapping around the form.
Focus on making the three sections equal and ensuring your lines follow the 3D curvature of the head.
Conclusion
Great work today. You've now added the primary vertical structure to your foundational head construction. This framework is absolutely essential for placing facial features with accuracy and consistency.
Key Takeaways:
- The brow line is the central anchor point for measuring facial proportions.
- The face is generally divided into three equal vertical sections: Hairline to Brow, Brow to Nose, and Nose to Chin.
- These divisional lines are contours that must wrap around the 3D form of the head, obeying the laws of perspective.
- The "rule of thirds" is an idealized starting point, providing a consistent structure from which to observe and draw individual likenesses.
Next Lesson Preview:
We've constructed the cranium and now we've mapped out where the chin should be. The next logical step is to connect them. In our next lesson, we will attach the jaw and chin structure to the sphere to complete the foundational head construction. This will bring us from a floating sphere to a complete, solid head shape.