Rendering a Nose

With her portrait drawing already in progress through the flat block-in, three-dimensional block-in, and rendering (or modeling) of the forehead and eyes, artist Savannah Tate Cuff is now ready to tackle the nose. She begins by breaking down the basic planes of the nose into four parts: the top plane (bridge), a side plane, a plane underneath, and the second side plane, which is barely visible in a three-quarter view. These planes guide her as she models the nose, avoiding a flat outline and instead rendering it as if sculpting with the pencil.

As with the other features, Savannah carefully darkens the terminator area on the nose—the line where light transitions into shadow. She then works from the shadow into the light to create a smooth gradation, achieving a realistic effect. She notes that noses can vary significantly. At the nose’s tip, there can be a gap between the alar cartilages. To simplify the nose’s ball shape, think of how light hits a sphere, then model out of the shadow into the light area. She suggests using toned paper to help with value, and emphasizes not outlining the nose, but describing its full shape. For subtle gradations in lighter areas, use a 2H pencil and keep the lines straight to represent the structure. Finally, remember to use a Mahl stick to prevent smudging during the process.