Easy Pencil Sketch for Beginners
This easy pencil sketch walks you through drawing a calm side-profile girl wearing a cozy beanie. It’s great for beginners or a relaxing warm-up. We’ll start with a simple guide arc, shape the forehead, nose, lips, and chin, then add the hat and hair. After the line art, we’ll shade softly to show form and knit texture. You only need two pencils, a good eraser, and regular drawing paper. Each step builds on the last, so you won’t feel lost. Work lightly, keep strokes neat, and pause whenever needed.
The captions match the photos, letting you compare your page with mine. By the end, you’ll have a clean, stylish profile with smooth shading and confident edges. Use the same approach for other hats and hairstyles later. Ready your pencils and let’s begin. We’ll focus on readable proportions: a gentle forehead curve, a clear nose angle, soft lips, and a defined jawline. The knit hat offers curved bands that are perfect for practicing even shading. Small touches, like eyelashes and eyebrow texture, add life without pressure.
Supplies for This Drawing
- HB and 2B graphite pencils (mechanical or wooden)
- Kneaded eraser + plastic block eraser
- A4 (8.3×11.7 in) drawing paper, ~160 gsm (60–90 lb)
- Pencil sharpener (handheld or knife)
- Tissue, soft brush, or blending stump (optional)
- Ruler (for light margin line)
- Scrap paper for test strokes
Prepare the Materials
- Clear your workspace and set good, even lighting.
- Tape paper edges to a board for stability.
- Sharpen pencils to fine points; prep a blunt 2B for shading.
- Warm up with light arcs on scrap paper.
- Place references where you can glance without shifting posture.
Special Features of This Drawing
- Clean side-profile proportions that read instantly
- Curved hat bands that teach controlled, even shading
- Minimal facial details for a calm expression
- Strong contour contrast for graphic clarity
- Simple, elegant hair flow built from straight strokes
- Soft highlight lifts for sparkle without smudges
Tutor’s Suggestions
- Sketch lightly first; save pressure for final lines.
- Build values in layers; avoid jumping to darks too soon.
- Keep contours clean—one decisive line beats many scratches.
- Group hair into ribbons; suggest strands, don’t chase every hair.
- Shade with the form’s curve; avoid flat, straight hatching on round areas.
- Step back often to judge proportions and spacing.
- Protect highlights with clean paper under your hand.
Uses
- Classroom warm-ups or quick demos
- Sketchbook practice for steady line control
- A calm portrait study for portfolios
- Minimalist wall print or card design
- Fan art base for different hats or hairstyles
- Coloring page to explore media and palettes
Level of Difficulty
Beginner-friendly — simple shapes, controlled shading, and minimal facial detail.
Arc and Margin
Lightly draw a tall vertical margin line on the right edge to keep the hat’s back aligned. From the upper left, sweep a long, shallow S-curve toward that margin; this guides the hat brim and forehead. Add a short curved cap at the top to suggest the beanie’s crown. Keep everything very light, using an HB pencil and relaxed wrist. If a line wobbles, don’t erase yet—just redraw slightly above it. We’ll refine shapes after the basic flow looks balanced.
Face Contour Begins
Drop a gentle inward curve from the brim to form the forehead and bridge. Transition into a subtle bump for the nose tip, then tuck back for the philtrum. Add a tiny dash indicating the upper lip’s corner, and continue into a small dip for the lower lip. Finish with a soft turn for the chin. Keep strokes short and airy, adjusting rhythm until the profile feels calm and youthful. A quick lip guideline underlines placement for the next step.
Lips and Chin Shape
Refine the mouth: draw a thin wedge for the upper lip, ending in a tiny notch at the corner. Place a rounded bean shape for the lower lip, letting it overlap the chin slightly. Pull a smooth line under the chin to suggest the jaw and beginning of the neck. A short tick beneath the mouth hints at the shadow plane. Erase stray guidelines lightly. The profile should read cleanly now, with a soft, relaxed expression forming. Add tiny adjustments.
Nose, Neck, and Space
Place a small teardrop dash for the nostril and a short curve for the bridge shadow. From the jaw’s back, add two light strokes forming the neck notch and collar area. Check spacing between forehead, nose, lips, and chin; the rhythm should feel even. Keep lines crisp but not heavy; we’ll darken later. If something feels crowded, nudge the contour with gentle, overlapping passes rather than erasing hard. This sets a graceful silhouette ready for details. Maintain breathing room everywhere.
Eye, Brow, and Hat Bands
Sketch a relaxed closed eye: a gentle arc with a few short upward lashes near the outer end. Above it, block the eyebrow as a tapered rectangle; later we’ll texture it. Complete the broad beanie band across the forehead, then echo curved seams along the hat’s crown for knitted panels. Extend two long hair borders flowing downward behind the face. Keep overlaps clean at the temple and hat edge. This step completes the main line drawing beautifully. Everything stays simple.
Shade the Beanie
Switch to a softer 2B. Lay even, curved strokes within each knit panel, following the arc to show roundness. Darken the edges near seams and the band’s underside to suggest cast shadow. Leave a slimmer, lighter middle strip on each panel for highlights. Feather the tone where the hat meets the margin line so the back edge feels tucked. Keep the forehead area clean. When values look smooth, lightly blend with tissue if desired. Work slowly for control. Stay patient.
Lips and Hair Tones
Deepen the upper lip slightly darker than the lower, leaving a slim highlight along its center. Add soft shading beneath the lower lip and along the jaw curve. Begin the hair: pull long, straight strokes from the hat opening downward, building value gradually. Vary pressure so strands group naturally, darker near the root and center, lighter at edges. Keep the face contour clean and unshaded for contrast. This contrast makes features pop crisply and keeps the sketch fresh. Looks elegant.
Blend and Final Touches
Use a clean soft brush, tissue, or blending stump to gently smooth the beanie and hair, keeping strokes in the same direction you shaded. Re-sharpen your HB and restate the main outlines with confident, continuous lines. Add a few extra lashes, refine eyebrow texture with short flicks, and tidy the hat’s rim. Lift tiny highlights with a kneaded eraser on hair and hat. Stop before edges blur; crisp contours sell the profile. Sign your work and date it proudly. Done.
Conclusion
You just built a clean, confident side-profile with simple tools and patient layers. Keep your guide arc, gentle proportions, and tidy edges, and almost any hat or hairstyle will read clearly. Revisit the steps, swapping pressure and stroke length to explore different textures. Most of all, protect your highlights and keep contrast near the features. That clarity makes sketches pop without heavy detail. File this as a dependable warm-up whenever you want practice and wins.
A Bonus Tip
When shading the beanie, turn the paper so your stroke naturally follows each curve—your hand motion stays straight, but the value wraps the form perfectly.
FAQs
Q: How long will this take?
A: Most beginners finish in 30–60 minutes, depending on shading.
Q: What paper size works best?
A: A4 (8.3×11.7 in) is comfortable; larger sizes give easier shading.
Q: My proportions look off—help?
A: Compare angles: forehead slope, nose tip angle, lip spacing, chin length. Adjust lightly.
Q: Should I shade the face?
A: Keep the face mostly clean for contrast; add only gentle under-lip and jaw tones.
Q: Pencil or marker for lines?
A: Pencil is safer for corrections; markers can lock in confident outlines later.
Q: How do I avoid smudging?
A: Work left-to-right if right-handed (reverse if lefty) and use a clean under-sheet.
