Once you have drawn a reasonably appropriate arabesque it is time to situate the main landmarks of the skull. That means that we will accurately situate the most essential spots of the skull. These spots will then be used as references for mapping out the rest of the skull features.



Here is something that may aid you with this task: work with your eyes somewhat out-of-focus. This is called looking with a "soft eye". Somehow this makes it easier to accurately determine forms and proportions. It also assists you with suppressing the predetermined concepts we all have of certain objects.

Let us assume that we are working from a 3/4 skull pose.

* The Brow Ridge - is the first significant landmark. To place the brow ridge you must first take your best guess at where you think it is and only then check it by sighting.

Note that to teach your eyes it is better to first guess lengths, angles, etc. and check them second. There is nothing to gain from pre- measuring.

Sighting signifies to use your pencil with locked arm and checking lengths along the pencil with your thumb and index finger and an eye closed.

So then, first sight from the bottom of the chin to a spot on the brow ridge (just select an arbitrary spot on the ridge. But once chosen you should hold on to it.

Now hoist your pencil so that your thumb is on your spot on the brow ridge and note where your pencil point is. It should be a tiny distance above the top of the skull. Mark on your sketch where you can best place that point above the skull. This point is called the "check-point".

Note that whenever there is a choice, you should always size the shortest length because doing so tends to be more right.

Your spot on the brow ridge should, if it was placed accurately, be exactly halfway between the bottom of the chin and your check-point. If it is not – then change the placement of your brow ridge.

* Jaw Hinge - Now you can tag the width of the head. In the 3/4 pose the hinge of the jaw is an essential landmark. Again, take your best guess then check by sighting horizontally from the hinge of the jaw to the outer edge of the cheek bone and vertically relating that measure from the bottom of the chin.

* Top Nose Bone - Since we have already placed the brow ridge we now only have to approximate a short length to place the top of the nasal bone. If you established the hinge of the jaw accurately, it should equal the length from the bottom of the chin to the nasal bone. If you are off a little, then correct the placement of the hinge of the jaw. Again, assume that the smallest distance estimated is the right one.

Now that these key landmarks are placed you can further work out the arabesque. I find it best to further resolve only the back, less, part of the skull at this early time.

* Facial Angle - Lastly, you need to situate the facial angle which is the center line of the face. Sketch a slightly arching line from the middle of the mental tubercle up through the center of the brow ridge.

The placement of the facial angle is very significant. You have to feel your way through this as there is no way to correctly measure it.

Once the facial angle is placed proceed with drawing the arabesque carefully observing the form of the mouth region, the forehead, and all other features that are expressed in the form of the arabesque.

With this, we have placed all the fundamental landmarks that will help us with the mapping of the rest of the features such as the nose and teeth.