You know those furry things that live just above your eyelids? Yes, the eyebrows! Each eyebrow is as unique as a fingerprint--- no two are exactly alike. This helps make us all unique and fantastic creatures of nature, but it can cause a real headache if you are just learning to draw faces. There are "tricks" that I like to use when drawing eyebrows and that is what I am going to share with you in this tutorial.

The eyebrows are really fascinating if you think about. They are made of hair, but don't grow like the hair on our heads. They sit in an odd place, on our brow bone, which is not on our eyes, nor on our forehead. They just sit there, protecting our eyes from falling debris, right? Not exactly. Have you ever been talking to someone and known exactly what they were thinking or how they felt about what you just said? It's the eyebrows!

In order to show expression with eyebrows, you first need to know how to draw eyebrows realistically.

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To place your eyebrow correctly, use the top of the nostril crease for a guide. The innermost edge of the eye brow, should generally line up vertically (line A). The arch of the brow will peak at approximately a 45 degree angle (line B). The outer edge of the brow creates a line from the nostril crease through the outer crease of the eye lid and water line (Line C).

[caption id="attachment_2909" align="alignnone" width="225"]<img class="size-medium wp-image-2909" src="http://www.letsdrawpeople.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/eyebrow1-225x300.jpg" alt="Use the nostril crease as a guide" width="225" height="300" /> Use the nostril crease as a guide.[/caption]

<img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-2911" src="http://www.letsdrawpeople.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/eyebrow2-225x300.jpg" alt="eyebrow2" width="225" height="300" />

Next, you want to <em>very lightly</em> sketch out a basic shape for the eyebrow. If you tend to be heavy-handed, I suggest using a pencil graded 2H-HB.

<img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-2912" src="http://www.letsdrawpeople.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/eyebrow3-225x300.jpg" alt="eyebrow3" width="225" height="300" />

Start adding in individual hairs, again I suggest using a lighter grade pencil. Draw the hairs in the direction that they grow, easing up on the pressure as you lift the pencil off of the page. Never "color" in a solid value. This will make the eyebrows look cartoonish.

<img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-2913" src="http://www.letsdrawpeople.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/eyebrow3a-225x300.jpg" alt="eyebrow3a" width="225" height="300" />

Think about how the light is going to hit the eyebrows and add some lowlights with a softer (darker value) pencil, or more pressure.

<img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-2914" src="http://www.letsdrawpeople.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/eyebrow4-225x300.jpg" alt="eyebrow4" width="225" height="300" />

Use the same process for the other eyebrow in the opposite direction. Don't stress too much about making the eyebrow is s perfectly symmetrical. It seems counter-intuitive, but nothing on the human face is perfectly symmetrical.

<img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-2915" src="http://www.letsdrawpeople.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/eyebrow5-300x225.jpg" alt="eyebrow5" width="300" height="225" />

All of the previous "tricks" can be used when drawing eyebrows with expression. The main difference will be how much distance you put between the eyebrow and the upper eyelid.

<img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-2916" src="http://www.letsdrawpeople.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/eyebrow6-225x300.jpg" alt="eyebrow6" width="225" height="300" />

As I mentioned before, every eyebrow is unique! The eyebrows in this article are pretty basic. The most important part of drawing any facial feature is to use a reference. Some people have very thin, light eyebrows. Some people have bushy, unruly, dark eyebrows. Some people (such as the amazing artist Frida Kahlo) have the infamous "uni-brow". Every type of eyebrow will use the rule of drawing the hairs in the direction the are growing (or groomed). All hairs will use the pressure rule and will have a light source that creates darker shaded areas.

<img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-2917" src="http://www.letsdrawpeople.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/IMG_2129-225x300.jpg" alt="IMG_2129" width="225" height="300" /><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-2918" src="http://www.letsdrawpeople.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/IMG_2126-225x300.jpg" alt="IMG_2126" width="225" height="300" />

I hope you found this tutorial useful! Happy drawing!

<img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-2919" src="http://www.letsdrawpeople.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/christina-300x300.jpg" alt="christina" width="300" height="300" />

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