Drawing ears is not easy. There are many different parts to an ear. However, here is where working with a grid can help you enormously. If you work with a small grid, the problem is reduced to that of a puzzle with plenty of hints as to how the pieces fit together.
Here are some guidelines that should make the drawing of ears a cinch:
* Be Forewarned - The ear has many nuanced parts to it. So be prepared to spend some time one drawing the ears of your subject. If you know this, you will not get frustrated. There are many curved surfaces and therefore there will also be many changes in values. There will be cast shadows, reflected light, highlights, halftones, and anything in between. Be patient and spend the time.
Fortunately, on many occasions, you will find that your photograph only shows a small part of the ear and with women the ears often do not show up at all.
* Shapes - Look for interlocking shapes and take note of how they fit into the overall structure of the ear. Never deal with a local shape by itself. Always relate it to the neighborhood so it fits well in the total picture.
* Shine - The ear is made of skin that is oilier than, say, cheek skin. Therefore it will be quite shiny. So, expect quite a few highlights and don't forget to put them in because they are exactly what will make the ears look natural. Also, because of the many creases and crevices, there will be many small dark cast shadows present.
* Edges - There are many edges to the ear and they need to be studied very carefully. There are soft edges and hard edges. There is also quite a bit of reflected light. The ear is off-set from the skull, so it will often cast a shadow and therefore the edge of the ear will show some reflected light. It is important to include this reflected light because that is what gives the ear a rounded three-dimensional look.
* Placement - There are a few pieces of information you must memorize in relation to the "average" ear. First, the ear does not sit straight up and down along the side of the skull. The ear is angled backwards.
The top of the ear lines up with the base of the eyebrow and the bottom of the ear lines up with the bottom of the nostrils.
The length of the ear is equal to the distance between the bottom of the nostrils and the bottom of the chin.
In a side view, the ear sits halfway between the back of the head and the front of the facial plane.
* Individuality - We just discussed the "average" ear. Of course, each individual will slightly deviate from this average in one or more ways. It is important to notice these deviations. This is what makes the individual likeness.
However, when you have memorized the "average" measurements and locations and have them at the ready, it becomes easier to spot the unique features of each individual.
Some people have wrinkles on their ears. Others have lobes that merge into the jaw line while still others have long dangling lobes. So, look out for these peculiarities because they are present in every pencil portrait subject.
This should do it for the ear guidelines. The main thing with ears is to be patient. The ear is quite challenging and when completely visible takes quite a bit of time and effort to render adequately.
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