How to Draw a Baby Face

In this drawing guide, we will show you how to draw a baby face. As you know, the face of a small child differs in many ways from that of an adult.

Even if you are skilled at drawing adult portraits, you may not be able to create a convincing portrait of a child without practice. Therefore, we created this guide to help artists of any skill level practice drawing children.

How to draw a baby face step by step

Step 1: Sketch the face outline

Determine the placement of the sketch on the paper. If you are drawing a portrait, sketch an oval in the center of the sheet. Do not try to make the outline perfectly even. Use light lines.

Step 2: Mark the facial guides

The vertical guideline marks the center of the face, while the horizontal guideline indicates the placement of the eyes. Note that the horizontal guideline is located in the lower third of the face rather than the center of the oval. Then mark the positions of the eyes, nose, and lips with short strokes.

Step 3: Draw the baby’s eyes

They resemble two elongated lemon-shaped forms. Follow the guide marks from the previous step. Do not try to make them perfectly identical to keep the drawing natural. Notice that a baby’s eyes are positioned quite close together, and the horizontal guideline does not divide them evenly. The upper part of each eye is noticeably larger than the lower part.

Step 4: Refine the baby’s eyes

Add more detail to the baby’s eyes. Draw two circles inside each eye to create the irises and pupils. As you can see, these circles differ noticeably in size. Then draw the upper and lower eyelids with smooth curved lines that follow the contours of the eyes. If you want to draw a tired cartoon character, pay special attention to the lower eyelids.

Step 5: Sketch the hairline

Babies do not have long hair or elaborate hairstyles, so a simple hairline is enough. Pay attention to the distance between the hairline and the eyes, as it strongly affects the appearance of the face. Use the facial guidelines to place the eyebrows as two elongated shapes above the eyes.

Step 6: Draw the baby’s nose

Now, draw the nose of the baby using the guide mark on the horizontal guideline. This mark indicates the position of the tip of the nose. The nose resembles a small mushroom. Keep in mind that a baby’s facial features differ significantly from those of an adult, so do not worry if the features appear unusual at first.

Step 7: Draw the baby’s mouth

The mouth may look complex, but it consists of only two smooth curved lines. The upper line is longer and more curved, while the lower line is a short arc. Pay close attention to the spacing between the nose, mouth, and chin, as changing these distances will noticeably affect the baby’s face.

Step 8: Shape the baby’s cheeks

If you’ve ever seen babies, you’ve probably noticed their large, rounded cheeks. This contour is created by adipose tissue, which gradually decreases as we grow older. Shape the baby’s cheeks by curving the lower part of the face. A slight taper toward the temples will enhance this effect.

Step 9: Draw the baby’s ears

We are almost finished. Draw the baby’s small rounded ears. The lower edges of the ears should align with the tip of the nose, while the upper edges should align with the eyebrows. Be sure to check out our tutorial on ear anatomy to add the inner ear details correctly.

Step 10: Refine the baby’s face

Erase the remaining construction lines from the baby’s face. Refine the final outlines of the facial features and head, making sure the shapes are clean and accurate. Then add light hatching for subtle shadows, and darken the pupils to create stronger contrast.

Step 11: Finish the baby face

You have completed the baby face drawing. Check that all lines and facial features look correct, then erase any remaining construction marks. Add a little more shading around the eyes and nose if needed.

If you enjoyed this baby face drawing tutorial, be sure to explore our other drawing guides and categories. Continue practicing by drawing children of different ages, or draw and adult face.

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