How to Draw a Nose: Planes, Cartilage and Shadow Shapes

Bone at the top, cartilage below

The upper third of the nose is bone: the two nasal bones that form the bridge. Below that it is cartilage, which is why the lower part is rounder and more variable from person to person. You can often see where they meet as a small bump or change of direction on the bridge in profile.

The lower part divides into three forms: the ball of the tip in the middle and the two wings, the alae, on either side wrapping around the nostrils. Under the tip, the columella, the narrow strip between the nostrils, connects the tip to the lip.

Think in four planes

Simplify the nose into a wedge: a front plane along the bridge, two side planes, and an underside plane. With light from one side, the front plane is light, the side plane facing away from the light is in mid shadow, and the underside is the darkest because it faces down. That one idea, an underside that is darker than the rest, places the nose in space more than any detail.

Lay in those plane values first, very lightly. Then round them off: the tip is a ball, so its light and shadow turn gradually, and the wings are smaller balls on either side with their own soft shadows.

Nostrils are shapes, not dots

From the front at eye level, you see only part of each nostril, usually as a dark comma or bean shape tucked under the wing. They are rarely symmetrical in a real face. From below, as in a photo taken from a low angle, the nostrils become large and fully visible; from above, they disappear behind the tip.

The darkest values in the nose are the nostril openings and the thin shadow where the wing meets the cheek. Keep the edge of the nostril sharp on the side toward the light and softer on the other side.

Three-quarter and profile views

Turn the head and the nose overlaps the far cheek. The far wing disappears behind the tip, and the line of the bridge becomes a visible edge against the far side of the face. Drawing both wings in a three-quarter view is the most common mistake; check your reference and you will usually see only one.

In profile, the nose is easy to measure. Look at the angle of the bridge, the projection of the tip from the face, and the angle under the nose where it meets the upper lip. That lower angle varies a great deal between people and is a strong part of a profile likeness.

Size and placement

Drawing books place the base of the nose about halfway between the brow and the chin, and make its width about equal to the gap between the eyes. Use those as a first guess, then measure. Nose size is one of the most variable features in real faces, and close-range photos exaggerate it: at selfie distance, the nose can look about 30% wider than it does from a normal portrait distance.

If a drawn nose looks too big, check the photo before shrinking the drawing. The problem may be in the reference.

Questions before you start