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Drawing Cheekbones on a Face: So Fun and Beautiful!

When drawing a semi-realistic face, I always start with the right eye… but the second place my pen shapes is invariably the cheekbones. Why is that?

Smiling cheekbones art
Cheekbones make me smile.

The Strangeness of Cheekbones’ Beauty:

It seems odd that a part of the body that reminds you of the skeleton beneath the flesh is so alluring, and yet, cheekbones are gorgeous — and the sharper, the more intriguing in art in my opinion (especially when juxtaposed with billowing, large hair). Often I enjoy indicating cheekbones with a firm black line like this:

Side view cheekbones
A side view of well-defined cheekbones.

Is There Something Angry About Cheekbones?

Sometimes cheekbones can be so sharp and defined that they seem angry-angular. This lady below turned out to have a bit of a glower in addition to her fabulous hair. You could slice an ice cream cone with those epic cheekbones!

Serious cheekbones art

VIDEO: How to Draw Cheekbones

Watch each face being drawn…

So what’s YOUR take on cheekbones?

Do you enjoy them in your fashionable real life? In the context of art? What is it about them that’s so exciting? Do share!

Want more art inspiration? Check out “A Drawing of a Rainbow” for creative ideas on new ways to draw this classic shape.