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?

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:

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!

VIDEO: How to Draw Cheekbones
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!
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The author, Lillie Marshall, is a 6-foot-tall artist and writer from Boston who has been a public school teacher since 2003. In addition to Drawings Of… Educational Cartoon Site, she runs Around the World “L” Travel and Life Blog, and Teaching Traveling Global Education Community. Stay connected through the social media and newsletter links below!