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

The author and artist, Lillie Marshall, is a National Board Certified Teacher of English who has been a public school educator since 2003, and an experienced Reiki practitioner since 2018. All art on this site is original and hand-drawn by Lillie. She launched DrawingsOf.com Educational Cartoons in 2020, building upon the success of her other sites, AroundTheWorldL.com (established 2009), TeachingTraveling.com (founded 2010), and ReikiColors.com. Subscribe to Lillie’s monthly newsletter, and follow @WorldLillie on social media to stay connected!