100 Heads Challenge - Alternative references
Alternative references for portrait drawing practice. 100 free-to-use (without attribution being necessary) portrait photos. These head references are of various angles, ages, and ethnicities. Every reference also includes a grayscale version for simplifying shadows and shading.
References
Organized in 2 options: Per head angle (recommended for beginners) OR per age group
Per head angle (recommended for beginners)
- Level ONE: Basic front view
- Level TWO: Intermediate front view
- Level THREE: Upward and downward front view
- Level FOUR: Side profile
- Level FIVE: Three-quarter view
- Level SIX: Intermediate three-quarter view
- Level SEVEN: Facing upwards three-quarter view
- Level EIGHT: Facing downwards three-quarter view
- Level NINE: Half profile view
- Level TEN: Facing upwards half profile view
Per age and gender group
- Little boys
- Little girls
- Teenage boys
- Teenage girls
- Young men
- Young women
- Middle age men
- Middle age women
- Old men
- Old women
What is the 100 heads challenge?
It's a drawing challenge created by Ahmed Aldoori (YouTube video) that requires drawing 100 heads in 10 days to improve one's portrait-drawing skills. I personally don't care too much about the time limit. I just draw when I have time.
Why alternative references?
Although Ahmed did share his Pinterest board, which is amazing, I want my references for this to be free to use so that there is no risk of a photographer suing me for attempting to replicate their work when they find my drawing posted somewhere. Also, I'm an absolute beginner at studying faces for drawing, and having grayscale images along with the original might help me learn how to distinguish values for shading purposes.