Drawing the Ear

The Ear: The width of the ear is half of its height.

Step 1: The Initial Line Drawing Outer edge Inner edge there are three main basic parts of the ear that are necessary: the outer edge, the inner edge, and the hole leading to the eardrum Hole

Placing the ear correctly on the head There are two main elements to consider when drawing the glassy surface of the eye: 1 - A glint of reflected light should be left unshaded. 2 - The iris is usually darker around its outside edge and lightens towards its center, creating a translucent effect.

Front view and Profile The ears lie in the middle third of the face. The top of the ear aligns with the brow ridge and the bottom aligns with the base of the nose. Horizontally it’s directly behind the jaw. From profile it sits conveniently on the bottom back quadrant of the loomis ball that I mentioned in the previous post.

In Perspective During an up-tilt or down-tilt the placement of the ears is very important since doing it incorrectly can break the illusion of a tilt. On a down-tilt, the ears should be placed higher on the head, while on an up-tilt they should be placed lower on the head.

Draw the features from the correct view- as you really see it!

Remember: The bottom of the ear is in line with the bottom of the nose where it connects to the head. The top of the ear should be in line with the brow bone or eyebrow. The top part of the ear where it connects to the head is in line with the eyes -

Helpful Hints

Helpful Hints The earlobe is the only part of the ear that isn’t cartilaginous. It’s roughly 1/3 the height of the entire ear, sometimes smaller. The earlobe usually hangs from the ear, but sometimes connects to the jaw. The concha is the bowl-shaped part that attaches the back of the ear to the head. You can also see it from the front, directly above the antitragus.  Shrek has a diseased concha… The tragus and anti-tragus are like little beads that point at each other. They are separated by a ‘U’ shaped notch in between them. The antihelix is the Y shape inside the ear. At the top, the helix usually casts a shadow onto the two legs of the antihelix. I’ll often use this cast shadow to exaggerate the cylindrical volumes of the antihelix. The upper leg is larger and softer than the lower leg. At the lower end, the antihelix connects to the antitragus at about the same level that the helix connects to the earlobe. The Helix is a semi-cylindrical form and should be shaded as such. The helix curves over the top of the ear and around into the inside almost completing a circle. This is the hook part of the question mark. When shading a cylindrical volume that forms a loop, think of a donut. Take a look at what the shadow does on a donut.

Just Remember “why?” A really easy way to remember these crazy shapes is “why?” or “y?”. The outside of the ear is shaped like a question mark with the dot of the question mark being the earlobe. The squiggly part on the inside resembles the letter y.

Drawing the Ear Start with the biggest shape of the helix and earlobe. Remember the “?” shape. Get the width to height relationship working so that the ear doesn’t end up too narrow or too wide. Also measure the angle of the ear. It’s usually tilted back slightly towards the top.

Drawing the Ear 2. Now I’ll focus on the complex shapes inside the ear. Make sure to consistently compare shapes to the shapes around it. Keep checking angles and the size relationships of the shapes. Breaking up the curves into segments of straights makes it easier to design and draw accurately. It’s ok to exaggerate shapes if you think it will make for a better design.

Drawing the Ear 3. Begin mapping the core shadows and cast shadows. Stay true to the simple shapes you’ve established in the previous step, but add a bit of complexity by varying your line width. Also, try not to oversimplify the core shadows. Look for variation in the edges.

Drawing the Ear 4. Separate the lights from the shadows. Stay simple and don’t lose control of your values. Try to ignore all the dark halftones and only fill in the shadows

Drawing the Ear 5. During the final stage, I’ll add all the halftones, dark accents and reflected light information. Most of the volumes in the ear should be shaded like organic cylinders. Make sure these volumes feel round.

Sketchbook Pick a partner and take turns drawing each others ear. One person will pose, while the other draws Then switch. To receive full credit your drawing should be 2” high minimum and fully shaded.