How to Draw a Realistic Nose: Simple 10-Step Guide

Drawing a nose is often the trickiest part of a portrait, but it becomes simple when you break it down into basic shapes. This tutorial is perfect for young artists and beginners looking to add realism to their character designs. All you need is a pencil, an eraser, and a piece of paper to get started.

10 Steps

🎯 Final Result

A clean, realistic nose drawing displayed as a featured art project.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1: Establishing the Bridge

A faint vertical pencil line on white paper acting as a guide for the nose bridge.

Draw a light, vertical line to serve as the bridge of the nose. Teacher's Tip: Keep your pencil pressure very light here; this is just a structural guide that we will refine later.

Step 2: Adding the Horizontal Guide

A T-shaped guide consisting of a vertical and horizontal line for nose placement.

Draw a horizontal line crossing the bottom of your vertical line. This creates a 'T' shape, which helps you align the nostrils. Tip: Use a ruler if you struggle with straight lines, but freehand is great for practice!

Step 3: Shaping the Bridge

Two curved lines framing the vertical guide to create the nose bridge shape.

Add two soft, curved lines flanking the vertical bridge. Make them narrow at the top and wider at the bottom. Tip: Think of this as drawing the 'slope' of the nose.

Step 4: Defining the Tip

A circle drawn at the intersection of the guide lines to define the nose tip.

Sketch a circle where the two guide lines intersect. This circle represents the bulb of the nose. Tip: Keep it light—this is a temporary shape we will erase later.

Step 5: Starting the Nostrils

Two small curved lines at the base of the circle indicating the start of nostrils.

Draw two small, comma-shaped curves at the bottom of your circle. These are the base of the nostrils. Tip: Symmetry is key here, so take your time to make them look balanced.

Step 6: Cleaning the Guide

The drawing after erasing the circular guide lines, leaving the nostril base.

Carefully erase the circle guide lines, leaving only the nostril shapes. Tip: Use a soft eraser to avoid smudging your work.

Step 7: Detailing the First Nostril

A curved line added to the side of the nostril to create depth.

Draw a curved line extending from the nostril base toward the bridge. This defines the side of the nose. Tip: Imagine the curve of a seashell to get the right shape.

Step 8: Mirroring the Detail

Adding the second nostril wing to match the first for symmetry.

Repeat the previous step on the opposite side to create a symmetrical nostril wing. Tip: Check your work by holding the paper at arm's length to see if it looks balanced.

Step 9: Finalizing the Structure

The finished line art of a nose with shaded nostrils.

Erase remaining guide lines, leaving a clean outline. Add a bit of shading inside the nostrils to give the nose depth. Tip: Use a darker pencil stroke for the nostrils to make them 'pop'.

Step 10: Adding Color

A fully colored and shaded nose drawing.

Bring your drawing to life with skin-tone pencils or markers. Tip: Use a lighter shade on the bridge of the nose to suggest a highlight, which makes it look more 3D!