Welcome To The Portrait Guru!
Are you passionate about portrait drawing and looking to take your skills to the next level? You’ve come to the right place! Whether you're a beginner artist or an experienced artist, my channel is dedicated to helping you master portrait art through step-by-step tutorials, time-lapses, and professional tips.
I'm Haydn Symons, an illustrator and designer with over 15 years of experience, and I have a deep passion for capturing the human face through art. My goal is to provide you with the tools, techniques, and inspiration you need to create stunning portraits with confidence.
🎨 What You’ll Find on This Channel:
✅ Step-by-Step Portrait Tutorials
✅ Follow-Along Drawing Videos
✅ Time-Lapse Drawings
✅ Essential Art Tips & Hacks
✅ Beginner to Advanced Lessons
✅ Sketching, Inking & Painting Tips
✅ Creative Exercises
Ready to improve your portrait drawing skills and become a better artist? Hit that subscribe button and start your creative journey today!
The Portrait Guru
If you want to improve your drawing skills, drawing from observation and attending untutored or tutored life drawing sessions are some of the fastest ways to do just that 🚀
12 hours ago | [YT] | 6
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The Portrait Guru
Drawing a portrait upside down… this simple technique forces you to focus on shapes, angles, and shadows instead of what your brain *thinks* it sees.
In this video I've just uploaded to my channel, I draw a full portrait upside down, then flip it and take you through the shading process to bring it to life.
You might be surprised how much better your drawings look 👀 > https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7kqVN...
1 day ago | [YT] | 4
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The Portrait Guru
Want to improve your drawings? I share 5 exercises to improve your skills. Let me know your favourite exercise below ⬇️💭 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tlp1p...
2 days ago | [YT] | 5
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The Portrait Guru
Life drawings from last night, stepping out of the dreaded comfort zone and using oil pastels!
Loving the results and quick gestural qualities you can get from them. Will use them again for sure! 👌
5 days ago | [YT] | 17
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The Portrait Guru
Recently published a brand new video on my channel 🎥 Learn how to draw negative space, learn what it is, and how it can dramatically improve your drawing skills 👀 Check it out here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hTLTz...
6 days ago | [YT] | 3
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The Portrait Guru
Portrait sketch study ✏️
Focusing on breaking the face into light and shadow instead of outlines. Notice how the darkest values sit around the eyes, nose, and jaw, creating depth.
Tips to improve your portraits:
- Start with big shapes before details
- Squint your eyes to simplify values
- Don’t over-outline - let shading define the form
What part of portraits do you struggle with most?
6 days ago | [YT] | 30
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The Portrait Guru
If you want to improve your shading, this simple value trick will help you do exactly that ✍️ It breaks how limiting your tones can help you draw create stronger, more realistic drawings 🌓
Give it a go and see how quickly your shading improves! Watch here 🎥: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iEQU5...
1 week ago | [YT] | 3
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The Portrait Guru
What we can learn from Leonardo da Vinci 🎨
👀 Observe deeply: really study the world around you
✍️ Sketch often: use drawing to explore ideas, not just finish pieces
🔬 Blend art and science: combine creativity with logic and structure
❓ Stay curious: always ask how and why things work
⏳ Embrace unfinished work: progress & ideas still matter even if they’re not perfect
1 week ago | [YT] | 19
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The Portrait Guru
These daily drawing exercises are your gateway to significant improvement! Learn how to overcome common artistic hurdles and build a consistent practice routine:
Exercises covered:
✏️ Cross contour drawing
🎨 Limited tones
⚡ Gesture drawing
📦 Drawing a box in perspective
🖊️ Mark making
🎥 Check out my video on drawing exercises for more ideas and tips - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TpwBJ...
1 week ago | [YT] | 5
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The Portrait Guru
What do you think easiest to draw? 😉
1 week ago | [YT] | 7
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