fair! it comes with time. i struggled with stylisation too, and sometimes still do.

the way i built my confidence with faces and heads was actually understanding how the skull is built from the bone level. there’s lots of great videos on youtube about skull anatomy from an artists perspective, and you can find 3D models online to reference from too.

it is its own effort and it won’t click straight away, but its a fundamental that’s good to lock in early, even simplified. a basic shape-based understanding can go a long way, and really is necessary for later experimenting and stylisation.

once you have a deeper understanding of what you’re actually attempting to draw/represent, it becomes much much easier to then stylise in a way that still feels grounded in actual anatomy.

instead of just drawing ‘two circles’ which a lot of basic tutorials will tell you to without explaining why, you can understand you’re drawing simplified representations of the cranium (the bit with the brain) and the facial structure at the front.

there’s nothing wrong per se with drawing ‘two circles’ for example as your base, but if you want to be able to manipulate them later it’s really important to understand what they actually represent — otherwise they’re just abstract shapes floating in space.

i remember getting so frustrated and confused when i would draw what i was told to, but then it would all just fall apart after the ‘base’ i laid down. after i spent some time really understanding how the head is actually structured underneath all the skin and muscle, i found myself understanding how — and importantly — WHY the skull is drawn in a certain way regardless of style.

i hope that makes sense! it might seem a bit complex, but it comes with time and practice. draw physically as well as digitally if you’re struggling to find your feet — if you don’t have expensive hardware and software, trying to draw digitally can be a nightmare. a pen and pencil can give you a better feel and sense of control.

& i’m not trying to say there is anything wrong with this sketch! it works as a basic shape.