Focus on Facial Feature Drawing in High School
Facial feature drawing can be challenging for students. It is hard to capture the details of facial features in drawings and ensure that the facial features look realistic. Everyone has different facial features, and no person looks the same. Facial features give a lot of information as to how a portrait of someone's face looks and being able to do facial feature drawing successfully will improve students abilities to draw portraits, and have them look realistic and natural.
Facial Feature Drawing
Drawing realistic faces is one of the most intimidating tasks for many high school students learning art—whether they’re in a traditional classroom or being homeschooled. But what if there was a way to break it down into manageable, confidence-boosting steps?
This Symmetry Line Drawing: Facial Features activity is the perfect entry point for teaching facial proportions and drawing accuracy—without overwhelming your students.
View the resource on TPT here!
Why Teaching Facial Features Matters in High School Art
Learning to draw facial features like eyes, noses, mouths, and ears is fundamental to building portrait drawing skills. When students focus on individual features before tackling an entire face, they:
Begin to understand the shapes and shadows that create realism
Learn to observe proportion and placement
Gain confidence before moving into full portraiture
Too often, students rush into drawing a full face and become frustrated when their drawing doesn't look “right.” By isolating each feature and using symmetry as a guide, this activity slows the process down and encourages focused observation.
When students are able to draw facial features successfully and practice doing so separately they will produce better and more realistic portraits and self-portrait projects.
How This Resource Works
This resource includes print-and-go worksheets that use symmetry line drawing to help students draw realistic facial features. Students complete half-finished drawings by carefully observing and replicating the other half. This builds:
Hand-eye coordination
Measuring and alignment skills
Attention to detail in shading and shape
It's suitable for grades 9–12, and the clean layout makes it ideal for:
Sub plans
Homework
Skill-building before full-portrait lessons
Independent practice in homeschool settings
Benefits for High School Art Teachers
No-prep and classroom-ready – Just print and go
Builds technical skills – Helps students understand symmetry, proportion, and drawing from observation
Supports differentiated learning – Great for early finishers, struggling students, or as a warm-up
Pairs with other portrait units – Use as a pre-assessment or introductory activity to a longer drawing unit
Benefits for Homeschool Parents
Easy to guide – You don’t have to be a trained artist to support your teen
Helps build focus and fine motor skills
Encourages creativity and precision – while giving your teen a clear framework
Aligns with curriculum goals – Ideal for art credit requirements or portfolio building
What Makes Symmetry Drawing So Effective?
When students copy a mirrored image, they’re not just tracing — they’re learning to:
Observe closely
Measure accurately
Translate what they see into confident line work
This method is especially helpful for students who lack confidence or say things like “I can’t draw faces.” By completing symmetrical drawings, they see immediate improvement and feel successful—an important mindset shift in learning art.
Being able to print and photocopy multiple pages of the facial features symmetry drawing allows students to really practice and refine their skills of facial feature drawing by being able to practice drawing facial features. On a routine basis, you will be able to see the progress your students make, and they will be able to see the progress that they make as well. They'll feel more confident and less intimidated when they go to complete a portrait drawing.
What’s Included in the Facial Feature Drawing Resource
There are 130 symmetry line drawing worksheets. There are 65 facial feature symmetry sheets on gird-paper to improve and guide students drawing skills and 65 facial feature symmetry sheets on blank paper to provide a challenge to students.
The facial features represent a diverse range of different ages, genders and ethnic backgrounds! Your students will enjoy these symmetry line drawing facial feature worksheets in their down-time or as an extension to a portrait drawing unit!
Check out my FREE portrait symmetry drawing for high school by clicking here
A Perfect Fit for Any High School Art Program or Homeschool Curriculum
Whether you're teaching in-person, online, or at the kitchen table, this symmetry drawing activity gives teens the structure they need to improve their portrait drawing skills—one feature at a time.
Click here to check out the resource
It’s a simple, effective way to support your students’ growth as young artists.
