Today let's try to grasp the basic structure and shape of a nose. Aim of this tutorial is very simple - after going through it you should sketch until you are sure you understand and then be able to draw nose in any shape you like (because as we all know there are lots and lots of different noses) and in any position you like. We'll see how it goes!

If something is unclear or maybe even wrong - please, let me know!

For starters - anatomy. Basic structure of our dear noses, we wish to know why it has this strange shape, what hides under the skin. So here you go, a bit gross, but helps to undestand what are we working with. Nose is made from cartilage (mostly), just the upper part of the bridge is a hard bone. After this two-part bridge we have ball made of cartilage which can also be separated into two halves and there are ala of nose (made of some other stuff which is not really important for us here). Ala stretches from the ball right to the base of the nose, creating nostril. See the sketch below for the basic anatomy.

So, we have three basic parts: bridge, ball and nostrils, let's call them like this. Now we have to simplify this structure so that we'll be able to use it while sketching. It is important to imagine nose as a 3d structure for the whole time. Nose sticks out, it looks different from every angle, it's convenient to bury its structure deep into your mind and use it.

When it comes to shading, just remember that usually it's the bridge and the tip that catches most of the light and the part just under the nose, where nostrils are places is the one in the deepest shadow. Nostrils shouldn't be just black holes, light should be there too! Add some light shading to the sides on the nose to make the bridge move forward.

Of course shape of the nose varies a lot from person to person. It's all because we have different (a bit) bone and cartilage structure of our noses, as well as the musculature of face and the amount of fat under the skin. If you are drawing a specific person, you need to observe carefully and study the shape of their nose as well as its position in relation to other face features.

And now some sketching madness! This is what I've done for practice, now it's your turn ;)