Before drawing any face, you need to understand how adult faces are actually proportioned. The classical guidelines below are what artists have used for centuries — a framework that eliminates the most common errors, like eyes placed too high on the head, before you ever sit down to draw from life.
Drawing paper or sketchbook (multiple pages), HB and 2B pencils, vinyl eraser, ruler, several photo references of faces (front view and 3/4 view). Plan to fill 4-5 sketchbook pages.
Learn the five key rules: (1) Eyes sit at the vertical midpoint of the head. (2) The head is roughly five eye-widths wide. (3) Base of nose is halfway between eyes and chin. (4) Mouth sits one-third of the way between nose and chin. (5) Ears align from eyebrow height down to the base of the nose.
Draw a proportion diagram from scratch — a large oval with each guideline marked as a light horizontal line. Don't add features yet — just build the 'map' until it feels natural.
Study individual features in isolation. Spend a full sketchbook page drawing eyes from different photo references — at least 6–8 different eyes. Then repeat for noses, then mouths.
Draw a front-view face from a photo reference using your proportion lines as a precise guide. This doesn't need to be a likeness — accuracy of placement is the goal.
Repeat with a 3/4 view face. The near eye is wider; the far eye is narrower. The nose overlaps the far cheek slightly. Practice this before moving to the self-portrait.
The single most common portrait mistake is placing eyes too high on the head. When drawing from imagination, eyes instinctively go near the top. Trust the rule — eyes at the midpoint. It will look startlingly correct once you add the hair and forehead.