tips on drawing real-life portraits...help!

[squirrel17]

okay, so in my art class im drawing a portrait of Toby Keith...just to finally prove to my art teacher that i CAN draw! butl i have a few problems with his face such as his nose..when i draw it it looks mishapen and terrible..any tips on perfecting a portrait?  

[tirbutt]

As a general tip - draw what you see, not what you know ... trust your eyes not your head - sometimes it helps if you turn the reference/drawing upside down so that you can see it objectively. (I'm assuming that you're drawing from a reference)

sorry, I know this reply is a few days late...

Anyhow, if you need specific advice, try posting the picture in the mentee forum and see if anyone will give you some pointers : )  

[Errol McGillivray]

There's a thread for general questions. Also, try not to post double post a thread.