How to Draw Tupac Shakur Step by Step 

Today I am going to give you step by step instructions on how to draw and shade Tupac Shakur. You should be able to get a strong likeness of Tupac even if you are new to drawing. Just, listen to the instructions and pause the video at the end of each step. I am going to do something slightly different, but very helpful, for the shading portion of the video so be sure to stay tuned after the step by step. Lets get started.

Step 1: Lets start off with a difficult but somewhat unimportant step. Draw in two crescent moon shapes to make the hat. Notice all of the smaller shapes within the hat shape, and their placements. Dont panic if your hat drawing from this step is not perfect, it is not a part of the likeness.

Step 2: Take extra time on this step. The eyes are the key to a likeness. First, notice 2Pac's eyebrows, they are very thick. Then notice their placement compared to the bottom of the hat. After the eyebrows are set, notice that the eyes are one eyelength apart from each other. Observe how closed the eye shape is as well as the placement of the pupil and iris. Finally, notice the upper eyelid fold, which is close to the eye and the lower eyelid fold, which is slightly further away.

Step 3: Add the line for the bottom of the nose and the ears. Be sure to notice the placement of the nose, compared to the eyes, and be sure to see that the ears go from the eyebrows to the bottom of the nose.

Step 4: Out of everything that I just added, the most important feature is the chin line. Take some extra time to observe its placement. As for the sweatshirt......add it but dont sweat it.

Step 5: Add Tupac's mouth and facial hair. Notice that the bottom lip is crescent moon shaped and much thicker than the top lip. Also notice that the corners of the mouth line up with the mid points of the eye. Here is a close up so that you can get the teeth.

Materials I Use- I normally shade with Drawing Pencils ($7.95)- Set of 12 and ($19.20) Graphite sticks. I normally smudge with a Q-Tip, Tortillion Loew-Cornell Blending Stumps or Bristle Paint Brushes- ($7.95) Blick Masterstroke Pure Interlocking Bristle Brushes.

For the Tupac portrait, I used Ad Chartpak Cool Grey Illustration Markers- Chartpak Ad Marker Sets and Prismacolor Cool Grey Illustration Markers- Cool Grays, Set of 12 . For more details scroll down.