Head Drawing and Construction by Proko

Proko Head Drawing and Construction is a self-paced online course by Steven Michael Hampton that teaches you to build a convincing head from simple, abstract forms and then refine it into features and likeness. It starts with a four-step method for drawing the head from any angle and moves on to invention, the planes of the face and basic facial anatomy. There are 26 video lessons, about 10 hours in total. The full course costs $125 as a one-time purchase.

Proko offers several ways into head drawing. Stan Prokopenko's Portrait Drawing Fundamentals is built around the Loomis method; this course uses Hampton's own construction system, linked to the skull and to the gesture and figure methods he teaches elsewhere on the site. If you already take his gesture or figure construction courses, it fits neatly alongside them.

What You Will Learn

The official course page lists six learning goals:

• Gesture and abstraction of the head
• Simplified construction, and inventing heads without reference
• Constructing the eyes, nose, mouth and ears
• Flexible methods that adapt to different angles and head types
• Basic facial anatomy
• Finishing touches and adapting the construction to a finished drawing

Who Is Proko Head Drawing and Construction For?

Proko lists it as suitable for beginners and intermediate artists. It suits illustrators, comic artists and concept artists who need to draw heads from imagination at unusual angles, and anyone whose faces fall apart when the head tilts or turns.

If you prefer a gentler, single-method introduction, Portrait Drawing Fundamentals is cheaper and more widely previewed. If you want detailed rendering and stylised colour work, look at Lucas Peinador's How to Draw Faces Like a Pro.

Course Structure

The course is organised into five sections:

• Introduction to the Skull and Abstraction: the four steps to draw the head from any angle, demonstrations including extreme poses, a project and a critique of student work
• Head Construction and Invention
• Perspective Forms of the Face and Features
• Facial Features
• Bonus Lessons

The opening section alone includes an hour-long critique of project submissions, which shows how the method holds up on real student drawings.

Price and Access

The full course costs $125 as a single payment, with no subscription. Split payments are available at checkout, and adding more Proko courses to the cart gives a bundle discount of up to 15%.

The page lists a few free lessons, but Proko states that little free content is provided and that most of the instruction is for premium students. Premium includes exercises you can post to the community, narrated demonstrations, downloadable videos and closed captions on all lessons. Refund requests go to Proko support within 30 days and may be reviewed if more than a quarter of the content has been downloaded.

About the Instructor

Steven Michael Hampton is an educator, painter and art historian who has taught drawing and anatomy for around 25 years, including at Art Center, LCAD, Blizzard Entertainment and Lucasfilm. He holds degrees in illustration, fine art and art history, and wrote Figure Drawing: Design and Invention and Gesture Drawing: Dynamic Movement and Form.

Things to Consider

• Time: Around 10 hours of video. The construction method needs repetition, so set aside regular practice sessions.
• Materials: Any drawing tools work. Hampton often demonstrates digitally, but the methods are not tied to software.
• Prerequisites: Basic comfort with simple 3D forms helps. Drawing Basics or The Perspective Course can fill gaps.
• Little to preview: There are few free lessons, so read the syllabus carefully before buying.
• Feedback: You can post exercises in the Proko community. The course includes critique videos, but personal feedback is not promised.
• Related courses: The Gesture Course and Introduction to Figure Construction use the same thinking for the whole body.

Start the Course

Interested in learning with Proko?

Start Head Drawing and Construction

For the full syllabus and pricing, visit the official Proko website.

Looking for more ways to learn? Browse all courses and learning resources on Good Stuff Weekly.

Last verified: October 16, 2026