Drawing Tutorials

Master Ear Analysis – Form, Rhythm, and Staging

Explore how Tiepolo and Manet used rhythm, structure, and light to design the ear. Learn to balance anatomy with artistic simplicity.

Robert Joyner | Garage Studio Artist & Art Educator

31 Oct 2025 — 2 min read

To wrap up the ear section, we’re looking at how artists like Tiepolo and Manet handled form, rhythm, and staging. By this point, you’ve seen how different masters simplify, connect, or understate the ear and now we’ll see how they balance realism with design.

This lesson is part of How to Draw the Head Course.

Tiepolo’s Expressive Ear Structure

The Tiepolo drawing shows everything we’ve studied brought together, structure, rhythm and flow.

You can see the outer rim curling back into itself, the inner rim bulging forward, and the subtle shading that defines which plane sits on top.

The ear connects naturally to the head, the beard overlaps in front, helping push the ear to the side plane. Tiepolo’s rhythm of angular planes meeting curved forms gives the drawing energy and personality. It’s a great reminder that structure and design can coexist beautifully.

Classical drawing of an older man by Tiepolo showing strong ear structure, shading, and angular rhythm.

Manet’s Elegant Simplicity

Manet’s ear is quiet but deliberate. He doesn’t spell out the anatomy, instead, he uses light, edge, and tonal staging.

Notice how the outer tube fades into hair, while the inner rim briefly appears with a soft red tone. That little shift is enough to suggest depth and direction.

The sideburn and cheek overlap tell you exactly where the ear sits behind the side plane, next to the skull, connected but understated. This is form through implied rhythm, not detailed rendering.