Hooking peoples faces has to be one of the most challenging things about rug hooking for me. I notice that many rugs will have people turned to the side, or show their backs, faces hid in big hats etc. and these are very excellent solutions to the challenge of hooking faces. I have found that turning the mat over, and hooking the eyes from the back to the front makes them less bumpy looking and they blend in well with the face. I also try to hook my facial loops a bit lower than usual, I’m a “high” hooker anyways, so sometimes I forget and have to reverse hook… One thing I have learned with hooking faces, is that less is more. The more detail I try to use, the less I like the outcome. And being a primitive style hooker, I use a wide cut of wool, so a lot of detail is not my thing. Sometimes I will hand cut a small piece of wool for the eye lid, the pupil of the eye etc. or use a small amount of wool yarn to outline the eye. I have heard of rug hookers clipping the loops on the faces of their rugs. I think I may have done this, but not recently so I cannot remember. My favourite portrait rug hooker is Roslyn Logsdon, here is her website: Roslyn Logsdon Amazing work.
Rug Hooking Rants 