Draw People

Drawing a person may sound difficult, but it's really a simple process if you approach it systematically. The easiest way to draw people is with the Ball-and-Socket technique, a method in which the artist sketches several conjoined ovals to form the body parts of the human figure and draft the figure's pose. It may seem basic, but many professional illustrators routinely use this technique to make their artwork, and this technique is both versatile and easy to learn.

Steps

Method One: Draw People in a Scene/Background

  1. Sketch a scene.
  2. Sketch the wire frames and positions for your characters (or people).
  3. Sketch the body shapes needed to help you build the figures' bodies.
  4. Sketch the details for the faces, clothes, shoes, features, etc.
  5. Refine the sketch using a smaller tipped drawing tool.
  6. Draw the outline over the sketch.
  7. Erase and remove the sketch marks.
  8. Add color to the drawing.

Method Two: Draw People in Action

  1. Sketch the wireframes to create the pose for your people in the scene (sketch different colors to prevent confusion between figures).
  2. Sketch the body shapes needed to help you build the figures' bodies.
  3. Sketch the details for the faces, clothes, features, etc.
  4. Refine the sketch using a smaller tipped drawing tool.
  5. Draw the outline over the sketch.
  6. Erase and remove the sketch marks.
  7. Add color to the drawing.

Method Three: A Single Person (Male)

  1. Start with the upper body first. For the head, sketch a circle, and then add a sharp curve at the bottom of it to form an upside-down egg shape.
  2. Draw the neck next. You can usually just draw two short, straight lines roughly ears-width apart.
  3. Draw a horizontal line perpendicular to the base of the neck but very lightly. This is a guideline for the figure's collar bone. It should be about two to three head widths in length.
  4. At either end of the collar guideline, sketch circles that are slightly smaller than the circle you drew for the head earlier. These will be the shoulders...
  5. Draw two ovals slightly longer than the vertical length of the head, so that they are attached to the underside of the shoulder circles. These will be the upper arms/biceps.
  6. Draw the torso at the points where the bicep ovals meet the shoulder circles. This can be achieved by drawing a kind of upside-down trapezoid shape for the chest, and two vertical lines for the abdominal trunk. Beneath that, draw an upside-down triangle for the pelvic area.
  7. About half a head-length above the upside-down triangle, draw a very small circle; this is the belly button. To ensure your figure is proportionate, adjust the bicep ovals so that their bottoms are even with the height of the belly button. Draw a guideline if you need to.
  8. Sketch two circles that are slightly larger than your shoulder circles, so that they are each halfway inside the pelvic triangle. These are your hip joints.
  9. Draw two long ovals (the same length as the torso) beneath the hip joint circles. These are the thighs.
  10. Draw two smaller ovals for the knees, half-overlapping the bottoms of the thigh ovals.
  11. Draw two more ovals beneath the knees for the calves/shins.
  12. Sketch two triangles at the bottoms of the calf ovals. These are the feet.
  13. Go back up to the biceps and draw two more ovals beneath them for the forearms.
  14. Draw two small circles on the ends of the forearms for the hands.
  15. Draw a smooth outline, add body details, and add clothing and accessories.
  16. Finished.

Tips

  • Don't rush things, but be prolific. Draw often. Practice makes perfect!
  • Get in the habit of sketching lightly. This will make your eraser marks less obvious, as well as put less strain on your hands. You can always go back and darken your lines later, once you're satisfied that you've sketched out what you want.
  • Don't draw the body first. Instead, focus on the shape and size of your characters head. From there on you will be able to better continue the drawing based on the heads proportion. Drawing a body first makes figuring out the head size more challenging.
  • Long thick strokes are harder to control than shorter light ones. Instead, use a feather motion to create the line you are looking for.
  • Start out using a pencil. If you make a mistake, you can just erase and try again.
  • Take time to make sure that you're seated in a well-lit and comfortable place. If your body's uncomfortable, your mind will have trouble focusing, and you'll never get the results you want.
  • Visit the library or a bookstore and look at some art books. The internet is also a fantastic source for examples of professional artwork form around the world.
  • Try to get inspiration from your friends, family or simply the internet. Try to look outside for inspiration if you are struggling.
  • Plunge yourself into the figure-drawing world. Find artists whose art you enjoy, and practice emulating their techniques. If you'll watch a pro football player to see how professional football is played, then why not watch a pro artist to see how professional art is made?
  • If you can't get a feeling for how the characters would look in a specific scene, try making the pose you're trying to achieve, this could make the vision more real to you and you can focus more on whatever you're having trouble on.
  • Always keep trying. If you need to erase a lot, it's fine. It just means you're fixing your mistakes, which is the proper thing to do.
  • Remember, you can't paint a masterpiece or draw a person in five seconds and make it look perfect. Think about how patient and persistent Da Vinci had to have been!
  • Ask others to draw it for you, then use some of their ideas.

Warnings

  • You may find yourself getting frustrated. If this is the case, take a break and come back to your drawing later.
  • Don't be disappointed if you don't believe that your drawings are good. Not everyone has a talent to be able to draw, but you will get better with practice.
  • Don't feel like you have to draw it exactly like the drawing. Get messy, and make mistakes, that's how you learn!
  • Some people may find nude figures or adult subject matter offensive. As an artist you have the basic freedom to draw whatever you want, but be mindful of whom you are drawing, and where.

Things You'll Need

  • Pencil or pen
  • Eraser
  • Paper

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