Step by step drawing lessons are an opportunity to learn how to draw from scratch, improving your skills and abilities over time. Any experienced artist started with primitive drawings to gain basic knowledge and skills. Drawing a person is a rather difficult task for a beginner, but quite real if you follow the advice of our studio step by step.
First, make a small sketch of a girl or a man, depending on your preferences, in order to visualize the figure of the future person on paper and understand the principle of its construction. It is very important to keep the proportions right and not miss important details, so do not neglect this step, especially if you are a beginner pencil master. Consider also the mood of your character, his character and other features so that he looks realistic.
After that, we figuratively divide the drawing into 7 stages and get to work.
Matita drawing school in Moscow, teaching children and adults
First stage: initial contours
First, draw a rectangle, the sides of which are 3:4 in aspect ratio. Draw a straight line in the center, which will be longer than its longitudinal side. From above, do not forget to draw an oval shoulder line. This is how the initial contours of the human body look, which will allow you to maintain the correct proportions.
Second phase: do markup of body parts
With the help of circles, let's draw our man's head, shoulders and collarbone, as well as his knees. The head and neck is the most important task at this stage, so try to make the ovals as accurate as possible. Ovals for the shoulders and knees do not need to be drawn too much, they play the role of temporary landmarks in the figure.
Third stage: draw the general outline of the figure
Add circles for the elbows and feet, and then draw two lines on the sides. They should not be too even and connect the shoulders and knees.
Fourth stage: arms and legs appear
At this stage, you can already see the contours of the silhouette and understand where you need to finish the arms and legs, you can’t do without them. Imagine where the person's hands will be: behind the back, in front of him, hanging on the sides, or perhaps holding some kind of object. With the legs it is much easier, you just need to draw parallel sinuous lines that will connect the torso with the previously drawn circles for the knees and feet. Pay attention to how the feet are positioned. They should be turned slightly in different directions. After that, check if your proportions are correct and correct the errors so as not to return to this again.
Fifth stage: erase extra contours and lines
This step is easier than the rest, since you don't need to draw anything. Take an eraser (it should be of high quality and erase well so that there are no pencil streaks) and remove all the lines that prevent our little man from “coming to life”. The contours that we drew will no longer be needed. Now you know how to draw a person in stages and you can do the details, because the matter is coming to an end.
Sixth stage: face and clothes
Responsibly approach the hero's face: focus on the eyes, eyebrows, cheekbones. A person should turn out with character and individual traits. Clothing should look not only beautiful, but also realistic. Draw shadows, folds, details of the outfit. The most interesting and exciting step in the drawing process because you can show all your creativity. The main thing is not to overdo it.
seventh stage
: draw conclusions
A full-length drawing of a person allows the artist to practice correctly, make measurements, proportions and see the final result. Do some work on the mistakes, study which part of the body or face you did the least and what you did easily.
If you didn’t succeed the first time, then don’t despair, but keep working on your skills. For more help and advice on how to learn how to draw a person with a pencil step by step, how to draw eyes or other details, how to make shadows correctly and much more, you can contact our drawing studio. We will teach you how to draw beautifully and enjoy the amazing process of creating paintings.
In move? This is a doubly difficult question.
Drawing Rules
There are several rules that must be followed when depicting people. Before we talk about being in motion, let's deal with these rules. It is necessary to observe the ratio of body parts and the whole figure. The height of a person's figure is measured by the size of his head. For example, in an adult, the height is approximately 8 heads, and in a schoolchild, 5 heads. You also need to consider that a person’s hands reach the middle of the thigh. The length of the legs is usually 4 heads. But it is also worth considering that each person has individual structural features. Now let's talk about how to draw people in motion.
cheerleader girl
First you need to determine the location in the form of a circle. Schematically depict the neck, chest, back, pelvis. Lines mark future legs. The right limb is bent. In the same way we represent the hands. The girl's left hand will be raised up, and the right hand will be directed slightly to the side. Instead of hands, you need to draw circles. These will be the pompoms for the dance. Now you can add details of the face: eyes, nose, mouth. Draw hair on the head. Let's give it the right shape. Select the chin and draw the neck. Next, you need to shape the hands.
To make the pompoms look fluffy, you need to draw careless along the contour. Inside them, we also draw a few short wavy strokes. Now you should draw a T-shirt for the dancer. She will be short. Highlight the neckline. Between the T-shirt and the pelvis, draw the girl's waist. Then you can add a short skirt. Let's shape the legs. We finish the feet. It should be noted that the girl does not rely on the entire foot, but only on her fingers. Now you can erase everything superfluous. The drawing is ready. It remains only to color it.
football player
Since we are learning to draw a person in motion, it is worth considering several options. A character playing sports is best suited for a picture. Let's try to draw a football player in the game. First you need, as usual, to depict the head. It will be located in the upper right corner of the sheet. Further lines depict the limbs of a football player. Moreover, his right leg beats off a soccer ball. The arms are slightly bent and laid back. Now we draw the correct shape of the head and work on the parts of the face. Add hair. They should be a little fluttering, as the person is in motion. Now we draw the football player's jersey. It is necessary to depict all the fold lines. Let's shape the hands. Adding fingers. Now we draw the player's shorts. Just like with a T-shirt, it is necessary to highlight all the fold lines and folds. We finish the legs. Shoe a football player in boots with spikes. Now you need to depict the ball that flies off the player's foot. The finished drawing can be colored or simply shaded in several places.
Ballerina
We continue the lesson. We draw a human figure in motion. As usual, we draw a circle for the head. Add two more circles for the chest and thigh. The ballerina will be shown in profile. The head is slightly thrown back. We draw the lines of the legs. One leg of the ballerina rests on the floor, and the second is raised parallel to it. You can draw it a little higher. Let's shape the legs. We draw the hand of a ballerina. It is directed upwards. Next, draw the girl's face. Add hair. Usually ballerinas wear them in a bun. You can draw a different hairstyle, if desired. We finish the ear. We depict the second hand parallel to the floor. Now you can draw a ballerina's tutu.
So, we figured out how to draw people in motion. It's quite difficult. But if you observe all the proportions, you will get an excellent drawing.
Drawing a person can be the most vivid and profound experience in an artist's life. Today we have prepared for you tips from the famous Italian artist Giovanni Civardi from the book Drawing the Human Figure. Let this knowledge become a source of inspiration and creative stimulus, helping to convey mood and memories in the form of a drawing.
You can draw a human figure and a portrait with any materials - from pencils to watercolors. The pencil is the most common tool due to its low cost and versatility. Charcoal is great for fast drawings with strong tonal contrast and less suitable for fine details. Thick and smooth paper of good quality is recommended for ink. Mixed media is the simultaneous combination of different materials in one drawing.
Experiment to find your own techniques that will achieve the most expressiveness, and try to take advantage of random effects.
Fundamentals of plastic anatomy
Artists study anatomy in order to make meaningful representations of the human figure. To reproduce it reliably, you need not only to see, but also to understand what you are drawing.
Thanks to the knowledge of anatomy, the image becomes more convincing and alive than nature itself.
In general, the shape of the body is determined by the skeleton as the main supporting structure, the muscles that fit it, and the upper layer, consisting of a fatty cover. It is useful to know and remember the relative sizes of the articulating bones and their proportions relative to each other and the entire skeleton, because without this information it is impossible to “transfer” the figure to paper and acquire the skill to depict it logically and consistently.
Below are the main bones of the skull and neck, along with skin, cartilage, fat, muscle, hair, and more, in layers.
The skeleton of the male torso, enclosed in the contours of the body, in the frontal, lateral and dorsal planes. These drawings will help expand your understanding of body shape.
Upper and lower limbs in different planes. As in the previous figure, the skeletal structure is shown inside the outlines of the body.
It is important for an artist to consider three main aspects of muscles: their appearance (shape, size, volume), location (where it is in relation to the skeletal structure and neighboring muscles, how deep or superficial) and its mechanism (function, direction of muscle pull, corresponding changes in shape and etc.).
Proportions
In order for the drawing to come out believable, it is necessary to take into account the proportions of the body and head. The height of the head from the forehead to the chin is often taken as a unit of measurement for determining the proportions of the body. The growth of a standard figure is approximately 7.5-8 heads. Remember a few more proportional relationships: the head fits into the total height of the body with the neck three times, the length of the upper limbs is also three heads, and the lower ones are three and a half.
Despite the differences between individual individuals, they can be divided into three main groups of types with similar characteristics within each - ectomorphs, mesomorphs and endomorphs.
Hands and feet
It is easy to understand why the hands and feet, with their arrangement and variety of possible gestures, are considered the most difficult parts of the body to convincingly reproduce, both in drawing and in painting and sculpture.
Drawing your hands and feet is the best way to study them in as much detail as possible. You will be able to make sure that quite worthy studies are obtained, comparable to face drawings, and maybe even more expressive.
First, a quick (but diligent) sketch is performed in the desired angle and pose, then with the help of its “geometrization” the necessary anatomical information and volume are transmitted, after which the details and individual outlines are refined.
As well as for the head and body, knowledge about the structure of the bones of the feet and hands will be useful.
Draw your own hands and feet in different positions. You can use a mirror. Take different objects in your hands and convey the dynamics and mood of the gesture in the drawing.
Head, face, portrait
The main interest for the artist has always been the face and figure. A portrait is not just a reproduction of physical features for the purpose of recognizing a particular character. This is a story through facial expressions about his personality, thoughts and emotions.
How to draw a head and facial features, we described in detail in the article.
Outline of a person in a sketchbook
A sketch is a quick, spontaneous drawing from life, made in a short time with several informative lines. Drawing people in a natural setting, who do not pose on purpose and probably do not know that they are being viewed and depicted, will seem difficult at first. But there is no real reason to be afraid or lost - hardly anyone will pay attention to what you are doing.
The ability to portray strangers in any position and under any circumstances is important for the development of technical skills and value judgment. And, of course, the regular practice of sketching will hone the gift of observation and interpretation, teach you to look deeper and make quick, confident, understandable and accurate decisions.
A few quick tips on how to sketch from life:
- Get in the habit of always carrying a pencil and a small sketchbook—one that fits easily into your bag or pocket—in case something catches your eye or seems interesting.
- It is worth striving to increase observation and the ability to isolate the main thing and at the same time coordinate visual perception, value judgment and hand movements during the execution of the drawing.
- Do not try to reflect on paper everything that you see in nature. Given the limited amount of time and the risk of changing the pose of the model at any second, focus on the essentials.
- To learn how to use your memory to reproduce the sequence of basic phases of movement, you will need maximum concentration in observing people.
If you're still confused by the idea of drawing people from life (bear in mind that if someone notices what you're doing, some may be flattered and others will leave in displeasure), preparing yourself mentally for this and gaining some confidence can help drawing statues. and sculptures in museums or monuments in public places.
Check if the museum allows you to sketch, and if so, feel free to go there and sketch the sculptures from different angles.
This is how they teach drawing in Paris - in the courtyard of the Louvre with sculptures.
Stages of drawing
If you are drawing a whole figure (clothed or naked), you can first draw some quick, light lines to outline the space that it will take on a piece of paper (maximum height, maximum width, etc.). Then outline the main parts of the body (head, torso and limbs) taking into account relative proportions.
Finish the drawing with essential contours, shadows and details that cannot be left out. Erase guide lines if needed.
In the book "Drawing the Human Figure" each section is analyzed in as much detail as possible, there are detailed images of the human skeleton in different planes. It is described in detail how to draw a figure of a man, a woman, a child, an elderly person, how to depict a nude and a person in clothes.
How to draw a sketch of a person if you can't even draw a house with a Christmas tree? We show step by step and share life hacks.
The image of a person is considered the most difficult in the visual arts - in addition to the pose and position, one must take into account the anatomy, be able to convey the dynamics of movement and emotions. With sketches, everything is easier - just understand the drawing technique.
How to draw a sketch of a person: a step by step guide
Proportions
The first thing to do is figure out the proportions. To do this, draw a line on the sheet and break it into seven or eight equal parts if you draw a person standing, or into five or six if the figure is sitting.
Skeleton
Now fill in the drawn scale from top to bottom, as in the picture. First draw the head - it should take one division, then the chest - two divisions, the pelvis at about the fourth division, the knees at the fifth and feet. Do not forget that the person must have a neck and arms, and also provide a place for transitions from one nodal point to another, for example, from the chest to the pelvis.
The basis of man is ready. You can erase the scale with numbers, it is no longer needed.
A little life hack: if you don’t want to draw a scale every time, you can create it in Photoshop or another editor, print it out and put it under a work sheet of paper.
Form
In order not to get confused with the proportions within the figure itself, do not immediately draw the lines of the body. Decorate the muscles with ovals, highlight the joints. Many people skip this step, considering it primitive, but it is he who helps beginners to make the figure correct.
The simplest sketch of the muscles will help not to make a mistake in proportions.
Form drawing
At this stage, all parts of the figure need to be connected with a smooth line, add the base of the clothes, if needed, a hairstyle and other details.
4 easy ways to draw a human figure
Detailing
The most basic thing was done, the detailing remained, the degree of which depends on the original idea.
How to draw a human figure in an unusual pose
How to draw a human figure: life hacks
In order for the sketches to become better day by day, you need to constantly develop the skill. Get some books on sketching and drawing, anatomy for artists. If you are only interested in sketches of people, we recommend the book by the Italian artist Giovanni Civardi "Drawing the Human Figure".
Working on the details will help make the drawings more interesting. Pay attention to body parts - this is what artists do to find the best angle.
How to draw hands
To make your drawings dynamic, experiment with poses - an unusual pose always attracts attention and makes a sketch more memorable.
Unusual poses make your drawings come alive.
Spend one evening getting to grips with pencils that vary in softness. There are several systems for designating stiffness, but the most common is the European scale.
B- soft.
H- solid.
HB- hard-soft.
F- middle tone between H and HB.
The numbers that often precede the letter indicate the degree of softness or hardness. For example, 4B is four times softer than B and 2H is twice as hard as normal H.
Most often, an HB pencil is used to create a sketch, it is convenient for them to draw the base and create shadows. To create accents, draw darker lines and shadows, soft pencils are used - 2B and softer.
How do pencils differ in degree of softness
Develop observation - note how people stand, sit or walk. The main secret of the success of sketches is naturalness and realism. Watch professional artists at work, especially since guides and tutorials are easy to find in the age of the internet.
How to draw a beautiful portrait
If you can’t get some detail, for example, hands - there are always a lot of problems with them, study how others draw them. Find photos and finished drawings of hands, and best of all, the sketching process.
Find your style - it is not necessary to draw photorealistically. There are many successful illustrators who have developed their own sketching technique. One example is Jae Suk Kim, whose portfolio includes collaborations with Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Russia, Michael Kors, Dior and other well-known brands.
Illustrator sketch by Jae Suk Kim
Use every free minute for practice - having drawn countless number of not very successful sketches, sooner or later you will see your mistakes and be able to improve. The main thing is self-confidence and the pursuit of a dream.
Learning to draw on your own and wondering how to draw a sketch of a person or a base for rendering is very difficult. If you are on this path, you will have to wade through your own mistakes, but there is an easier way: enroll in a course where in four months you will learn how to draw excellent sketches.
In this lesson, we will analyze the basic rules for drawing a figure, we will also consider: the proportions of the human body in front and profile, muscle structure and body balance.
Ideal body proportions are used to study anatomy, which is one of the important steps in the learning process. body drawing(simplifies a very difficult subject for students). However, this does not mean that ideal proportions should be observed all the time, as they differ slightly from reality. Once you understand the basic principles, you can develop your own style - but I don't recommend getting ahead of yourself. Understanding the basics first is the key to knowing how to change body proportions without distorting it.
Before drawing the human body, first, you need to sketch the main volumes. Use circles and lines to outline gestures and body position. Never start detailing the details from the head, and then gradually go down. It is necessary to work with the whole figure, moving from a rough form to small details. This will help you clearly see the proportions of the body and prevent mistakes in time before you spend too much time on details and end up not being able to change anything else.
For clarity, the three stages of drawing a body are shown below:
II. Proportions of the human body
The unit of measurement for the human body is the head. In Western art, men are usually 8 heads high, while women are slightly less, 7.5 heads. In fact, the structure of a person, as a rule, is closer to 7 heads, not to mention other types of structure, because the proportions can be very different.
However, the 8-head model (shown in the picture) is very useful for beginners because it makes it easy to remember the main parts:
- Head;
- nipples;
- Navel and elbows;
- perineum and wrist;
- Fingers and thighs;
- The lower part of the kneecaps;
- The lower part of the calf muscles;
- Soles of the feet.
Female body structure:
Below are the main differences between the male and female proportional body.
- The body consists of an oval, soft shape;
- The shoulders are narrower than the hips (the hip joints are outside the pelvic area);
- Elbows at waist level;
- Fingers in the middle of the thigh;
- Legs tapered inward from the hips (more pronounced taper than in men).
Male body structure:
- Elbows at waist level, but the waist of a man looks much lower;
- Fingers in the middle of the thigh;
- Legs cone inward from the hips (less pronounced cone);
- Men tend to be taller than women;
- The torso consists of a trapezoid, angular shape;
- Shoulders wider than hips (hip joints are inside the pelvic area).
III A small reminder
Here are a few drawings with which you can remember the proportions. Visualization will help you when you come to scaling joints and limbs.
The level of the knee is equal to the level of the elbow, and the level of the fingers is equal to the level of the heel.
From shoulder to buttocks. The shoulder is at the same level with the knee, the fingers start from the level of the buttocks.
Heels never protrude beyond the line of the buttocks.
The palm of the hand reaches to the shoulder.
When the arm is bent, the size of the palm is placed from the wrist to the crook of the arm.
When the arm is extended, the size of the foot is placed from the wrist to the elbow.
The proportions of the arm and leg relative to the male and female face
- Male face (The foot and palm occupy most of the face).
- Female face (Note that the foot and palm occupy a smaller part of the face).
In the bottom picture (the picture with the head), all measurements will be equal to the distance from the end of the thumb to the end of the index finger (the picture with the hand).
- pupil to pupil;
- inner corner of the eye to the outer corner;
- hairline;
- brows;
- chin.
IV. muscles
Understanding muscle structure is a huge advantage in building the human body. Therefore, in this section, we will look at some structures. And despite the fact that the description will be simplified, it will be enough for most drawings. Muscles or protruding bones will be shown as areas of different colors, the black outline is the line of muscles that is visible on the body. In order for you to better understand, the muscles in the examples are pronounced. Therefore, remember that such a structure is found mainly in athletes, and in ordinary people, muscles are less pronounced. Also remember that women have more delicate and less bulky muscles than men.
torso
Front view:
- mastoid muscle;
- bones of the clavicle;
- Deltoid;
- Breast;
- Press.
Back view:
- Deltoid;
- The latissimus dorsi;
- Delta.
- The neck should not look like a straight cylinder.
- Shoulder line should not be a straight horizontal line.
- Neck narrows down
- The transition from the neck to the shoulders is drawn using a trapezoidal shape.
Arms
The very position of the arm plays a big role in the behavior of the muscles on the arm, so I propose to consider different types. Pay attention to how the muscles appear in different situations.
Straight arm, bent palm (inner side)
- radial flexor of the wrist;
- extensor carpi radialis;
- Elbow \"peak\";
- Round pronator;
- Transition line to the body.
Relaxed (outside)
- Delta;
- Biceps;
- Triceps;
- Extensors.
Bent (outside)
- Gets volume if there is resistance, for example, if the arm is holding something heavy, and triceps;
- Gets volume if the hand makes an effort to unbend something;
- The forearm starts with a large volume and partially tapers.
Pay attention to the alternation of the changing line of the hand.
- When a person is standing, the arms do not hang straight. Pay attention to the connection of the line of the arm and the back of the neck.
- Consider how the hand changes when the palm is turned.
Legs
- Medial vastus femoris;
- Rectus femoris;
- Sartorius;
- Patella;
- Calf muscles;
- Tibialis anterior;
- anterior muscle;
- Long extensor of fingers;
- Adductor;
- Semitendinosus muscle;
- Achilles tendon;
- Ankle bones;
- Biceps.
bent leg
- The bicep is clearly visible when the leg is bent (inner side);
- When weight is transferred to the leg, the rectus femoris muscle increases (inner side);
- When the leg is tensed from the inside, the anterior tibial muscle is tensed, and when the leg is tensed from the outside, the calf muscles are tensed;
- When no force is applied to the leg, it is in a relaxed state and, accordingly, the muscle line is smooth (outer side).
When the leg is straight, the lower part of the leg arches back (side view) and out (straight view).
VI. Body in profile
Drawing a silhouette in profile begins with the usual skeletal structure:
1. The shoulder joints are slightly distant from the spine, and are not on the same level with it, because the "line" of the shoulders is in the form of an arc.
View from above:
shoulder joint
Center of the spine
2. The center of gravity of the body is below the navel, inside the body. The body is most balanced when this point is on the line of balance.
3. The hip joint is connected to the knee-ankle line at a slight angle, so that the knees correspond with the center of gravity. If you look at the silhouette of the skeletal structure, then there is an arc from head to toe. However, such an arc is observed in upright people, and in our time, many stoop.
4. The spine has a curved shape, similar to the letter "S". How strong this curve is depends on the individual.
5. The apex of the curve of the spine, which protrudes forward, is between the shoulder blades.
6. There is an opposite apex of the curvature of the spine that protrudes inwards and is slightly above the pelvic bone.
Having outlined the chest and pelvic bones, you can create an individual figure by superimposing lines of different sizes.
1. The curve of the back in women is more arched and more flexible than in men.
2. The abdomen in women most often has a smooth curve, while men have a tendency to flatness.
3. Similarly, women's buttocks are rounded while men's are flatter.
VII. breasts
To draw the chest, mark the nipples inside the outline of the body and then add volume.
To draw the chest from the side, draw a circle centered on a horizontal line that marks the level of the nipple.
- Here you can show the volume with a small line.
- The lower half of the circumference corresponds to the lower part of the chest. The upper part of the chest is drawn with a slight curve coming from the nipple to the neck.
The shape of the breast begins at the axillary curve. It either sticks out (large breast size) from it or has a small depression (with a small breast size).
On this figure you can clearly see the relationship between chest and biceps. The curve of the armpit passes into the chest, although most of the time part of this line is not drawn (indicated by a dotted line).
The proportions of the ideal chest, according to Western standards:
- The recess and the nipples are connected in an equilateral triangle, where the sides are about 20 cm.
- Areola with a diameter of 3.5 to 5 cm
- Ideal bust proportions are considered when the circumference at the nipples is 15 cm larger than the circumference of the chest under the breast (for example, 90 - 75 cm).
- Only artificial breasts have volume here!
- The tips of the nipples stick out slightly in different directions.
- The chest extends beyond the chest line by 1 to 3 cm.
- 1/3 of the volume of the chest should be above the areola, and 2/3 below it.
For this effect of breast compression, either a special bra or artificial breasts in the form of balls is needed.
natural position. The distance between the chest is from 1 to 3 cm.
When turning the body 3/4, a line appears between the chest.
VIII. Equilibrium
To make sure the body is balanced, draw a vertical line down the center of the body. Standing on two legs, the line will run in the middle between the legs, and on one leg, through the center of the foot. If the hand is on the ground, then accordingly it is a triangle where the legs are the arms of its sides, and so on. The human body should be positioned in a balanced way around this line:
Translation: Prescilla
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