Drawing People

Lesson Summary

People are the most frequent subjects in visual art, and the most challenging to get right. Drawing people skillfully comes from the attentive study of the human form, and a lot of deliberate practice. In this lesson, students’ will draw various male or female figures in different poses, such as standing or sitting. Students will use various reference worksheets to learn how to draw people convincingly.

Lesson Objectives

Learn how to draw people accurately and convincingly
Draw various male or female characters in different poses, such as in the standing or sitting position
Clothing the figure

Family

Before we begin drawing the figure,.........

Discussion Brainstorm

What types of artwork have you’ve see people used in?
Did you ever try drawing a people but had difficulty? What did you have difficulty with?
Which part of the body do you think is the most difficult to draw?
What are some characters that you want to draw?

Materials

Sketchbook
Pencil
Eraser
Black Markers
wood mannequin

Steps in Drawing the Human Figure

Gesture This is a quick sketch of the body that captures the pose, movement and energy of the figure. Draw the figure loosely and quickly. The details and accuracy are not important at this stage. Think about balance and the centre of gravity of your figure.
Outline When the gesture has been sketched, you can start drawing the basic outline of the figure itself by building mass over it with basic shapes.
Contours Look closely at details. Adjust the contours as they are related to the underlying muscles and bones.
Details Add facial features such as the eyes, nose and etc. Draw the hands and feet starting with simple shapes. Add the fingers and other details afterwards.
Clothing Consider the type of clothing for your figure and draw clothes over the body. Think about how the fabric will fold and drape over the form.
Shading After basic structure of the figure is complete, shade the areas of light and shadow which is determined by the light source.

*Draw your own character. After practicing drawing some figures, draw a character of your own following the same method.

Terminology

Gesture Drawing — A quick, simple drawing that captures the essential feeling, energy, movement, or pose of a body.

Center of balance — The point where gravity pulls down on the human body the strongest.

Pose — A particular way of standing or sitting, usually adopted for effect or in order to be photographed, painted, or drawn.

Terminology

Human Anatomy: The scientific study of the structure of the human body.

Gesture — A quick, simple drawing that captures the essential feeling, energy, movement, or pose of a body.
Center of balance — The point where gravity pulls down on the human body the strongest.

Interesting Note: Take a look at your classmates drawings of people and you may find that their drawings often physically resemble themselves.

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