Whether you are looking to improve your skills or have no idea how to begin, down below are quick tips to drawing a live figure.
1. The Model
In order to begin, it is best to have a model in front of you. You can practice by sitting in a public park or even sketching while on the bus. You could practice from a photograph, but a two-dimensional image will flatten out details that you would miss so it is best to draw from life. You can ask the model to pose a specific way to practice different movement or even focus on a specific body part and blow that up on paper, such as the hands or eyes.
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2. The Supplies
Start off with a decently sized pad of paper. Depending on your location it may be easier to use a smaller pad, but if you have an area prepped up to practice, then use either a 11” x 14” sheet of paper or 14” x 17”. Paper can also range in textures and thickness, use what you think might best reflect what you are drawing.
Your tools can range from charcoal to pen to graphite. To start off, it is best to use graphite as it is easiest to erase if you make an error. Be sure to use a white eraser rather than a pink one, the pink ones tend to leave streaks of color on your work. Lastly, be sure to have a box cutter on hand, as it is used to sharpen your graphite pencils. Make sure they are constantly sharpened or else your drawing will go from crisp to looking smudged.
3. The Measurements
Before sketching the figure you must first make a blueprint of where each body part will be. Extend your arm straight forward and use your graphite pencil to measure the height and width of the head of the model. Use that measurement to see how many head lengths the body is, both height and width, and write that on the top of your paper.
Draw soft lines on your pad to mark each head length to know where the figure starts and where it ends. Be sure to fit the entire figure on the paper. Once you have perfected the measurements you may then draw in boxes where the head, arms, hands, torso, legs and feet will be.
4. The Proportions
Once you have everything in place, you may then begin to have a rough sketch of your figure. Do not start doing the fine details of the face or hands, rather get the whole figure down first, starting geometrically and then smoothing out the lines to make the figure look organic and alive. Be sure to also include what the figure is sitting or lying on so it does not look like they are floating in your drawing. Remember there are some basic tips to drawing certain parts of the body:
-The width of one eye is the distance between the two eyes.
-The pupils align with the edges of your lips as well as to the nipples.
-The top of ears meet up with the top of your eyes while the bottom meets up with the bottom of your nose.
-Bodies are averagely 7-8 head lengths tall, but can vary.
If you are ever in need of more proportional tips, then there are many listed online as well as tutorials to show you, though it may vary depending on the live model you are drawing.
5. The Shading
Locate your light source and be sure to follow it. On your drawing, section off the different shades of light and dark, similar to a simplified Paint-By-Number kit. You can shade either by filling in the sections or by using the cross hatching technique. Start with the lightest areas and build up shading rather than going from dark to light. Be sure to draw only what your eye can see and not what you know is there. You may know that the model has eyelashes or creases along their hands, but if you cannot see those fine details, then do not draw them. This will bring out the finer details of your drawing and bring life to it. Be sure to show the shadow of the figure and include a bit of the background to fill in some of the negative space on your paper.
Be mindful that each session further improves your skills. Drawing a life-like figure comes with practice and it may not be perfect right away. Also be aware that the model will need breaks just as you do, if you think neither of you will remember the pose, then be sure to tape sections of where their feet might be in order to recall it later on. Be patient and do not rush the process of drawing from life.
