How to Draw People

Drawing lifelike people is one of the biggest challenges to an artist. However, with enough practice in the right techniques, you can draw people in any type of pose you'd like. Follow these steps to learn the methods you need to hone your skills.

Things You'll Need

• Eraser
• Colors
• Picture of human body
• HB Pencil
• White drawing paper
• Sharpener

Instructions

1. Gather all the drawing material. Find a picture of a human figure from a magazine or website. Use a photograph if you want.

2. Keep all the material on a table and sit comfortably on a chair near the table. Ideally, choose a quiet spot.

3. Draw an oval for the face.

4. Make a vertical line from top to bottom at the center of the oval dividing the face in two equal halves.

5. Make a horizontal line from left to right at the center of the oval intersecting the vertical line.

6. Draw two big circles on either side where the two lines intersect each other. Make eyes in the middle of the circles.

7. Give shape to the eyes the way you want to. The simplest would be to make tilted eyelids that curve like a bow.

8. Make a nose by drawing an arch shape starting from about halfway between the eyes.

9. Draw ears on both sides of the oval. Add small squiggles or spots to give a natural look to the drawing.

10. Draw the mouth just below the nose and above the end of the oval. Decide on the expression you want to give to the face. Draw a line curved from the end to give the effect of a general smile or an oval with a lift at the corners to give a happy effect on the face.

11. Make the chin just below the mouth by giving a round curve below the bottom lip.

12. Add hair by shading over the forehead and sides of the oval.

13. Add a neck by drawing two lines on two sides of the oval starting from the middle of the oval and coming down to just below the end of the oval.

14. Draw the chest by drawing another oval larger than the one drawn to represent the face. Keep it one-third of the body.

15. Add other body parts like hands, hips and legs depending on whether you're making a male or a female body.

16. Add elbows and knees to arms and legs respectively by drawing small ovals.

17. Add fingers to hands and feet.

18. Erase all unnecessary lines and marks.

19. Color the drawing or shade with pencil to finish.

Tips & Warnings

• Practice tracing over pictures of people taken from magazines, books or photographs.

• Go with the flow. Do not try to complete the picture fast. Take your time.

• Practice a lot. Perfection will come with practice.

• Observe a lot and try to draw what's in your imagination on paper.

• Do not make dark marks in the beginning or it will be difficult to erase them later.