How to Draw Humans

It's not necessary to know anything about anatomy to draw the human figure. It's only necessary to have a working knowledge of the human body. If you understand the way a human eye, nose or ear is shaped, you can draw it. You'll need an understanding of the way that light falls on objects and creates highlight and shadow. When getting started, it's best to use a model with smooth, young skin, as wrinkled and mottled skin pose serious textural problems in drawing.

Instructions

1. 

   Attend a session with a model, or photograph a model of your choosing. You can also work from photographs of models. Your subject can be nude or clothed. It's best to use a black and white photo, or scan the photo and convert it to black and white using your favorite image processing program. Draw the outermost outline of your human figure, including any significant areas of highlight or shadow. Outlining these areas will help you to draw the figure much more easily and accurately.

2. 

   Begin to work in the darkest areas of shadow which you see on the figure. Look at your picture and try to see which areas are really dark. Learn to differentiate these areas from those which merely have a medium tone.

3. 

   Begin to fill in the midtones of shadow on the drawing of your human figure. Look for areas of gradual shading and try to reproduce them faithfully. Pay very close attention to areas of midtone shadow which create highlights because they are beside regions of dark shadow. It's a common mistake to represent these areas as bright white, since the human eye often misinterprets them as such. When in doubt, work some very light shading into these areas, adding shading with the pencil as necessary. If it doesn't look right, use an eraser to draw in a lighter highlight. Darken the deepest shadows as necessary to make your figure look right.

4. 

   Start filling in the lighter shadows and fine details. The brightest highlights on the human figure may be left white in many cases, even if they seem shaded on your subject. Use cross-hatching and a very light pressure with your pencil to create a smooth, even tone. Create gradual shading by using decreasing pressure with the pencil as you progress. Examine the drawing that you have created of the human figure and compare it to the subject. Make any corrections as necessary.

Tips & Warnings

• For greater speed and accuracy, use an art projector or light box to set up your initial outline.

• Create smoother shading using a chamois cloth or tissue.

• If you get stuck, take a break. When you come back you'll probably have a fresh perspective about your subject and your drawing.