How to Draw People in Motion

When drawing people, it is important to show motion. Without motion, a drawing looks stiff and unrealistic.
Adding motion is easy. The artist simply has to remember to draw joints and clothing acting realistically, proper balance and angles in limbs.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

1. 
   Step 1

   Start by sketching a stick figure to help you work out the motion of the person.

2. 
   Step 2

   Adjust your stick figure so that there is an invisible line running through the head and the foot that is supporting the body. This will make the drawing look more balanced.

3. 
   Step 3

   Draw joints realistically and add muscle, skin and clothing to the stick figure. The elbow usually lands right on the waistline. When the arms are in motion, the elbows will seem shorter because the arms will be foreshortened. This will make them look chest high.

4. 
   Step 4

   Finish the clothing by drawing it flowing away from the body to show movement.

5. 
   Step 5

   Erase the lines of the stick figure and you are done.

Resources

• How to Draw People
• How to Draw People in Motion Using Action Lines
• How To Draw a Manga Figure in Motion Video