How to Draw Action Figures
Action figures captivate our imaginations and transport us to another world. For many people, a great action figure is a symbol of their devotion to a particular hero or character. A great way to develop this interest is buy drawing your favorite action figure.
Other People Are Reading
Instructions
-
-
1
Look carefully at the action figure and try to get a sense for general proportions and design. If you do not have an action figure in front of you, either obtain one or use other sources such as a comic book as a guide. Observe the style of clothing on the action figure and any distinctive symbols or writing.
-
2
Lightly draw a series of boxes to represent different parts of the body. Using your pencil as a ruler, try making the boxes roughly correct in terms of their proportional relationships. This means that the size of a box representing an arm should relate to the size of the box representing the head in the same way that head and arm relate on the figure. For example, when observing the figurine you might notice that the head represents about one third the size of an arm. Using these sorts of rough measurements you can accurately sketch boxes in correct proportions.
-
-
3
Draw a box that represents the chest and mid section. The chest appears as a large v-shape with the two top edges as shoulders. Next draw the legs and arms, which can be represented with long rectangular boxes. Use a short cylinder to represent the mid section and waist. Finally, draw the neck as a short cylinder roughly as wide as the head. At this stage, the head can be drawn as an oval or short rectangle.
-
4
Draw basic shapes inside the boxes, paying close attention to the figurine while doing so. Do not try simply to draw the figure in outline. Sketch rough shapes that closely approximate the body parts of the figurine. Use the boxes to guide the placement of long ovals for various parts of arms and legs. Connect the shapes and provide a more organic look by rounding hard edges.
-
5
Draw eyes, mouth, and nose, along with hair and ears. Sketch the fingers and hands, and any muscular details or shading. Keep these details simple; a couple of basic lines can represent a nose or a mouth. A simple oval with a dark circle in it becomes and eye, and a few dark lines above the eye becomes an eyebrow.
-
6
Draw the clothing last, and try to keep it simple. Most action figurines are more about the body under the clothing than the clothing itself. Use a simple line here and there to show where one piece of clothing ends and another begins. Draw special symbols or writing on the outfit.
-
1
Tips & Warnings
Add a dramatic background to your action figurine to give it a sense of place. Color your drawing and ink all the lines.
