How to Draw a Human Body & Face With Photoshop CS2

A typical example of drawing from life.

Drawing the human body and face realistically is a challenge that deters many aspiring artists, but by utilizing Photoshop and commonly available reference material, it is possible to produce outstanding work in a short amount of time.

Photographs of people you know, or photos and drawings of others, are the best and most accessible resources for sharpening your skill at producing stunning likenesses. Whether you want to produce a head-and-shoulders portrait or a full body depiction, locate a clear and detailed picture from your library, or upload one via scanner or through your digital camera.

Things You'll Need

• Photoshop (version 5 or later recommended)
• Graphics tablet (Intuos by Wacom recommended)
• Scanner or digital camera (optional)
• Reference drawings

Instructions

1. Find an image that you already have on your computer in a Photoshop-compatible format--a .jpeg, .tiff or any other file type that Photoshop supports. A suitable photograph or drawing will consist of either a head-and-shoulders portrait, like a yearbook photo or a full body shot--look for a minimum 4-by-6-inch format that provides a closeup with plenty of detail.

2. Open your image in Photoshop by selecting "Open" under the File menu and selecting the image from the folder it is located in. Using the Select menu, select "All," and then, in the Layers menu, select "Duplicate Layer."

3. In the "Layers" palette, reduce the opacity of your new layer to approximately 50 percent, so that you will be able to draw "on top" of it. Use as much screen real-estate as feasible, and enlarge your image to 200 percent or greater using the Magnify tool in the Tools palette, so that you can clearly see what you're doing.

   Select "New Layer" from the Layers menu and be sure that it is the active layer you will be working on. You should now see your original image as a half tone--that is, "faded"--so that you can draw on top of it.

4. Choose either the pencil or brush tool in the Tools palette, and select a line weight that is pleasing--neither too thick nor too thin. Make your drawing in 100% black.

5. Follow the outlines of your subject carefully, sketching these in first. Relax, and make your lines longer and continuous rather than short and choppy. After you have a pleasing outline, proceed to fill in details by tracing the eyes, nose and mouth. Experiment shading the hair by making a series of lines or scribbles to indicate the direction or manner in which the hair grows.

6. Select your duplicate layer by clicking on it in the Layers palette, and delete it by choosing "Layers" from the Menu and "Delete Layer." Do the same for your background layer, leaving only your finished drawing layer. You can now select "Save As" from the file menu and preserve your document as a .jpeg or .tiff from the pull-down menu located in the "Save As" window.

7. Copy only the layer you used for your drawing and save it as a new Photoshop (.psd) document, if you want to save your Photoshop file to work on later. If it's especially good, "Save As" a .tiff or .jpeg so you can share it with others or print it out.

Tips & Warnings

• If you wish to draw in a more detailed, or academic, fashion, use an example of someone else's life drawing as your subject matter. In this way, you can emulate the types of lines and shading that gives good life drawing its startling sense of realism. The more you practice, the quicker you will improve, and soon you'll be able to create actual drawings from live subjects or your imagination. To increase your versatility, you can also use Photoshop to flip images on the horizontal plane in order to practice drawing your subject from different angles.

References

• Pablo Picasso quote
• How to Draw People

Resources

• Drawing for Newbies
• Draping