The Complete Beginner's Guide to Drawing

BODY

FIGURES IN ACTION

To draw the human figure from head to toe, it helps to know something about the framework on which it’s built. Many art classes have students draw people as skeletons, which is good practice for visualizing how all of the parts fit together. You don’t have to try that exercise; the simple drawings here will suffice. Start with simple stick figure sketches of the skull, shoulders, rib cage, and add the arms and legs. Then, once you have the proportions right, you can flesh out the forms.

CAPTURING ACTION

Remember that a gesture drawing is a quick, rough sketch that illustrates a moment of an action (see below). The idea ...