Drawing a cat, easy. Drawing a Christmas Tree, easy. Drawing a car, easy. Drawing people correctly, priceless.
Figure drawing is one of the most difficult tasks for an artist to master. The reasons are many but can be simplified by saying, no two humans are exactly alike. There are so many differences in each individual that drawing people is difficult. No one has the exact same head, the exact same eyes, the exact same proportions, etc.
Although this is true there are some things that can make your drawings improve and elevate them to new heights. You can become an accomplished figure drawing artist. Even if you are drawing just as a hobby, there are some quick pointers that will help you improve your drawings immediately and drastically.
First and foremost, accurate drawing of people and faces start with careful observation. The ability to see correctly and to observe correctly is the number one skill that is going to help you improve artistically. Did you catch the true shape of the model’s eye? Do you have the eyelids too thin? Is her lips the correct proportion? Is her nose in the right place on the head? Is the neck too thin? Too long? How many heads tall is the model? Do they fit the standard proportions, or do they vary just a little?
These are important observations that you as an artist must make. Capturing the likeness of the person you are drawing comes down to careful observation.
The next tool to help you in your artistic journey is to remember to start big. I know this sounds really simple but a lot of artists make the mistake of laying in too many details. Start with the block-in method and lay in large shapes. Don’t concentrate on the finer details like shading in the eye at the beginning of a drawing. Always start big and work your way to the finer details at the end of your drawing. Make sure when you are in the big part of your drawing that you are focusing on proportions. Is the body of the male approximately 7 heads high etc. You want to focus on those types of questions, not is the shading of the left nostril correct. Those are the questions you want to ask yourself further down the road.
Lastly and this isn’t going to sound like rocket science, practice! Drawing every day will make the biggest improvements to your drawing than any other. Do studies of the features that you struggle with. Are eyes difficult for you? Then do several studies on the eyes till you feel comfortable with them. Or is it hands? Hand studies are extremely important because hands are a difficult part of the body to draw correctly. Focus on your own hand, draw your hands in different positions. Practice all the time. Take a sketch book with you wherever you go and draw whenever you can.
Follow these simple tips and you will see a dramatic change in your drawings immediately.
