Anyone can master the basic skills of drawing portraits. Teaching methods are designed for observation and the ability to build an image according to the rules, knowledge of anatomy and the theory of chiaroscuro is not required. How to learn to draw a person's face with a pencil? It takes patience and attention to detail.

How to learn to draw people?

To create a pencil drawing you need:

• paper;
• black-graphite pencils (sanguine or charcoal require skill to use) hardness HB ... 6H (up to 9V);
• auxiliary tools - an eraser, a sharpening device or a cutter.

Basic principles of construction and layout

The human head is proportional and symmetrical (symmetry is not complete) with respect to a vertical line. With the help of markup, the position of the details is determined and a portrait similarity is obtained. The average face is built according to the general scheme, the difference in racial and personal features of the structure of the skull makes adjustments.

An example of building a diagram using a base circle (the center of the circle coincides with the center point of the forehead).

Building a face in profile can also be started with basic circles; for the correct structure of the skull (without anomalies), the displacement of the centers is ¼ of the diameter.

Attention! The profile drawing shows about half the length of the eye, this should be taken into account when calculating.

Detailed drawing of the face

In order to learn how to draw a person's face with a pencil, the difference between a portrait of a certain person or a generalized image is taken into account. In the first case, the proportions are determined by the structural features of the face, including racial, special signs (asymmetry, scars, malocclusion or the characteristic shape of the eyebrows). In the second, the desired type and the intended character of the character are invented.

An important stage of the drawing is the detailing of the eyes. The shape of the eye, the position of the corners (raised or lowered), the height and volume of the eyelid, the length of the eyelashes, the size of the iris and pupil are set.

The illustration shows a sequential drawing from schematic to detailed, with shadows and highlights on the pupil, hairs of eyebrows and eyelashes, with hatching shading.

The nose and mouth are drawn in the same way, taking into account the anatomical features.

For drawings “in front”, the auricles are built in a simplified way, for a portrait in profile - in more detail.

Shadows are drawn after the structure is built or in parallel, depending on the artist's skills and manner of drawing. To develop skills, training on realistic models under the guidance of a mentor is necessary.

Important! Shading shadows is done as needed, using a piece of paper or a finger.

The influence of anatomical and racial features on portrait drawing

Characteristic racial features - the width of the nose, the position and shape of the eyes, lips, forehead - are shown in the comparative drawing of the male face below.

For a clear understanding of the reasons for the differences, it is desirable to study the anatomy of the human skull under the guidance of a teacher, since it is difficult to understand the nuances from hand-drawn images.

An important stage in understanding the structural features of the face is drawing a “chopped” head from a model. The lesson gives an understanding of the position of the main planes of the skull, taking into account the facial muscles.

When creating a head drawing, you can apply shadows to the entire image or work with individual areas in turn. To obtain a photorealistic image, the features of a particular image are taken into account, including the sharpness of shadows, the clarity of features, and contrast.

Step by step learning to draw, master classes

You can learn how to draw a person's face with a pencil on your own, but the process will go faster with personal training from a portrait master. Face-to-face classes:

• accelerate progress by correcting common mistakes and consulting;
• improve drawing technique;
• save time searching for information - it is presented in a convenient form for perception, concisely;
• allow the use of visual aids and sample drawings.

In our workshop you will be able to learn how to draw photorealistic portraits in a short time under the guidance of an experienced artist and teacher, a master of portrait drawing. Comfortable atmosphere, individual approach and professionalism of teaching is the key to the rapid development of a new type of creativity.

Careful mastering of all the lessons of this course will help you take the first steps in studying human anatomy and proportions, teach draw people from life and from your imagination, in various poses and in motion, naked and in clothes.

The first lesson is a preparation for the actual study of the figure, and also lays the foundation for the structure of further work. The practical exercise at the end of the lesson will be of particular value to you as an artist when creating a model of a person and in preparing preliminary sketches, sketches, thinking of ideas, suggestions, actions and poses where the figure is to be drawn without the use of models or copying. I highly recommend give him the utmost attention, and by no means skip it.

We draw a person from nature

In order to draw something well from memory or from your imagination, you must first build up a stock of basic knowledge on the subject. It is best to start drawing from nature. By constantly observing those around you, you can easily and quickly learn a lot of information about proportions, shape and structure, and in the process you will also develop your drawing skills. No amount of information gleaned from textbooks on drawing a person cannot serve as a substitute for this valuable exercise.

You must learn information not only about the shape and structure of the body, but also gain a deep knowledge of how people stand, sit, and move if you want them to be convincing on paper. For this reason, you must always use a sketchbook.

sketchbook

Just as a writer needs a notebook to jot down thoughts, and an athlete needs to exercise regularly to be in top shape, the artist needs an album or sketchbook to constantly hone your skills and visual memory. Your sketchbook should always be with you, so choose the optimal size for yourself and carry it in your bag or backpack with a simple pencil. It is not necessary to buy an expensive sketchbook, because. you will have to do a lot of sketches and notes, and you will not even notice how quickly it will end. Buy something simpler so you don't have to worry about the cost. Sketchbook catalog from web-paint.

The best place to start probably at home. Your family members are ideal sitters because they are easily accessible and often engage in less active activities such as reading or watching TV.

In order to keep your "models" ready to pose, it's best not to spend too much time on each drawing. Each sketch must be done no more than 10 minutes. This is of great importance, because At this stage, quantity is important, not quality. You will quickly learn how to capture the essence of a pose or character in a few strokes and your work will be very realistic.

After doing a few sketches in a familiar environment, you will soon feel confident enough to take your sketchbook outside. Find a suitable secluded spot for yourself where no one will disturb you and try to make some sketches.

You should get into the habit of drawing all the time. Whenever you have a free minute, take out a sketchbook and sketch the people around you: standing at the bus stop, sitting in a cafe or at work is a good opportunity to sketch people nearby. A pencil or ballpoint pen is ideal as a tool.

Use only one side of the paper. There are three reasons for this. First, cheap paper shows through, so the lines you draw on one side can affect the quality of your work on the other. Second, even if you use good quality paper, the pencil drawings on the back pages will rub off the roughness and ruin each other. The third reason for using only one side is that in due course you can take apart your sketchbook page by page and compare one work with another to check your progress.

At first, you will have no more than a tilt of the head or a turn of the shoulders before the subject starts to move. This is normal: everything you do contributes to the growth of your knowledge of the human figure. These details may not seem very valuable, but they are. If you can portray a unkempt-looking young man slumped in front of a bus stop or a weary old woman burdened with shopping, your work will have authenticity because the essence of character lies precisely in the subtlety of such details. You will be surprised how easy it is to notice and how it will be appreciated by everyone who sees your work.

Your sketchbook should serve as your personal document. In fact, many artists also take notes in it and add comments to sketches, thereby increasing their usefulness later, especially if the sketch is to be used as the basis for a finished drawing.

Do not strive for neat, well-groomed drawings, artistically arranged on the page. Your album is not for that. Now your goal — capture character and the position of the selected object within a few minutes. Pick someone who is likely to stay in the same position for a while longer and get to work. Do not be shy. Do not try to make attractive lines, this exercise is to quickly capture the moment. Your sketches should be a real pleasure to see and sketch the life around you, as well as help you develop a sharp eye and a confident stroke.

If you've never tried sketching, you might think it's hard work, but it's not. This is the most enjoyable and most rewarding activity. It relaxes and invigorates, and is also a means of improving drawing skills.

Always keep a sketchbook with you, wherever you are. This is so important that I won't get tired of repeating it. Draw people waiting on a train platform, or people sitting on a park bench, or your family members watching TV. In bars, restaurants, cafes and on the street you can see people of various sizes and builds. Mark them in your scrapbook and you will never regret it. Sketching is not only fun, it's also the best way to expand your knowledge and skills. If you want to create living realistic works, this should become a habit. Sometimes it is worth including the background and surrounding details in the sketch. It could be surrounding trees or buildings. When you start drawing from your head, this experience will be very valuable.

As we progress through the course, we will periodically return to this topic, drawing sketches from life. Without this exercise, your powers of observation and your drawings from memory will gradually deteriorate until they are little more than a series of clichés.

Practical task

Make at least 20-30 sketches of different people in different settings. I do not advise you to move on to the next lesson until you complete this task. This exercise should become your regular daily workout.

The article used materials from the book Ron Tiner "Figure Drawing without a model".

Our bright step-by-step illustrations will help you learn how to draw a person. With their help, anyone can draw a human figure on paper.

By following simple steps, you can learn how to draw human figures and faces beautifully. We will tell you how to make the silhouette proportional, give naturalness to the pose, and expressiveness to the face. Having mastered these techniques, you can use them to create your own compositional solutions, draw people of different builds, in any outfits. This will require some practice, but the learning process will not be as difficult as many people imagine.

In order to realistically depict a person with a pencil, it is important to convey the most significant features of his appearance, emotional state, and so on. In addition, from our lessons you will understand the easiest way to emphasize the differences between female and male figures. To make the picture look alive, it is not necessary to immediately work on its photographic accuracy or maximum portrait likeness.

It is enough to indicate the main external characteristics of a person, make the drawing more voluminous with the help of a shadow, and you will be able to surprise everyone you know with your work. Well, after seeing the first results, you will probably want to learn more about the drawing, improve your technique, try to work not only with a pencil, but also with paints and pastels.

Leonardo da Vinci is one of the greatest artists. Of course, after him there were artists who could reflect the reality of the world around them much better. But it was da Vinci who was the first to understand how to draw a person in full growth. Why were his drawings so realistic? The answer is simple - for an accurate image, he studied human anatomy.

Remember this drawing of a Victorian man. This is how the proportions of the human body were first displayed. Knowing how to draw a person in full growth, you can easily draw the most complex picture.

How to draw a person in full growth

The ratio of head height to human height is approximately 1:7 or 1:8. In tall people, the ratio is closer to 1:8, and in people of small stature - 1:7. In girls, this proportion can be kept the same. It is noteworthy that the head increases with age much more slowly than the rest of the body, so in children the head-to-body ratio can be made 1:6, and in infants - 1:5.

The neck of a person can be schematically displayed using a square. In a thin person, it is equal to half the width of the head, and in a full person it can be equal to the entire width of the head. The male chest is twice the height of the head in width. In women, this figure is reduced to one and a half times the height of the head.

After dividing the growth into 7-8 parts, do not erase the hatching, they will come in handy.

The waist is approximately in the middle of the third segment from the top, it is constantly much wider than the head, even in women with an "aspen" waist. The lower part of the torso is located on the border of the third and fourth segments. Of course, all these indicators are not suitable for overly obese people, they have different proportions.

The kneecaps in the form of a circle occupy a place from the middle of the second lower segment to its very top. The ankle joint, which connects the lower leg and foot, is located just below the middle of the first segment. The human foot is slightly less than the height of the head.

The waist height can be slightly changed depending on the gender and the specific configuration

The elbow joints are always at waist level, the carpal joints are located just above the bottom of the torso. The length of the brush is approximately equal to the gap from the chin to the middle of the forehead of a person. It should turn out so that the hands hang down below the lower border of the torso. Please note that the proportions of the hands do not change regardless of nationality or gender.

Of course, this way you can draw a human figure very truthfully, but you want to be able to portray people in a variety of poses. This is necessary to display the storyline in the picture.

Draw a human figure in motion

After you were able to learn how to draw a human figure in the correct proportions, you can proceed to this stage. To do this, we need such a schematic drawing. Please note that, despite the "toy" of the little man, all proportions are carefully observed, including the width of the shoulder and pelvic girdle.

Hunter

Gladiator

Try to draw a lot of people who do a variety of things. At the same time, display all proportions accurately. Also correctly depict the position of the line of the pelvic and shoulder girdle. For example, in the picture of a sitting and running person, the pelvic girdle is shortened almost to the size of a dot.

When displaying movements, the center of gravity is of great importance. Notice how the location of the center of gravity (red arrow down) and pivot points (green arrows up) change. The center of gravity and the fulcrum must be on the same vertical line, otherwise the person will fall. The exception is running, the center of gravity deliberately moves forward to create additional acceleration.

Balancing

In addition to inspiration, quality paper and pencils, softness from 3B, you will need basic knowledge of how to draw a human figure. If you understand the proportions, then even a beginner can draw a human figure in stages. Consider the techniques and main points for the successful solution of a creative task.

The drawing consists of several stages.

Sheet layout

Any drawing begins with a composition. Depending on the pose of nature, a vertical or horizontal format is selected. Light lines create the movement and silhouette of the body.

A well-composed figure is harmoniously placed on the field of the sheet. Looking at the finished work, there should not be a desire to move the drawing.

The image scale must be chosen according to the format. Too large a drawing gives the impression of tightness, it requires adding space around. Small - creates the illusion of emptiness, I want to cut the sheet.

Clarification of the position of the figure and proportions

Outline lines outline the bend of the spine, turn of the head, axial shoulder girdle and hip joints. The direction of the shoulders, forearms, hips, shins, hands and feet is indicated linearly schematically.

Body parts are measured and placed on a sheet in a simplified geometric form (the head is in the form of an oval, the chest is an oblate barrel, a bowl-shaped pelvis, cylindrical and conical - the neck and limbs, prismatic - feet and hands). The relative position of the main paired joints (shoulder, elbow, wrist, hip, knee, ankle) is specified.

Building

At this stage, characteristic anatomical features are worked out. The principle is from the general to the particular. Details emerge only after the construction of large parts.

In fact, the construction comes down to breaking large geometric shapes into smaller components. The goal is to achieve an anatomically correct section of the forms.

The human body is symmetrical, and the spine is used in construction as a natural axis of symmetry when laying segments to the right and left.

The drawing is done gently, without pressing on the pencil, so that the auxiliary construction lines can be freely removed. At the same time, the border of light and shadow is outlined.

Black and white study

Depending on the artistic task, chiaroscuro may be limited to light shading, or it may consist of complex multi-layer shading that conveys the features of the skin and the texture of the clothing material.

First of all, own and falling shadows are completely covered. The main tone is concentrated on the shadow border. Then semitones and reflexes are worked out. At the same time, the density of the shadow increases. The last work is done on the light. The illuminated areas are slightly muffled with a light tone.

The final part is detailing. Highlighting highlights with an eraser, sharpening and emphasizing shapes with a stroke. Classical hatching is carried out according to the shape of the object.

Pencil work for beginners

It is advisable to start drawing a person with short-term sketches from nature. Daily practice will help you quickly develop your eye and acquire the necessary graphic skills.

Be sure to study plastic anatomy. Without basic knowledge of the structure of the body, good results cannot be achieved, the drawing will be reduced to copying what you see. The books of Gottfried Bammes can be a wonderful teaching aid.

An excellent help will be drawing individual parts of the body in different positions with anatomical detail.

To help novice artists, there is a special measurement technique for determining the exact proportions of the body:

1. A hand is extended in front of you, a pencil is held in the brush perpendicular to the hand. Having closed one eye, the upper point of the measured part of the body (for example, the head) is compared with the upper end of the pencil. The lower measurement point (chin) is marked on the pencil with the thumb.
2. Now you can measure how many segments equal to the height of the head make up the growth of nature. The top of the pencil is aligned with the 2nd measuring point (with the chin). Visually in nature, the lower point is marked, coinciding with the thumb on the pencil (approximately at the level of the pectoral muscles).
3. The third and subsequent measurements will be from the pectoral muscles to the navel, and further down.

Body drawing in different positions

Let's try to draw a person in different poses.

Silhouette

Silhouette drawing can be used for life sketches, caricatures, illustrations, creation of cartoon characters. With this type of image, the proportions are often not preserved and even deliberately distorted. The contour type of drawing is usually used by children. Any drawing of the human body also begins with a preparatory silhouette sketch.

standing figure

The proportional construction of a full-length figure is associated with its conditional division into parts. On the sheet, dashes mark the vertical dimensions of the depicted person. The pubic fusion roughly divides the body of an adult in half, the head occupies 1/8 - 1/7 of the part. The head of a child, depending on age, is from 1/4 to 1/6.

The dimensions indicated on the paper are divided into the required number of parts. The corresponding contours of the body fit into the resulting segments.

And some more proportions:

1. Hands in the lowered state reach the middle of the thigh, elbows are located at waist level.
2. The distance formed by the arms spread apart is equal to the height.
3. The length of the hand of adults is comparable to the front part, the foot is approximately equal to the height of the head.
4. Another eye should be removed between the eye sockets. Forehead, nose, ear, the distance from the tip of the nose to the chin is approximately the same size.

Knowing these patterns greatly facilitates the task of the drawing artist.

To "put" a person on a sheet, you need to determine the center of gravity. To do this, a vertical line is drawn from the jugular fossa (at the base of the neck in front in the center) through the center of the pelvis down. In a person standing with support on one leg, the vertical passes through the foot of the supporting leg. At the same time, the hip joint of this leg is higher, the pelvis is tilted down from the support, the shoulder girdle is in the opposite direction. If the sitter stands on two legs, or leaning on his elbows, leaning on his hands, shoulder, back, the center of gravity is located between the two supports.

In move

In order to draw a person in motion, anatomical analysis is needed to accurately reproduce the dynamics:

1. The position of the spine (leaning forward when running, skiing, bending with straightening of the lumbar when jumping forward, twisting when throwing, etc.)
2. The interaction of parts of the musculoskeletal system relative to the spinal column. For example, in a walking and running person, the pelvic bones and shoulder girdle work in opposition to each other. By transferring weight to the right leg, the person brings forward and up the left shoulder. In this case, the left hand moves forward, the right hand back.
3. The tension of a certain muscle group in each movement.

The beginning of the drawing is always schematic: the movement of the ridge, the location of the axes of the shoulder and pelvic girdle with the designation of the joints, the rotation of the skull, the direction of the bones of the limbs with the simultaneous determination of their length, the position of the feet and hands.

Seated nature

In drawing a seated person, the choice of angle plays an important role. A position directly in front of nature is considered unsuccessful. In this case, the hips of the person sitting on the chair are in a sharp perspective contraction. In a sitting position on the ground, the legs or torso are reduced, depending on the chosen horizon line. A convincing image in this position is difficult to achieve. The best angles for a seated person are lateral, with the horizon at head level or slightly lower.

In the sitting position, the lumbar spine is straightened. The center of gravity is the center of support. Most of the muscles are in a relaxed state. The gluteal muscles, and others in contact with surfaces, are subjected to deformation.

Figure on the side

The profile image allows you to most sharply convey the characteristic features of the body - posture, fit of the head and shoulders.

It requires the construction of the chest, shoulder girdle and pelvic bones in perspective. If the head is not in a clear profile, then so are the skulls. The limbs further away from the viewer will also be somewhat smaller.

For a correct image, it is necessary to find the vanishing point on the horizon line (at eye level) and collect all the center lines in it. Auxiliary lines should also be drawn through paired points (for example: pectoral muscles, anterior superior iliac spines, eyebrows, corners of the lips) in order to maintain body symmetry.

Lying nature

Features of a lying person are relaxation of muscles and sagging of soft tissues under the force of gravity. The muscles in contact with the surface are flattened.

The difficulty in drawing a lying body lies in the perspective reduction of proportions. The most difficult angles of the lying nature are from the side of the head and feet. In such positions, the contraction of the body is maximum, the construction is problematic.

In the perspective image of body parts, the method of constructing geometric bodies in perspective is used.

Drawing from the back

The sitter standing with his back is drawn in the same sequence as the one who is facing. Proportional divisions are transferred to the back of the body. So, half of the growth is at the level of the sacrum. The chin is located in the center of the cervical spine, the next mark is in the middle of the shoulder blades, etc. The task is simplified by the absence of the need to draw a face.

Anatomical forms are subject to geometrization. Avoid direct lighting, which makes it difficult to understand shaping.

Female figure

Draw a female figure

Figure in clothes

Drawing a dressed person comes down to building a naked body, followed by modeling draperies over the build. When depicting clothes, you need to make out in which parts the fabric repeats the relief of the body, and where it has its own volume. For example: on the female body, the blouse is adjacent to the body from the collarbone to the middle of the chest in front, from the hood muscles to the top of the shoulder blades in the back. Below this border, the fabric drapes freely.

Rigid wardrobe items (some hats, shoes) have their own geometry.

When developing chiaroscuro, it is taken into account that the fabric has its own tone and texture. A common mistake is to work out the details and folds of the material more carefully than the faces of nature, in connection with which clothing begins to play a major role in the drawing.

nudity

The female figure has a number of proportional differences from the male. The shoulders are somewhat narrower, the chest is smaller in volume, the pelvic bones are wider, the legs are shorter than men's. In men, the lower leg is longer, the superciliary arches are more developed on the skull.

An important point when drawing a woman: in ladies, the center of gravity is lower than in men. The shift in the center of gravity occurs when putting on shoes with heels and in pregnant women. This is most noticeable from the side, expressed by changes in the deflection in the lumbar region. You need to draw a female body taking into account this feature.

Due to the even distribution of subcutaneous fat, the muscles are hidden, have a calm relief. This requires smooth lines of drawing and fine light and shade modeling.

Drawing various poses

Having mastered drawing from life, using the knowledge gained about anatomy, you can draw the body in different positions according to the representation. Whatever the pose is conceived - natural or acrobatic, it is important to understand the system of work of the skeleton and muscles in each case. The idea of ​​the female body as a geometric constructor will help to correctly model the chiaroscuro from an imaginary light source.

Drawing a group of people

Drawing several characters is a complex task from those already considered. Additionally, the compositional component and the problem of remoteness of people in the future are solved.

In addition to the linear perspective, the group's drawing uses aerial perspective. The figures of the foreground are drawn more concretely and more contrasting than those in the background. The black and white elaboration of the central moments of the composition is the most scrupulous. If necessary, the secondary plan is summarized with a light broad stroke.

Drawing a person is not only difficult, but also very interesting. Having learned to draw a body, you always want more - to convey the character of the character and your attitude towards him.