Drawing Foundations: Figure

Explore the basics of figure drawing and how to bring the human form to life on paper. Learn how to capture gesture and motion, work with live models, and understand human anatomy.

Introduction

• Welcome
• What you should know

1. Introduction to Figure Drawing

• Why draw the figure?
• Tracing the history of figure drawing

2. Getting Started

• Using materials effectively
• Setting up your studio

3. Warm-Up Exercises

• Warm-up: Blind contour drawing
• Warm-up: The envelope

4. The Quick Sketch

• Feeling gesture and connectivity: Process
• Mapping structure and relationship
• Arranging simple forms in space
• Capturing motion: Fluidity and rhythm

5. Contrapposto: Weight and Balance

• Recognizing symmetry and asymmetry using the plumb line
• Placing weight and balance: Foot placement

6. Recognizing Simple Structural Landmarks

• Finding skeletal landmarks: Front and side view
• Finding skeletal landmarks: Back view
• Comparing male and female proportions

7. Understanding Proportion: The Standing Figure

• Drawing proportion: Front view
• Drawing proportion: view
• Drawing proportion: Side view
• Drawing proportion: Back view

8. 3D Volumes: Building a Drawing, Structure to Volume

• Drawing 3D volumes in space: Block, cylinder, egg/ellipse
• Attaching volumes to structure: Dynamic standing pose
• Transitioning volumes: The dramatic pose

9. Putting It All Together

• Establishing gesture and structure
• Defining form
• Making final marks and rendering shadows

Conclusion

• Next steps