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How to

Draw Peopleby robert barrett

A Free Excerpt From Life Drawing:

How to Portray the Figure with

Accuracy and Expression

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Seated Male Figure

Nupastel on paper

30" 22" (76cm 56cm)

Collection o the artist

Mppn h F

Tis model had great anatomical denition, which made mapping his

gure easier. He also had lots o energy and ound it dicult to sit still.

Consequently, I gave him requent breaks.

5

Mapping

,Measuring,G

riddin

g

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C n envop aon h F

A rst step in gridding the subject is placing an envelope around the

outside edges o the gure. Its helpul to use only straight lines during this

process because landmarks will occur at intersections where the angle o

each line changes direction.

Po h ins lnmks

Ater you establish the envelope and create the outside angles and

proportions, look or inner landmarks. Tese are oten located at points

where two angles intersect or at hard places where the skeleton is close

to the surace.

Ug GUsing a grid to measure and map the gure is not a new process; in act, there aremany historical examples o gridding. Renaissance artists Leonardo da Vinci and

Albrecht Drer used the device extensively. Tough some examples o gridding may

seem complicated or complex, this measuring process is, nonetheless, a useul tool

or adding objectivity to a drawing. Other tools used to eliminate unwanted subjec-

tivity include mirrors, compasses and raming devices such as a viewnder. I suggest

using a simple orm o gridding to plot points and angles when completing a tradi-tional drawing because it will help you establish the correct position and dimension

o proportional relationships.

Trough my years o teaching, I have concluded that the practice o measuring

establishes accuracy in a drawing and instills both condence and conviction in the

artist. I you know that a certain point in your drawing is accurate and that other

points are correct in their relationship to that point, youre well on your way to add-

ing conviction to the drawing process.

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1Start with the Angles and Big ShapesAs you begin drawing, place large areas o value lightly onyour paper. Look or the big shapes and the overall silhouette o

the gure. Pay particular attention to the angles o the shapes.

2 Defne the Angles and ShapesAter youve ghosted in the gure in Step 1, begin to denethe specic angles and shapes. At this point, look mainly at the

outside contours and assess the relative distances between your

points.

Using a grid and

landmarks for

accuracy

After setting up an initial gesture drawing, use a grid to help establish relationships

and proportions. Tis process includes using landmarks and either lines or angles.

As you begin, look for the strongest angles or lines on the outside of the model.

Ten try to duplicate those general angles as closely as possible with lines. Simulta-

neously, note the points where lines change direction. Its helpful to hold your

charcoal or pastel up to the model to assess the exact angle of an outside surface,

then transfer it directly to your drawing surface. Assess the length of the line as

much as possible. Lines dont actually exist in space but are a contrivance to help

separate spaces and boundaries between objects and values.

Mini-deMonstration

M a t e r i a l S l i S t

Kneaded eraser

Nupastel stick

Paper towels

Sanding block

Sketch paper

4

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3Focus on the Inner LandmarksAs you move rom the outsideangles and shapes to the inner ones, care-

ully locate and place these landmarks

relative to the outside ones. Te orm

shadows on the inside o the gure are

important to consider as you connect

your inner landmarks to each other.

4Strengthen and Adjust5Continue to strengthen and clariyyour drawing as you dene each shape

and contour line. Look closely at the

negative shapes or windows between

the arms and the torso, or example, and

make sure these are correct. As you work

rom larger units to smaller ones, add

more detail.

5

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usn Wh Yo Know

All the angles and landmarks you identiy in the process o drawing may

not be apparent in your nished work. Tey will, however, be sensed by

the viewer. Good drawing is a combination o what you know and what

you see.

Conncn h Pons

As you identiy and connect your landmarks

through the use o a grid, youll accurately place

the component parts o the gure. Measuring

and gridding are devices or creating accuracy

in your drawingsnot necessarily tools or

creating art.

PcCu

Te care you give to the measuring process is critical as it will inuence each decision

that ollows. Moving rom one correct area (landmark or angle) to another helps

ensure that all parts are related in their accuracy or correctness. Te envelope youve

created implicitly contains the ratios and proportions o your model. Te specic

subdivisions o the model can, in turn, be determined as they relate to the envelope

and to your initial lay in.

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Mp hsucu

Uh

Now that youve located the outside landmarks and angles and checked that theyre

correct, its time to work on those inside. In the case o the human gure, the land-

marks are oten designated as points on the skeleton. Simply put, these are points

where the skeleton is close to the surace. Some knowledge o simple anatomy and

an understanding o the skeletal structure underneath is helpul in knowing which

landmarks to look or and in assessing whether or not they are in the right locations.

Tese landmarks or hard placeswhere the bone is close to the suraceare excel-lent points rom which to make measurements. Again, youll determine the precise

angles, and check the vertical and horizontal plumb lines to articulate these locations.

Tese points can then work as the hub o a wheel rom which other landmarks can

be determined.

Sk lnmks

Consider the skeleton underneath as you

identiy important landmarks o the gure.

Its helpul to think o your own anatomy and

take note o the hard places, where your bones

are close to the surace.

8

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dp F

Whether you draw an undraped gure or

a draped one, using landmarks and angles

establishes relationships and proportional

accuracy. Its a useul way to translate a three-

dimensional object onto a two-dimensional

surace.

T Pmb lns Onc

In this diagram o the draped gure three

types o plumb lines are used simultaneously

(notice this is another example o triangula-

tion). As you become amiliar with the toolsor measuring, youll nd you can easily

alternate using vertical, horizontal and

diagonal lines. Also notice that some

shadow edges have been mapped

out as well.

Mu Mp shweg

Another obvious place inside the gure rom which to make measurements is the

edge o the core shadows that run between the light and shadow side o the model.

Sometimes this edge is called aorm shadow. Te edge o the cast shadow is likewise

a helpul place to continue mapping. Notice that the edges o the core shadows are

much soter than those o the cast shadows.

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Pcc ls o unsnn

Te most important element o learning to

grid is practicing the process in everything

you draw. Its much easier to understand the

concept than it is to develop the habit o imple-

menting it consistently.

Cu L Ater you accurately locate and place the landmarks, draw the contour lines. Becausethe landmarks are accurate, you can draw the contour lines with great conviction and

lock in additional shapes with relatively little efort. Draw the lines careully on either

the outside or the inside o the gure to add a sense o authority and an element o

detail to your drawing.

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ty V thm

As you continue to use the tools associated with gridding and measuring, you can try

diferent variations, such as working rom the inside out or both inside and outside at

the same time. Eventually, you should be able to use these tools in various orders o

succession. Te process becomes not mere drudgery but both entertaining and excit-

ing as you develop your skill in establishing and rening important relationships.

Pn i a toh

As you practice and internalize the

processes o measuring, try varying the

order. Work rom inside out as well as

rom outside in. Look or big angles and

small angles at the same time, and be

specic with your shapes and contours.

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DiD you enjoythis ExcErpt?od u cp f r b

Life Drawing: How to Portray the Figure

with Accuracy and Expression d.

nw ppck!

2012 Aal CD f art 2001-2010 CD f art

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