The human body is one of the most challenging and rewarding subjects to draw; however, many beginners often find it intimidating and frustrating.
The human body is one of the most challenging and rewarding subjects to draw, however many artists often find it frustrating in the beginning. Consider keeping the following three simple concepts in mind as you are learning to draw the body.
- Look at the whole body and the relationships between the parts instead of focusing on the small details.
- Begin with a rough sketch of the overall "gesture" or first impression.
- Observe and draw the areas of shadow and light to create a solid, weighty figure.
How-to books often present carefully measured guides to the general proportions of the face and body. However, the fact is that ever individual is different and these idealized "average" figures rarely represent what the artist really sees when he or she sits down to draw a model.
While it is helpful to study anatomy and learn about average proportions, artists learning to draw the body often get lost in the complexity of details and rules.
Too often, artists strive for perfection and get frustrated by the time-consuming and painstaking attempts to accurately depict every eyelash and fingernail!
The result can be a Frankenstein monster: a drawing depicting a perfectly rendered collection of parts that don't seem to connect or co-operate because the artist didn't step back to look at the whole composition. Especially if you are a beginner, the best thing you can do for your art is to keep your eye on the big picture...
Don't be intimidated or discouraged by the complexity of the body, but try to start by drawing a "gesture" – a quick, rough impression of what you see. Come back to develop detail later if you have time. Practice sketching quick and rough "gestures," regularly in a class, drawing workshop or even on the bus.
Finally, beginner artists often focus upon the outline of the body and the details while forgetting about light and shadow. In so doing they create lightweight drawings instead of what looks like a real, three-dimensional human body. Focusing on the contour of the body alone will lead to a flat image, which may not be what you are looking for.
Don't forget to look at and draw the light and shadow in order to create a drawing containing the illusion of depth and weight. Try experimenting with light and shadow: build up the figure on the page using fields of light and dark and no outlines. Alternatively, allow the outlines to disappear as you build up areas of shadow that meet areas of light.
Don't worry about getting it "right" or about what the final product will look like. It's all part of the learning process and experimenting with art can lead to "happy accidents."
Instead, a true artist should appreciate the process of observing, interpreting and developing the impression of what he or she sees.
