Peter Boerboom - Figure Drawing Methods for Artists: Over 130 Methods for Sketching, Drawing, and Artistic Discovery

Over 130 Methods for Sketching, Drawing, and Artistic Discovery

Peter Boerboom and Tim Proetel

To create a picture of the human figure is a never-ending theme in art. Whether as perfect half-gods and beauty queens or realistic, touchable individuals, or whether as imposing rulers or tormented souls, images outlast us and tell of our time, our misery, and our dreams.

Were surrounded by photographic images. Quickly created and often shared, they are ever present in todays picture-cosmos but a drawn human figure is different. It is unique. The creation is more than just pushing a button; it is an intense moment of observation, followed by decisions, which are made with every line. How do I interpret what I see and show what I mean?

To sketch a figure means to capture it, fix it in our mind just like a fleeting thought, and contain it on a piece of paper. This skill can be developed through close observation. Experimentation is another approach to constructing a figure, which can be accomplished without a subject. A spot turns into an idea, a line leads to a concept, and from that a figure is developed. Try it out! Look! And try again! Figures dont have to be anatomically correct if the outlines are imaginative and the lines and expression are lively.

The focus of this book is the enjoyment of drawing and the question of how to draw people successfully with both simple and more complex methods. We show you how to comprehend the human figure and build up a repertoire for your own approach while doing so. We invite you to experiment and venture into the big theme of figure, body, and human.

1. Shrink

The fear of drawing people incorrectly can be inhibiting, but with simple tools and basic knowledge, we can commit to paper expressive, funny, refreshing, and surprising figures. Quickly drawing miniature figures relieves the pressure to achieve something grand. Not every detail has to be right; ideas are noted and jotted down on paper. You will gradually develop a sense for proportions and an eye for posture. Without the constraint of fear, you may end up creating a line of figures that tell their own narrative.

Use different approaches to collect ideas.

Let all the ideas happen on paper. The ones that are fun can then be explored further.

Think simple; quickly move from figure to figure and find a rhythm. The figures next to each other turn into a scene.

Label theatrical postures or create dialogues that could inspire more ideas.

Use circular motions to create heads and torsos for your figures.

Create distinctive silhouettes by considering body build, posture, hairstyle, and age.

Shifting the position of the feet adds spatial orientation.

Stretch the body from the hands, feet, and head.

Explore different poses while drawing with a brush.

Add more detailed hands and feet.

2. Outline

People, like other objects, dont have physical outlines. Indeed, the figure distinguishes itself from its environment but because of each movement, turn, or change of perspective, the form varies. The contour only emerges once a line captures the body. This is an invention of drawing, maybe even the most fundamental. The outline makes it possible to create simple, concise figures from three-dimensional entities. Thats how the line separates the figure from the background; outside of the contour lives the rest of the world.

Legs and arms give the figure movement and life.

The suggestion of hands and feet stabilizes these figures and highlights their positions in the imagined space.

Is this the front or the back of the figure? The position of the feet provides clarity.

A slowly drawn line ensures concentration on particular details.

Draw a continuing line and bend it like a piece of wire.

Ambiguous lines can confine areas or open them up.