Artwork by C.E. Martin
Figure Drawing:
A Beginning Artist's Primer
Creating your first serious drawings of the human figure can be very intimidating. After all, the human body is very complex and dynamic- it changes all the time! Additionally, there are many different approaches to drawing the human form, and no one way is the right way. It can all be a little overwhelming, but there are some rules/suggestions/tips that, when one looks at a lot of figure drawing resources, seem to come up again and again.
SPECIAL NOTE: Thanks very much to Kirilee of kirilee.deviantart.com for the great drawing reference photos she's allowed us to use in the following figure drawing pages. Kirilee is a cosplayer, artist, and model from Perth, Australia. Her high quality images are excellent poses that illustrate the dynamic nature of the human form and are entirely appropriate for sketching should a live model be unavailable. She has graciously allowed their use here for educational purposes. Thanks, Kirilee!