Those who want to learn how to draw figures and faces of people will need time to study the basic proportions of a person for drawing with a pencil or pen. The human figure is one of the most complex structures in nature, and its image has a huge number of variations. And, of course, you should not feel disappointed if something does not work out the first time. Experience comes with time.
Proportions of the human head and body, drawing theory
Naturally, the proportions of a person tend to change, but in the learning process you need to dwell on the classical figure, which in the measurement is exactly eight heads. Despite the fact that in nature, a person’s height is about half the head smaller, in practice such a measurement is inconvenient in calculations.
But first of all, you need to remember that the sketch is not the construction of any scheme, and it is impossible to calculate in millimeters or centimeters each part of the human body and transfer these sizes to paper. The main tool of the artist is his eyes and pencil.
Using the head as a unit of measurement is, of course, very convenient, but you must also learn how to use your own eye. It will also help to comply with all the proportions of a person. To draw a human figure, it is initially worth familiarizing yourself with the basic theory of sketching, which will help to correctly recreate the structure of the human body.
Create a custom graphic for your drawing
In order to correctly observe all the proportions of a person’s figure, drawing must begin with creating a graph. It is through it that the joints will then be leveled, as well as the muscular structure of the body. And all this regardless of a person’s gender.
The graph is divided into eight equal parts, where the first will consist of a head. This dimension was established in the Renaissance and is ideal for creating the necessary proportions of man. For drawing people, average growth has always been used, which was equal to eight heads.
The first part of the drawing, consisting of a sketch: graphics
So, you need to depict an oval or ovoid shape with a pointed end from the bottom in the first part of the graph. Next, between the marks 3 and 4 add the pelvic bone, as well as the hip joints. Their width is approximately one and a half or two widths of the head. And now you can depict the spine that connects the pelvis to the head. This is the most important part of the human body. Center of gravity and stability.
Further drawing of a person whose body proportions are carefully observed with the help of a graph goes to the legs and knees. At mark 6, the knee joints are located. And it should be noted: in order to correctly position the leg muscles at a later stage of the sketch or drawing, the line that connects the knee joint to the hip should be internal, and the one that goes to the foot should be external. This is the natural appearance of the human leg.
Wasp waist and shoulder joints of a person
The next part of the sketch is the chest, which also consists of an oval, and its size is equal to the pelvis. But it is worth noting that it is as if chopped off in its lower part. This will help to create a flat stomach in the future for the male figure or aspen waist for the female, and maybe even emphasize the fat folds.
The shoulder line is approximately halfway between the marks one and two, and the width is from two to three head. The apparent position of the shoulders can vary, and a lot depends on this. It can be slightly curved down or strained shoulder joints. Then the line will look different, it will be slightly higher.
The shoulder line is very individual, it helps to depict in the next stages of the drawing either a muscular neck or a long female, or even emphasize that a person has no neck, drowning in folds of fat.
Hand and brush sketch
And finally, you can proceed to the wrists, which are located at mark 4, just below the hip. Each person can verify this by checking on himself, standing up straight and placing his hands opposite the hips. The fingers end approximately in the middle of the thigh. Elbow joints are located at the waist level at around 3.
So with the help of a simple schedule, all the basic proportions of a person were observed. To draw the body from the side, you also need to use such a simple scheme. Then, with each subsequent sketch, the human body will look more accurate and more natural. Well, over time, you can completely abandon such a schedule, using only simple sketches. This mainly depends on how much time a person devotes to drawing. The more exercise, the faster the eye will become developed, and the need for such constructions will disappear by itself.
Appearance structure
And in order to observe all the proportions of a person’s face , for drawing it is necessary to use several basic rules. In the oval that depicts the head, a straight horizontal and vertical line is drawn. They should divide the future face into equal shares. The upper part of the oval is the frontal. The eyes are located exactly in the middle of the head.
The main mistake of novice artists is that the eyes are often located on the top of the head. This is incorrect and does not correspond to the proportion of the person’s face. For drawing, you should again use the average appearance. In nature, of course, you can meet people who may have a disproportionate figure or non-standard appearance.
Human head and parts of the face
The structure of the appearance of each person is very individual. But in the initial stages of drawing, it is better to always use standard sizes and proportions. Drawing a person’s head, face proportions are also built using a small graph. Having determined the location of the eyes on it, a line should be drawn on which the nose will be located.
It is located exactly in the middle between the line of the eyes and the chin. The mouth is located between the nose line and the chin, and the tips of the lips are always proportional to the eye pupils. And if you draw visual straight lines, looking in the mirror, each person can be convinced of these proportions.
And finally, the ears. They are located between the line of eyes and nose. Naturally, there are ears that are small, neat, and there are, as many call this part of the head, "burdocks." And, nevertheless, their location is still at the same point. So, following simple rules, you can easily learn to convey on paper the main facial features of a person or his figure.