Figure It Out! Simple Lessons, Quick Results

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FigureItOut!

Simple Lessons,Quick Results Essential Tips and Tricks for Drawing People

Get Creative 6

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An imprint of Get Creative 6 104 West 27th Street Third Floor New York, NY 10013 sixthandspringbooks.com Managing Editor/Senior Editor LAURA COOKE Art Director IRENE LEDWITH Assistant Editor JACOB SIEFERT Production J. ARTHUR MEDIA Vice President TRISHA MALCOLM Chief Operating Officer CAROLINE KILMER Production Manager DAVID JOINNIDES President ART JOINNIDES Chairman JAY STEIN Copyright © 2018 by Cartoon Craft, LLC All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or used in any form or by any means—graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or information storage-and-retrieval systems—without written permission of the publisher.

The written instructions, photographs, designs, projects, and patterns are intended for the personal, noncommercial use of the retail purchaser and are under federal copyright laws; they are not to be reproduced in any form for commercial use.

Permission is granted to photocopy content for the personal use of the retail purchaser.

Cataloging-in-Publication data is available from the Library of Congress.

ISBN: 978-1-64021-024-0 Manufactured in China 1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2 First Edition

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This book is dedicated to my wife, Maria, whose insightful comments are always so helpful. christopherhartbooks.com youtube.com/chrishartbooks facebook.com/CARTOONS.MANGA

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Contents Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Start with Simple Concepts . . . . . . . . . 10 Key Proportions of the Head . . . . . . .

Use Proportions for Other Angles . . . .

Getting the Shape of the Head Right .

Woman’s Head—Front View . . . . . . . .

Those Eyes! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Draw the Eyes Step by Step . . . . . . . .

The Three Basic Eye Shapes . . . . . . .

Eyelids and Expressions . . . . . . . . . . .

Eyelashes—The Finishing Touch . . . . .

Drawing Eyes in Profile . . . . . . . . . . .

Nose Types—Common Variations . . . .

Noses—A Selection . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Adjusting the Features of the Face . . .

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12 13 14 16 18 19 20 21 22 24 26 27 28

Drawing the Figure from Head to Toe . 76 Proportion Guidelines . . . . . . . . .

Overview of the Whole Figure . . .

Front View—The Full Figure . . . .

Turned to the Right (or Left) . . . .

Back View—Helpful Hints . . . . . .

Tips for Hips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Hip Action—Step by Step . . . . . .

Tips for Drawing Legs . . . . . . . . .

How to Hyperextend the Knee . . .

The Height Line . . . . . . . . . . . . .

When in Doubt, Take a Step Back .

From the Back . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

People and Props . . . . . . . . . . . .

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78 79 80 81 82 84 86 88 90 92 96 98 100

Sitting Poses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104

Basic Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 Let it Flow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 Get Creative . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

Sitting—Legs Together . . . .

Sitting—Legs Crossed . . . . .

Facing Backward in a Chair .

Kneeling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Floor Sitting . . . . . . . . . . . .

Mastering the Side View . . . . . . . . . . . . 42

Walking Poses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116

Side View—Male . . . . . . . . . . .

Side View—Female . . . . . . . . .

Three Quarter Angle—Male . . .

How to Adjust the Head Shape .

The Mouth Area . . . . . . . . . . .

Walking: Legs Crossed—Front Angle .

Walking: Legs Apart—Front Angle . . .

Walking—3/4 Angle . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Walking—Side View . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Understanding Hairstyles . . . . . . . . . . . 30

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44 46 48 50 52

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106 108 110 112 115

118 120 122 124

Drawing Clothes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126 Tilting the Head . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54 What Is a Tilt? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56 Tilt Down . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58

Drawing the Body . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60 The Upper Body—Male . . . . . .

The Upper Body—Female . . . .

The Torso—3/4 Angle . . . . . . . .

Side View—Upper Body . . . . . .

Practice Poses—Step by Step .

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62 63 64 65 68

About Sketching . . .

Stylish Dress . . . . . .

Pants and a Blazer .

High-End Clothing . .

The Overcoat . . . . . .

Bell Dress . . . . . . . .

Color Thumbnails . . .

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128 130 132 134 136 139 141

Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142

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I ntroduction

Are you like most aspiring artists who struggle to find the right way to draw the head and body? Difficulties have a way of suddenly presenting themselves just as you’re getting into your creative flow. So what happens? You try to plow past them.

But using the same techniques that didn't work the first time still won’t work the second or the third time. Unless you have the knowledge to solve the problems of figure drawing, making progress can feel

like blasting through granite.

By using the tips, tricks, and techniques in this book, you will be able to draw the head and human figure while staying in your creative groove. The pages in this book are filled with solutions to the common drawing challenges that all artists face. Learning these techniques will easily raise your skills to a new level, and without much effort too.

Perhaps you’ve practiced consistently,

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but have plateaued. This book will get you back into high gear with a generous supply of illustrated tips and hints. You’ll be able to master techniques and subjects that you may have thought were beyond your abilities. The concepts in this book are as intuitive as they are practical. Art is about self-expression, but without the right tools, we can’t express ourselves effectively. Here are the tools. Why not start today?

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Start with Simple Concepts

A

ll of the teachings in this book are highly practical. You can put them to use right away; you don’t need to wait until you’ve mastered them. The most effective techniques for drawing are based on simple concepts. By establishing a clear construction in the first and second steps, the details will unfold naturally, making learning to draw deceptively easy. These lessons are also intuitive, which means that once you grasp an idea, you’re likely to remember it.

Everything is designed to give you the skills you’ve been working for.

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Key Proportions of the Head: Front View

O

ne important thing to know as you’re getting started is how to prioritize all of the information out there about drawing. Among the many concepts for drawing the face, here’s one to commit to memory: The eyes are located halfway down the head, as measured from top to bottom. That means the eyes will be drawn at the same level as the bridge of the nose.

Measure from the top of the head, not from the hairline.

The eyes are drawn at the halfway point, where the bridge of the nose begins.

Bottom measurement point

TIP

for Drawing Proportions Where you position the features is as important as how you draw them.

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Start with Simple Concepts

Use Proportions for Other Angles

O

nce again, the eye line becomes a simple, but effective, organizing principle when roughing out the face. The proportions demonstrate that there’s more forehead than most people assume. That’s because it is mostly masked by hair.

Top

Half (bridge of nose)

Bottom Profile—Right

¾ Angle—Right

The bottom of the nose is halfway between eyes and chin.

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Understanding Hairstyles

T

here are general principles for drawing the hair, and they’re easy to incorporate into any drawing. The hairstyle often represents a significant portion of the look of the face. To give it life, try to clarify its shape and direction. When you employ these techniques, the haircut looks natural.

Let’s simplify the concepts and then apply them.

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Female Hairstyles Step by Step You can get more flow out of a longer hairstyle. But you can get creative with short female haircuts too. They can be cute, stylish, or traditional. Think of women’s hairstyles as a complete design, with all the elements coming together to create a single look. Let’s try one, step-by-step.

Draw a line that curves from the part on top of the head, over one eye, and off the face.

The line forks off toward the right, ending at the ear.

This will result in the forehead being mostly covered by the hair.

Surround the head with a wide outline of the hair.

TIP

for Drawing Hairstyles A simple design is a pleasing design.

Add a little flip, for an asymmetrical design.

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Draw a few single hairs off the forehead to add spontaneity to the look.

The hair overlaps the ears, which makes for an easier drawing.

Understanding Hairstyles

This particular hairstyle adds volume and rounds out the hair on the sides.

This cut is somewhat traditional with a good helping of style.

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Mastering the Side View

D

o you approach the profile by drawing the nose and eyes before completing the rest of the head? Most people work in that order. Let’s change it around.

Start by drawing the overall shape of the head and proportions, then draw the features. This creates a more convincing head and face.

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Side View—Male

A

pproximate the levels for the features. This isn’t set in stone; you can always adjust the features by raising or lowering them a notch.

Eye line

Bottom of nose

The back of the head extends well past the back of the neck.

Mouth The angle of the jaw is prominent.

The bottom of the chin is horizontal until it intersects with the vertical line of the neck.

The mouth is slightly closer to the nose than it is to the chin.

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The interior hairline (in blue), which runs along the forehead, is as important to the look of the drawing as the hair that surrounds the head.

Mastering the Side View

TIP

Add mass for the brow.

The hair in the final drawing should appear more relaxed than in the construction.

Add mass for the front of the chin.

Round off this line.

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DRAWING THE BODY

T

he human body is an amazing machine.

It moves as a unit, yet it’s assembled from sections. It’s our job as artists to merge these sections together in a way that looks smooth, natural, and unplanned. In other words, we want to fool the viewer into thinking we didn’t use any effort! As we did in the first half of this book, we’ll work from general shapes to specific ones. Along the way, I’ll give you tips and techniques to help you grasp the concepts.

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The Torso—3/4 Angle

J

ust like any object turned to the left or right, the far side will appear narrower. The trick for drawing the torso at this angle is to draw the far side of the abdominal wall narrower than the near side.

Draw a rounded Center Line to mimic the curve of the upper body. A straight line would flatten out the look.

Near side abdominal wall Ribcage area Waistline Far side abdominal wall (narrower)

Hip area

TIP The contour of the torso is directly affected by the shape of the ribcage.

Add details, then smooth out the figure by erasing the construction guidelines for a natural look.

A viewer will sense your grasp of the human figure, but will be unaware of the mechanics that went into it.

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I

n the side view, the upper body can be drawn as a single shape. For men, the shape is slightly top heavy, and for women, it’s the opposite.

As with all guidelines, you can adjust them to create individuals.

The back extends past his shoulder, adding thickness.

Drawing the Body

Side View—Upper Body

Generally, there isn’t much mass behind the shoulder, which gives the upper torso a narrow appearance.

The hips are wide.

The hips are fairly narrow.

TIP Simplify the beginning of a drawing, and the details will look better when you finish.

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Drawing Clothes

A

fashionable outfit will enhance the look of your figure drawings. It can transform a well-drawn figure into something eye-popping. A dramatic outfit also allows you to push the pose a little further. In this chapter, we’ll continue our focus on figure drawing, but we’ll also learn important tips for drawing attractive outfits.

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Stylish Dress

T

he cut of the dress is at least as important as the pattern that may be printed on it. This dress, for example, has no pattern whatsoever, yet it’s still stylish and appealing. This urban-chic dress is a minimalistic look.

Indicate wide shoulders.

The line curves to fit the contours of the upper body.

Hip rises on this side

Thighs attach to hips at a diagonal

Draw the contours of the inner legs.

Draw the hem slightly higher on the left leg.

Square off the front of the boots.

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Hair in front of the eyes creates a stylish cut.

Drawing Clothes

A chic pallet with white, gray, and black can have as much impact as a colorful one.

Indicate some shoulder definition.

The belt is used as pacing, to break up the one-piece outfit.

Clunky, and proud of it.

The boots are a nice contrast to the dress.

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Index A active person 96–97 arm, hyperextended 114 art student 102–103

B back view of full figure 82–83, 98–99 bangs 38 bell dress 139–140

C casual standing pose 68–69 Center Line 48, 56, 81, 98 chair, facing backward in 112– 113 character’s role 97 clothes bell dress 139–140 high-end 134–135 overcoat 136–138 pants and blazer 132–133 stylish dress 130–131 color autumn 103 chic pallet 131 energetic, offbeat 107 hair 47, 49 intensity of 91 muted 133, 141 overcoat and lining 138 thumbnails 141 variations of single 67 crossed legs 108–109, 118–119

D dynamic standing pose 70–71

E expressions 21 eyelashes 22 eyelids 21

eyes contrast 15 eyelashes 22 eyelids and expressions 21 highlights 23 shapes, basic 20 side view 24–25 step by step 18–19

F fashionable eyelids 21 females. see also clothes full figure 79, 92–95, 98–101 hair 17, 36–41 head 16–17, 46–47 hips 84–87

legs 88–91, 140 noses 29 sitting poses 106–111, 114– 115 torso 63–64, 65–67 torso poses 70–71, 74–75 walking poses 118–119, 124–125 figure from head to toe. see full figure flipped up hairstyle 35 floor sitting 114–115 front view full figure 80 head proportions 12 walking poses 118–121 full figure active person 96–97 art student 102–103 back view 82–83, 98–99 front view 80 Height Line 92–95 hips 84–87 legs 88–91, 140 musician 100–101 overview 79 proportion guidelines 78 turned to right/left 81

G guitar case 100–101

H hair color 47, 49 female 17, 36–41 highlights 57 male 15, 33–35 techniques, basic 32 hand in pocket 68 head proportions 12–13

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K knee, hyperextended 90–91 kneeling 110–111

L leaning back 72–73 legs 88–91, 118–121, 140 loose hair 39

noses 28 torso 62, 65 torso poses 68–69, 72–73 walking poses 120–123 mouth area 52–53 musician 100–101

N noses 26–29

O overcoat 136–138

P pacing 87 pants and blazer 132–133 perspective 101 pleased expression 21 pocket, hand in 68 poses. see sitting poses; torso poses; walking poses profile. see side view proportions full figure 78 head 12–13 props 100–101, 123, 125

R roughs 128–129

S shading 69, 111, 121 shag hairstyle 35 shoes 135 shoulders 115 side hairstyles 35, 38 side view eyes 24–25 head, female 46–47

head, male 44–45, 48–53 head proportions 13 torso 65 walking poses 124–125 sitting poses about 105 chair, facing backward in 112–113 floor sitting 114–115 kneeling 110–111 legs crossed 108–109 legs together 106–107 sketching 128 sleeves 119 smile 71 standing poses. see torso poses stylish dress 130–131

Index

shape 14–17, 50–51 tilted 56–59 Height Line 92–95 high-end clothing 134–135 highlights 23, 57 hips 84–87 hyperextension 90–91, 114

T 3/4 angle. see also side view head proportions 13 torso 64 walking poses 122–123 thumbnails 141 tilting the head 56–59 torso female 63–64, 65–67 male 62, 65 side view 65 step by step 66–67 3/4 angle 64 torso poses casual standing pose 68–69 dynamic standing pose 70–71 leaning back 72–73 standing at angle 74–75 turned to side, full figure 81

U upper body. see torso

W M males full figure 78–79, 80–83, 96–97, 102–103 hair 15, 33–35 head 14–15, 44–45, 48–53

walking poses about 117 legs apart 120–121 legs crossed 118–119 side view 124–125 3/4 angle 122–123 women. see females worried expression 21

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Don’t miss these other great titles by Christopher Hart!

The fingertips appear midway down the upper leg.

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The pelvis is the midway point of the body.

The navel appears at the bottom row of abdominal muscles.

The elbows appear at the bottom of the ribcage.

FigureIt Out!

Learn to draw the human figure with easy steps and detailed instruction from Christopher Hart, the world’s best-selling author of how-to-draw books.

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ART INSTRUCTION • FIGURE DRAWING

The Easy Way to Draw People

FigureItOut!

This is the perfect book for anyone who has ever wanted to just pick up a pencil and start drawing the human figure with relative ease. Follow along with bestselling how-to-draw author Christopher Hart as he cuts through the common, complicated instruction of most figure-drawing books to provide all the tips, tricks, and techniques needed for impressive figure drawing. Learn to draw the natural curves of the figure and the basic dynamics of the body in a wide variety of poses through simple, step-by-step instruction. Whatever your skill level may be, Figure It Out: Simple Lessons, Quick Results shows you how to immediately grasp the basics of drawing people—and get the quick results to prove it!

Simple Lessons,Quick Results

FigureItOut!

Simple Lessons,Quick Results Essential Tips and Tricks for Drawing People Get down to the basics of figure drawing and get started on sketching your way to new and improved skills with Christopher Hart. Figure It Out: Simple Lessons, Quick Results breaks down the essential elements of figure drawing into straightforward steps that anyone can understand and attempt. Inside, you’ll find:

• Detailed instruction on creating varied facial features to easily personalize your drawings • Guidance on drawing the figure from multiple angles and in numerous poses • Full-color finished images throughout the book • Accessible tips, tricks, and techniques for drawing people that you can rely on again and again.

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Figure It Out! Simple Lessons, Quick Results

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Christopher Hart is the world’s bestselling author of how-to-draw books, with more than 7 million copies sold. His books also have a huge international audience, having been translated into more than 20 languages. In his more than 50 titles, he offers artists accessible, generously illustrated, and clearly written step-by-step instruction on a wide variety of how-to-draw subjects, including manga, human anatomy, cartooning, comics, and animals. Learn more at christopherhartbooks.com.

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Get Creative 6

ISBN: 978-1-64021-024-0

Essential Tips and Tricks for Drawing People 6/27/18 12:53 AM