Tips for Drawing Realistic People

Observe Your Surroundings
Learn to watch people and things around you in detail. For instance, watch the way someone's shirt moves when they walk. Look at the facial expressions of people during different situations. Also, observe the way drapes flap in an open window, or light falls onto a tree. You want to learn from real life situations to get the understanding you need to draw realistic people.

Start With The Nude
The first step is to start studying and drawing the figure nude. You will not be able to draw clothed people until you get the basis of the nude figure. You can find a local class with models or find an online website with pictures of models for drawing.

Proportions
 An average person's height is 7 and a half heads tall, this is for a more realistic drawing. The ideal figure is 8 head tall which is what you will be using for most of your figures. Although, some figures height is 9 heads which is for mostly superheroes.

Set A Goal For Your Drawing
Think about what you are about to draw before you actually draw. Ask yourself these questions before drawing:

• What is the theme of this figure?


• How old is the figure?


• What is the height of the figure?


• What are some features you know you want on the figure?

You don't need every detail right away, but if you have a basis for your figure than your drawing will look more planned out. You will get more ideas as you draw that you can add. You will see a difference between planned and unplanned drawings. You can also use thumbnails to get some ideas down.
  
Sketch The Basic Gesture
The first thing you should always do is to draw a basic gesture of the figure. To do this lightly sketch a basic manikin of your figure to get the proportions right before any further details. A basic manikin can consist of an oval for the head, an oval or round square for the ribcage and lines for the arms and legs with a basic circle for the hands and feet. Below is a quick sketch of drawing the basic shapes with a little added detail over.

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