learn to draw like a pro

8/7/2019 Learn to Draw Like a Pro

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Copyright 2005


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Section 1: The Basics

Section 2: The 3 Main Masses of The Body andhow to use them to create lifelike drawings.

Section 3: The Face

Section 4: Joints, Hands & Feet

Section 5: Practice what you have learned.Step-By-Step #1


Reference Pictures


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Section 1: The Basics

Here are a few directional terms that need to be discussed before we

begin, to help us in labeling and in explaining where things are placed.Look over them, because I will be referring back to these terms.


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To begin, let's start by dissolving some commonly believed myths. Many

people say that tracing is bad. I believe it is best to free hand, but if aperson needs to trace in order to get a feel for drawing something new,

knock yourself out!

Do not be prideful. If someone gives you feedback, good or bad, take itgratefully and go back to the drawing board.

Ok, let's get started

The stick figure may be the greatest asset for starting a drawing. You will

use it to do the step-by-step drawings. There isnt much information inthe stick figure, so it doesnt get in the way as you add more and more to

your drawing.

With stick figures, you can determine the gesture, the placement of thearms, legs, position of the head and the direction the face is pointed.

The stick figure is the basic step to your drawing. It is like a blueprint of

what you are going to draw.

The sketch below illustrates a figure that has been blocked out. In this

example, I have used tubes to show the 3 main areas or masses of the


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body. I have also drawn the tubes so that each tube represents an entire

muscle group or bone mass (skull, rib cage etc..).

These tubes also handle the proportions. Each tube is the correct length

of the corresponding muscle group with each joint having its own tube.

Look over this sketch. We will be referring back to this throughout thebook.


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Section 2: The 3 Main Masses of The Body and howto use them to create lifelike drawings.

Now, lets talk more about the 3 main areas, or masses of the body. The

3 masses are:

1. The ribcage2. The skull

3. The hips

Here is a sketch to illustrate these:

Here are the secrets to drawing lifelike figures. Make your drawing be

expressive, show movement or gesture:

1. None of these 3 masses should ever be parallel. It will make

your drawing boring and lifeless.

2. The front of each mass should always be facing different directions.3. The top of the rib cage mass should be used to locate the collar

bone (clavicle)

Examples of this are shown in the top two sketches below:


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In the two sketches at the bottom of the picture, here is an example of a

lizard drawn only with lines. Notice how much more interesting the

lizard is to look at, with the same number of lines, when opposing angles

are used. This is an example of how angles can create more lifelikedrawings.


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Section 3: Faces

Lets discuss the concept of an ellipse. If you take a circle and tilt itgradually until you see only a narrow portion of it, you get an ellipse. It

is with the ellipse that we show and reinforce the perspective of a

drawing.

This soup can shows with a series of ellipses, the angle at which the can

is tilted.

This will be used in the step-by-step drawings in order for us to practice

this concept.


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Look at how the soup can concept is used in this example to draw a face,

tilted slightly up.

Let us also take this opportunity to see where the shadows fall on a face

that had a light source above it.

From the eyebrows, a shadow is cast over the eye sockets. The nose

casts a shadow that extends to the upper lip, which is at a 45 degreeangle and therefore, it is in shadow.

The bottom lip is also at a 45 degree angle. So, it is not in shadow but

casts one that extends to the box of the chin.

The ears should be visible from a front view of the face.

Three equal measurements help us map out the face.Here are the three equal parts of the face.

1. From the hairline to the eyebrows.

2. From the eyebrows to the bottom of the nose.


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3. From the bottom of the nose to the bottom of the chin.

4. The bottom of the bottom lip is of the way between the bottom

of the nose and the bottom of the chin.

Secrets to a well proportioned face:

1. Two of the three equal distances turned sideways will give you thewidth of the face from cheek to cheek.

2. The width of one eye should equal the distance between both eyes.

3. The wings of the nose should be directly beneath the inside corner

of the eye.4. The corners of the mouth should be directly beneath the middle of

the eyeball.

5. The top of the ear is even with the brow and the bottom of the ear

is even with the bottom of the nose.6. A hand with the fingers extended, should go from the fingertips at

the hairline to the base of the palm at the bottom of the chin.

When drawing eyes on a face, most people are tempted to just place

them on the outside facing straight out, like headlights on a car. When,in fact, they are at a slight angle.

Humans are predators, like lions, tigers and bears. And, as such, haveforward facing eyes. But, unlike most predators, our eyes are set at aslight angle giving us good peripheral vision.

Beneath is an exaggerated picture of a top view of the head.


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See how the eyes sit at a slight angle on the head while still looking

forward.

Also, let us take note that just before the ears, the skull narrows slightly.As a result of this, the head is not perfectly egg shaped.

On this next sketch, notice that the angle of the jaw is greater than 90degrees. NEVER draw a jaw with a 90 degree angle.

Here are the 7 secrets to mapping out a face:

1. The forehead2. The pits of the eye in the skull3. The bridge of the nose

4. The box of the mouth

5. The box of the chin

6. The angle of the jaw7. The ear

The secret is these masses combined with the three equal length rule,

gives you a perfectly mapped out face.

Here are some examples:


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See how there is very little information in the above pictures, but,following the 7 secrets and the three space rule, these faces are mapped

out perfectly and ready to be finished.

Here are some more secrets to drawing a face at a profile:

Notice how in the following sketch, the angle of the tip of the nose, thebridge of the nose, the top and bottom lip, the box of the chin, and the

area where the bottom of the lip connects to the box of the chin can all

be drawn at 45 degree angles.

Take note that the eye is also a 45 degree angle.


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This next sketch shows how the throat is a tube placed between the two

Sterno Mastoid muscles. This is the windpipe. The thick portion in the

middle is formed by the thyroid cartilage.

Notice how the collar bones look like an upside down coat hanger.

Lets go into the finer detail on the face. Here are some sketches for

reference as we discuss these concepts.


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Let's discuss the eye first. The eye is a ball set into a bony hole in theskull and covered by thin flaps of skin. When drawing the eye, it needs

to be both setback into the socket and look like there is something roundbehind the eyelids.


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See how the eyelids are just two flaps of skin, draped over the eyeball,which is in the orbit of the skull. Also, notice how the eye seems slanted

up just a little.

Now lets talk about the nose. The nose is formed by the connection of

these cartilage plates as shown above. This cartilage insures that ournostrils stay open and our airway is unobstructed. Because of how these

plates sit, a really cool ridge is formed on the nose, which can be seen on

a profile.

Following are some step-by-step drawings for facial features.


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Here is a step-by-step drawing of the mouth.


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Section 4: Joints, Hands & Feet

This sketch illustrates the function of the hip and shoulder joint. Both areball and socket joints which provide a good deal of forward and backwardmovement with limited lateral mobility.

The joint of the elbow is like this sketch here. It allows up and downmovement.


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The elbow shows a lot of bone. Here the lateral aspect of the elbowshows a portion of the humerus and the olecrenon process of the ulna.Notice here how the tendon of the tricep wraps around the lateral condyle

of the humerus. Notice how the brachial radialus attaches from the

brachialus to the radius. If you put those together, you can see how itgot its name.


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Notice how in the next picture the position of the brachioradialis changesas it follows the radius as the wrist rotates. Also, notice the belly of the

biceps as the triceps are flexed and notice how the biceps shorten when

the tricep is relaxed and the forearm is brought up.


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Here is another example of what we just talked about, the relationshipbetween the bicep and the tricep.

The function of a muscle, in most cases, can be analyzed by thinkingwhat muscles are being used, if this is going on?. Like, in thesedrawings, the fingers are extended and therefore, the extensors of the

forearm are engaged. Likewise, in the other drawing, the hand is being

pulled down and therefore the compressors are being engaged.


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The knee joint is similar to the elbow, but is much more sturdy as thebones are 50 to 60% bigger. The bones in this joint are obviously

designed to take much more weight and impact. But this joint allows

about the same range of motion as the elbow.


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The secret to the anatomy of the knee and ankle is quite simple. The

knee and ankle are simply points where bones from above meet bonesfrom beneath.

The other part to this secret is that there are often equal sized opposingmuscle groups on either side of the bone. This is true with the

relationships between:

1. Quadraceps/Hamstrings

2. Biceps/Triceps

3. Extensors/Compressors of the forearm4. Posterior/Anterior Deltoid.

Note how in the next sketch the bones of the femur can be seen as well

as the bones of the tibia and fibula. This is the secret of the kneesanatomy.


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Note, also, the kneecap or patella and how it rests on the spot where the

two bones come together, protecting that gap when the knee is bent.Also, note that the tendon attaching the rectus femoris to the patella and

then the tendon attaches the patella to the knee.

Moving forward to the hand, lets explore the shape of the tips of the

fingers. All of the fingers, but especially the thumb, should employ the

shape of a shovel.


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Remember to always draw the thumb with a scooping effect.

The hand, seen from a front view has an arch shape to it. It is not

straight across.


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In the top right corner, the fingers line up so that the middle finger is thelongest, the index and ring finger are the same length with the pinkybeing the smallest. The thumb comes up past the first knuckle of the

index finger.

In the bottom right hand corner drawing, see how the three bones of thethumb are visible.

Moving on to the feet, the tibia on the ankle is higher up than the head of

the fibula. Also note in this illustration how the bones of the tibia and the

fibula rest on the bones of the feet.


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See how in the top, right hand corner sketch, the tibia is very close to the

front of the leg. Also, note how you can see the Achilles tendon on the

heel. On the same sketch, see how all the toes, except the big toe areangled.

On the bottom two sketches we are shown that there are two tendons onthe foot that are very visible when the foot is pulled in either direction. Ifthe foot is pulled up, then both are engaged. Note that there are two

similar tendons on the thumb.


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In this piece, we are working from Michaelangelos David. We arestarting out with a stick figure for the shoulders and hips and we areusing the soup can for the head. Notice how we exaggerate the slant ofthe shoulders and hips greatly. This was no accident. If you use only a

gradual slant, by the time you finish your drawing, the figure will appear

to be standing straight up with its shoulders squared to the floor.

Now we put in the rib cage and hips. We put a center line for the face on

the soup can.


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Now we add collar bone, humerus and femur. At this point, we especially

want to indicate the superior head of the humerus and the great trocanterof the femur. Notice how we use the rib cage to determine the length ofthe humerus. The position of the foot is also found in this step. This is

done by drawing an imaginary line down the center of the figure, and

placing the foot at this point. This way, that leg is balancing your figure.


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Now lets add a little mark to show us where the jaw will go, as well as

put a small soup can on the throat to represent the thyroid cartilage. Forpractice only we put the radius and the ulna in when we do the forearm.This is a little bit tedious an exercise but helpful in seeing how theposition of these bones effects the layout of the muscles.

We also draw the whole femur and tibia fibula. The only helpful thingabout drawing the entire bone is to ensure we get the correct length. It

is however very necessary to draw the femoral condyles and heads of the

tibia/fibula as these will be seen in our final drawing.


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Now we use the soup cans to map out the muscle groups. We put the

soup cans at an angle so that they reinforce the perspective of the body.For example, the lefty leg is coming slightly forward to the soup can on

the femur is tilted back so the bottom of the soup can is visible. This is

the step where we add the left forearm as well, with its soup can tiltedslightly towards us.


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We are going to draw the jaw line and put in some of the information

from the neck in. The hair can go on anytime, so lets put it on now too.

At this point lets take out our ellipses. Also, we want to extend our

mapped out muscle groups, so they connect to the joints.

Notice how we indicate pectoralis major here. We also can put in thelateral obliques and bring them up to meet the rib cage.

Pay attention to the lattissimus dorsi which we put in laterally to eachside of the rib cage.


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Ok, now we are getting serious. The eyes, nose, box of mouth, ears and

jaw go in. The musculature of the neck is getting more defined. We pullout the bones under the muscles leaving the bones at the joints. The left

hand goes on, the abs go in.

Lets go ahead and put in a lot of the leg muscles now too, but no shadingyet.


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In this step we finish the face. Finish the neck, with the throat placed

between the 2 Sterno Mastoids. In this step we also indicate thePectoralis Major and how it attaches to the sternum of the rib cage. The

nipples and belly button are 2 surface features that really tell your eye

you are looking at a nude figure.

We also slightly indicate the obliques covering the ribs.

Ok friend, here is where the anatomy page included really comes in

handy. That page may have a lot on it, but, I left out a lot of stuff youreally dont need to know, because it isnt visible as surface anatomy.


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The last thing we include is the sling over Davids shoulder. The chestmuscles in their 3 sections can be seen. The oblique stretches over the

rib cage but the thorasic ridge (or the edge of the rib cage) can still be

seen.

Oblique causes a really cool effect. It is interesting to note that on verythin people when we see their ribs, we are very rarely seeing ribs, it is

oblique. You can tell this because oblique angles up and the ribs angle

down.

The space between the ribs and abs actually has little or no musculature

but contains anatomical space filler called aponorosis.

See how even now, the bones of the joints are visible in the elbow, knee

and ankle. The bones on the right elbow lateral side cannot be seen from

a front view because brachioradialus is covering them up.

This figure is shaded only to show the shapes of muscles. This is not howa standing model would be shaded.

We do not have time or space to explore hands and feet in depth in thisbook, but these subjects will be covered in an advanced book that I willrelease later on. It will also cover such topics as; portraiture andshading.


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In this piece we are working from Michelangelos Sistine Chapel GodCreates Adam

Here we begin with a soup can skull and a stick figure for gesture,

shoulder and hip placement.

Now we map out the rib cage and indicate the hips. Again, we must be

sure to emphasize the angles of the shoulder/hip relationship.


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Now, we use an ellipse to show the collar bone and trapezius. At this

point we extend the stick figure by putting in the arms and legs. On theleft side, the right arm will be extended to touch Gods finger and the left

knee is up by the left elbow.


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Lets get right to mapping out the muscle groups and put in the humerus.Lets also indicate the angle of the thorasic ridge and the sternum.


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Lets get away from using bones too much at this point and only use the

soup can blocks to lay out the muscle groups & lengths of bones. Lets

also indicate the pectoralis major.


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The hands go on now and we put in the lateral obliques.


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Now, lets put in the bowl of the belly, the latissimus dorsi, and the right

tibia/fibula area.


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The right shoulder is being pushed up since it is resting on the ground.As a result, the head of the humerus can be seen.

Take note that the left arm being raised means that from the back youwould see the shoulder blade raised to an angle. The reason for this is

the collar bone is attached to the shoulder blade and when raised, both

clavicle and scapula are raised.


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Now, we tighten up the anatomy a bit and connect all the muscles to the

joints. Lets get the abs in a little bit and put some muscles in the neck.


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Lets lay out the muscles and bones of the legs. Also, we will thicken upthe compressors of the left forearm. We are going to change the angle ofthe right thorasic ridge.


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Lets finish the hair, face, chest, arms, obliques, abs, legs and neck. Weshade this figure just to show the musculature.


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The next few pages are reference material for anatomy and proportions.

These next few pages of anatomy materials, plus the many tips I have

taught you should give you plenty to work on. I suggest drawing or

tracing the practice drawings over and over until the techniques explainedhere become natural and easy to use.

Experiment with free hand drawing, starting from a stick figure, and

building up, just like we did in the practice drawings.

Good Luck!


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Reference Pictures

Remember the three spaces rule. If you take one of those spaces and

measure down the neck, this will give you the measurement to the collarbone.


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Each of these sections of the body is two heads tall. The space on theinside thigh where the arrows are, down to the bottom line is the width ofthe hips. In order, they are; chest, calf, chest turned sideways, forearm

& hand and a thigh.

Notice how the trapezius and the shoulder blades form a large capital

M. Also, notice how only the top cervical portion of the vertebral

column is visible. See how at the base of the spine on either side of the

sacrum, there are 2 dimples before the gluteus maximus. This is formedwhen the sacrum meets the pelvis, but the dimples have a really cool

effect on a nude back.


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