Learning how to draw well is one of the most time-consuming processes; for many, just going through the motions and drawing as much as possible, and of anything, is the best solution to achieving a level of skill to be admired. Very few people are born with actual talent and pick up drawing easily, while the rest of us have to practice again and again, for years in a row. Having a good teacher can also be important, as well as a community with which you can discuss whatever issues arise and which can provide great feedback for your work. We are going off-track however, because today we want to focus on you beginners, and give you a few tips about drawing people.
Drawing people is one of the most difficult skills an artist must achieve, because it is hard to capture someone’s feelings and emotions, to surprise their personality in a truly good drawing. The expressions of the face, every wrinkle, a sparkle in their eyes, a slight imperfection of the nose, the curves of a cheek or the way their hair falls, all these are details that can drive an artist mad with desperation. For example, one of the first things someone learns when trying to draw people is that you need to avoid drawing a single line for a feature; the hand’s movement has to hatch the feature from multiple shorter lines, so it is easier to correct the direction and achieve some fluidity.
Another important thing to know about drawing people is that you must use all kinds of different lines; some thinner, others thicker, longer or shorter, so you create an effect of volume and depth. The lines can also be jagged, dabbed, dotted, smooth and so on, depending on what feature you are focusing on, or what drawing technique you are trying to master. It can be difficult for beginners to draw moving people, or even people who are standing still before them; that is why they should always begin with picture, photos and images which they can study in their own time.
Whether you reach this conclusion on your own or someone teaches you about it, it is essential that you move both your hand and the paper you’re drawing on. This is because the hand’s mobility is quite limited, and if you want to be as accurate as possible, the paper has to be twisted and turned according to the direction of the lines you’re working on. That way, the results will be much better, and your drawing people will be improved.
