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Uploaded:November 8, 2010
Artist:Carliihde
Difficulty:Advanced  Advanced Skill Level
Steps:9
Updated:November 8, 2010
P.O.V:3/4
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How to Draw a Figure

This tutorial will show you how to draw a detailed/comic book version of the female figure. I will take you step by step on how I set up the drawing, how I sketch in the details and how i finish it. I hope you'll have plenty of fun by learning "how to draw a figure", step by step.

Tags
how to draw a terran
how to draw a figure
how to draw a goddess
how to draw a figure step 1

STEP 1.

Alright, the first step to almost every female figure should be the most important part. It's the portion of the female figure that sets it apart from the male body more than any other thing. This, of course, is the curve. The "S" curve of a woman's body should be quite prominent in showing her posture and figure. It gives your character a dainty feminine quality that you really want to show. From the head down we go from the curve of the neck, shoulders, lower back, buttocks, back of the thigh, back of the calf, heel and toes. If you don't quite see what the curve is of the figure right away, a great way to practice curves is to find pictures of women posing and drawing in the line of the curve over the photo. It's great practice! This will give you the eye you need to draw your own figure.
 
how to draw a figure step 2

STEP 2.

Now the next step is filling in the shapes. Start with the upper back. You want to give every shape a blocky look with the corners of each block emphasizing the "boney landmark" of the shape. This boney landmark are key shapes in the human figure that you should make sure to show in order to give your drawing that extra UMPH! For example, the shoulder blades, hips, the rib cage and ankles. Tip: Make sure that the elbow of your figure doesn't drop down any further than you would think the belly button would be and the the bottom of the hand (when arm is laid flat against the figure) shouldn't fall any further than halfway down the thigh.
 
how to draw a figure step 3

STEP 3.

Ok, now draw in the shapes of the legs and feet. Give the thighs and bit of an outwards curve and the calf an inwards one. (to emphasize that "S" Curve again, it's a motif throughout all female figures) One thing I always keep in mind when drawing the feet (Because I know they are hard to draw) Think of them as a wedge shape at the bottom of the ankle. If you practice with the drawing and folding of that wedge you will eventually be able to add in the toes and heel. That really helped me get the hang of drawing feet.
 
how to draw a figure step 4

STEP 4.

Ready for the fun part finally? Now you can add in the facial details. Make sure the eyes sit between the construction lines. Make sure they are a full eye's length apart from one another. The top of the ear should hit the top eye construction line and the bottom of the ear should be at the bottom of the nose. The Nose should be halfway between the middle of the eyes to the bottom of the chin. The lips should be halfway between the bottom of the nose and the bottom of the chin. The hair (My personal favorite) should be loose and fun! ( I like it long and wavy) Make sure you not only take into account the shape and length of the hair but also how it lays on the shoulders and where the light hits it. Please, when doing this figure, experiment with different types of hair! This is your chance to try something new out! Don't be afraid to stray away from my tutorial and do something crazy and fun!
 
how to draw a figure step 5

STEP 5.

Ok, now sketch in the upper body. It's all very loose, but we will tighten it as we go along. In the sketching phase don't be afraid to emphasize too much. If you think it looks weird you can always erase it, but these are the steps to have fun in and experiment with. Again, Don't forget the boney landmarks! The ribs, the hips and the shoulder blades. Also here's where you add in the fingers. I gave he a very simple relaxed hand. You don't want to make her hand do anything crazy because you want her to be poised and you don't want to take any attention away from her face.
 
how to draw a figure step 6

STEP 6.

Now draw in the legs and feet. Once again, don't be afraid to experiment with crazy curves and extreme sizes. Here is were you add in the feet as well. Make sure you show the back of the foot, because she is turned around with her back towards us. You also will not be able to see all the toes, maybe one or two. Also, make sure to show the ankle boney landmark.
 
how to draw a figure step 7

STEP 7.

Ok, Erase all your construction lines and see where your figure is at! Looks pretty good doesn't it? This is the step where you can add or subtract any lines that might be a little off. Maybe add in your own flare? Fix up the face and the hair a bit. Sketch in some more little details before adding in the final line work.
 
how to draw a figure step 8

STEP 8.

Now you can add over your sketches the final clean line work. Put in all the details and clean up the lines and really add character to the face. hair, hands and feet. Don't forget things like detail in the ear, wrinkles and creases (not too many if its a young woman)
 
how to draw a figure step 9

STEP 9.

Alright! Now erase your sketchy lines to reveal the masterpiece underneath! Now you can add in any details you may have missed and clean up anything that still looks a bit sketchy. But overall, it's all done! Now you can go directly to colors. Thank you so much for checking out my first tutorial. Comments and reviews are always welcome! Any questions, just post those too! If anyone tries out this tutorial I would LOVE to see what you do with it! Please post up your drawings so I can see them! :)
 

Comments: Post Comment

 
BouCoupDinkyDau's comment

 

BouCoupDinkyDau ~ Jan 17, 2012, 12:11:37 AM
You can't hope to draw people correctly unless you first learn the nude form.
@serenosaurus
Its art.If you want to do art in the future,you're probably gonna have to draw things like this and put clothes on them . Have you ever actually seen great art?Alot of people are naked >_> . I dont draw naked people,I dont want to D: .BUT.All drawings(of people) are somehow naked before you start putting detail into them.. Grow up.
 
serenosaurus's comment

 

serenosaurus ~ Jan 15, 2012, 2:40:33 PM
Its art.If you want to do art in the future,you're probably gonna have to draw things like this and put clothes on them . Have you ever actually seen great art?Alot of people are naked >_> . I dont draw naked people,I dont want to D: .BUT.All drawings(of people) are somehow naked before you start putting detail into them.. Grow up.
@mrtatertots
k, guys, stop drawing naked girls, its a waste of time, and not how art should be. totally agree with ya, TheMermaid.
 
Valdar's comment

 

Valdar ~ Jan 11, 2012, 3:31:33 PM
jawdrop drool jawdrop drool jawdrop drool jawdrop drool jawdrop drool jawdrop drool jawdrop drool ...this is awsome.... just draw some linez on her legs arms neck and waist and she got clothes rock rock rock rock rock rock rock rock rock rock rock rock rock rock rock rock rock rock rock rock rock
 
GES2001's comment

 

GES2001 ~ Jan 8, 2012, 5:44:10 PM
I DID IT ALL FOR NO REASON
@GES2001
watermelon watermelon watermelon watermelon watermelon ill ill ill plotting plotting plotting plotting poke poke poke poke poke innocent innocent innocent innocent innocent omgomg omgomg omgomg O_o O_o O_o meowla meowla meowla bucktooth bucktooth bucktooth bucktooth bucktooth rock rock rock rock singing singing singing singing smile smile smile jawdrop jawdrop jawdrop jawdrop wow wow wow wow yawn yawn yawn X3 X3 x_x x_x x_x x_x
 
GES2001's comment

 

GES2001 ~ Jan 8, 2012, 5:43:12 PM
watermelon watermelon watermelon watermelon watermelon ill ill ill plotting plotting plotting plotting poke poke poke poke poke innocent innocent innocent innocent innocent omgomg omgomg omgomg O_o O_o O_o meowla meowla meowla bucktooth bucktooth bucktooth bucktooth bucktooth rock rock rock rock singing singing singing singing smile smile smile jawdrop jawdrop jawdrop jawdrop wow wow wow wow yawn yawn yawn X3 X3 x_x x_x x_x x_x
 
GES2001's comment

 

GES2001 ~ Jan 4, 2012, 7:46:11 PM
PPL THERE MIGHT BE LITTLE KIDS ON HERE TO DRAW SO WHATCH YOUR GUYS LANGUAGE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! angry angry angry angry angry
 
mrtatertots's comment

 

mrtatertots ~ Jan 3, 2012, 5:55:51 PM
k, guys, stop drawing naked girls, its a waste of time, and not how art should be. totally agree with ya, TheMermaid.
 
MCRfreak's comment

 

MCRfreak ~ Jan 3, 2012, 2:34:56 AM
speechless speechless im sick to death, goin on tut's like this to get a better mind of how to darw a figure right, but what really annoys the speechless out of mee is when people put negtive comments on an awesome art work! Get the heck over art like this! if yooh can't handle it, don't click on the tut in the first place. By the way Dawn well done on another amazing art work
 
Tragecaster's comment

 

Tragecaster ~ Jan 2, 2012, 10:38:24 PM
You know the only reason why people put up tutorials of people not dressed, is because when people draw people, they are obviously going to have a figure and they need to know what one looks like. So its ok if someone is in a bikini, but not naked when it doesnt SHOW anything? You people, need to not act like your four and learn that the human body is a body. Its not innapropriate, its LIFE! So people that think its immature, why dont you try getting one for once? Nice tutorial by the way. Keep up the good drawing! mature
 
TheMermaid's comment

 

TheMermaid ~ Jan 2, 2012, 12:40:35 PM
Grow up. This is art, not a speechlesssite. If u cant see that... Well, poor u. blank
@fifapro
Heeeeelllllooooo watermelon
 
:lol: confused :fear: X3 :x_x: :shakefist: :zzz: :shrug: :inlove: =D =( :bow: :boogie: :innocent: :omgomg: O_o :3
:rolling: :plotting: :ill: =$ :fart: :hai: :mature: ;p ^^; :drool: :stupid: :poke: :tomatoe: :threaten: T_T :snooty: :singing:
B) :yay: :yawn: :watermelon: :wtf: :wow: :jawdrop: :paranoid: :dumb: :evil: :angry: :speechless: :blank: :rock: :salute: =B ;)
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