How to Draw the Statue of David

Step 1.

Ok, let's begin with some guide lines. Start with the large shape of the chest. Notice how it's tilted a bit to one side. The pelvis tilts in the opposite direction, and we draw a line running down the center of both shapes. Next draw the long, B-curves of the arm and legs. Draw in kneecaps and the bent arm, and finally add the head, drawn at an angle.

Step 2.

Normally I'd start with the head, but I feel the torso is the boldest part of this sculpture. Well, aside from certain unmentionables. So let's start with the upper body -- the ribcage and chest muscles. Since the sculpture features soft muscles and shapes, let's use broken-up lines and dashes to form the details. Try to wrap the muscles and ribs around the shape of the chest, as if it were a barrel.

Step 3.

Now we'll add the pelvis and abdominal muscles. The ribcage and pelvis do have a sort of hourglass shape here. Note how the lower abs extend down, past the hips. Those two chunky things on each side of the pelvis are the oblique muscles. We might as well add some of the smaller details to finish up this part of the body entirely.

Step 4.

Now for the neck area. Again, since the shapes are so soft and smooth, and not chiseled like a superhero drawing, use dashes and feathered lines to detail the shapes here. It's more a matter of drawings the shadows that are case by the bones and muscles than actually outlining each shape.

Step 5.

Next, let's focus on drawing the hairline and the outline of the face. Note the pronounced cheekbone and placement of the ear.

Step 6.

Now we'll add the facial details and some poofy hair. For the face, mainly draw in the contour of the nose and lips. The rest can be expressed in dashed lines.

Step 7.

Draw in some dark brushstrokes for the hair. Keep these strokes thicker toward the bottom, to convey shadow.

Step 8.

For this arm, I've drawn in some extra guide lines to show you the types of curves you want to keep in mind. Note the back and forth curve from the outer shoulder, inner bicep, and outer forearm.

Step 9.

The hand overlaps the leg a bit, so we'll get it done now. The hand is in a resting pose, not quite open, and not quite closed into a fist. The first two fingers and thumb are more relaxed, and the last two fingers and curled up.

Step 10.

I try to think of the thigh and knee as one unit. The lumpy knee casts quite a bit of shadow here. Small dashes help show the shape of the muscles, but don't get too carried away, or else the drawing will start to flatten out.

Step 11.

The lower leg and foot. I wanted to point out the angle of the foot and toes, and also the angle of the ankle. The ankle is higher on the inside of the leg, and lower on the outside. The shadow is cast by the shinbone, which is the foremost part of the lower leg.

Step 12.

The second leg is held at a slightly raised angle, with the weight of the body placed mostly on the first leg. I wanted to point out the pinches in the lines you'll be drawing.

Step 13.

The foot is extended a bit, and the toes are hanging off the side of the platform (soon to be added). The shadow now falls on the inside of the leg, but the top of the foot is still lit.

Step 14.

The second arm is holding a towel or something. I guess Dave just got out of the shower. The knuckles are important in shaping the hand here. Note the angle of the hand coming from the wrist. There's one break in the statue along the forearm. I'm assuming it was just sculpted in two parts and that this wasn't an actual breakage, but I haven't researched it. I included a kind of lazy elbow sketch to give you some idea of what's going on under that shadow.

Step 15.

Next we can quickly drop in the platform he's standing on, and of course the tree thing behind his leg. I'm not sure what kind of wood that is, but I decided to keep it simplified here. The diagonal marks on the base give a slight stone or marble feel to the shape, and break up the flatness a bit.

Step 16.

The final inks. This is a good statue to study for muscle and shadow reference. I'm sure they sell miniatures of this somewhere, and those could be useful for the artist. I hope everyone enjoyed this tutorial. Let me know if there are any other statues you'd like to see done as a tutorial. Thanks for viewing!