The Practical Guide to Drawing Figures

99 Pages·2012·4.49 MB·English

by  Barrington Barber

This edition published in 2010 by Arcturus Publishing Limited
26/27 Bickels Yard, 151–153 Bermondsey Street,
London SE1 3HA
Copyright © 2009 Arcturus Publishing Limited/Barrington Barber
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or
transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or
otherwise, without written permission in accordance with the provisions of the Copyright Act 1956
(as amended). Any person or persons who do any unauthorised act in relation to this publication
may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages.
Series Editor: Ella Fern
eISBN: 978-1-78212-930-1
AD001175EN
CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION
PROPORTIONS OF THE HUMAN FIGURE
THE SKELETON
MUSCULATURE
DRAWING FROM LIFE
FIGURES IN PERSPECTIVE
THE TORSO
LEGS
ARMS
HANDS
FEET
THE HEAD
DIFFERING PROPORTIONS
AGEING
DIFFERENT APPROACHES
COMPOSITION AND POSING
DRAWING FRIENDS
FIGURES IN INTERIORS AND EXTERIORS
DIFFERENT MEDIA
INTRODUCTION
From the mid-1500s onwards, composition was considered to be the most
prestigious
area of art, which made it of primary interest to the greatest artists of the time.
Of course they were skilled in all areas of drawing and painting, but when the
great
art workshops (bottegas) of the Renaissance period were in full swing it was the
master
painter who would often be the only artisan to put in the figures, leaving the rest
of the composition to be completed by his pupils. So be prepared for the most
interesting
and most difficult subject you will tackle as a draughtsman – but don’t feel too
daunted.
I have found in many years of teaching that anyone can learn to draw anything
competently,
with the combination of a certain amount of hard work and the desire to achieve
success.
The aim of this book is to explore all the practices necessary to achieve a
good level
of drawing of the human figure. I shall first look at how the human body is
formed,
from its skeleton – the scaffolding that all figures are based on – down to the
details
of the limbs, the torso, the hands and feet and the head. It is always useful to
have
some idea as to the body formation beneath the skin, and some knowledge of
how the
muscles wrap around the bone structure and each other is of great use when you
look
at the shapes on the surface of the body. Without any knowledge of the
underlying
structure it is much harder to make sense of the bumps and furrows that are
visible.
I shall also look at the balance of the limbs when the body is in motion,
and how
the artist can produce the effect of movements that appear natural and
convincing
to the viewer of the picture.
The techniques of drawing will also be examined, and the different ways in
which different
artists have made efforts to show us how the human figure can be portrayed,
from the
most detailed to the most expressive. Of course this book does not pretend to be
exhaustive,
as figure drawing has been developed and explored over centuries as artists
sought
new ways of portraying the human form. Nevertheless, enjoy this foray into the
challenging
but fulfilling task of portraying the human figure, and revel in the development
of
your own ability as an artist.

Materials
Any medium is valid for drawing figures. That said, some media are more
valid than
others in particular circumstances, and in the main their suitability depends on
what
you are trying to achieve. You don’t need to buy all the items listed below, and it
is probably wise to experiment: start with the range of pencils suggested, and
when
you feel you would like to try something different, then do so. Be aware that
each
medium has its own identity, and you need to experiment before you can get the
best
out of it or, indeed, discover whether it is the right medium for your purposes.
Take
a look at here for more on different media.
PROPORTIONS OF THE HUMAN
FIGURE
Generally, the female body is slightly smaller and finer in structure than that of
a male, but of course sizes differ so much that you will have to use your powers
of
observation when drawing any individual. In the examples below, the man’s
shoulders
are wider than the woman’s and the woman’s hips are wider than the man’s.
This is,
however, a classic proportion, and in real life people are often less perfectly
formed.
Nonetheless, this is a good basic guide to the shape and proportion of the human
body.