How to Draw People

Learn to draw lifelike figures starting from simple stick figures and you'll soon be able to portray the complexities of the human being with ease.

Step 1: Draw a stick figure Draw a stick figure including a head, shoulders, torso, hips, arms, hands, and feet. Add small circles indicating the shoulder, elbow, wrist, hip, knee, and ankle joints.
Step 2: Add mass Add muscle, fat, and solid mass using ovals, circles, and cylinders, establishing volume proportions.
TIP: Take into account differences in age, sex, and body type when mapping out your figure's proportions.
Step 3: Add hands and feet Add hands and feet using basic cylinder, oval, and triangle shapes.
TIP: Use hands to suggest character by drawing them delicate, muscular, or worn.
Step 4: Join sections Connect the head to the shoulders, shoulders to arms, and torso to hips with sketch lines.
Step 5: Refine contour and erase guidelines Refine your figure's contour to create a more lifelike drawing and erase your initial guidelines.
Step 6: Add details Add facial features, hair, and clothing and your figure will look ready to walk off the page.
FACT: Did you know? There are more than 6.7 billion people of all shapes and sizes living on earth.