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Figure Drawing For Beginners; A Simplified Approach
Rating: 4.5 out of 5(75 ratings)
827 students

Figure Drawing For Beginners; A Simplified Approach

Learn to draw your own stunning figures and poses.
Created byRobert Joyner
Last updated 6/2020
English
English [Auto],

What you'll learn

  • How to use three main shapes and forms to draw the human figure.
  • How to use tho basic ideas to draw the figure; gesture & structure.
  • How to draw the eight main parts of the human body.
  • Develop a general model for front, back and profile proportions.
  • The key differences between male and female bodies.
  • How to use the longest sustained curve and the 'pinch' side to measure proportions and accuracy.
  • Approachable methods for simplifying figure drawing.

Course content

4 sections • 55 lectures • 14h 37m total length

  • Material Suggestions0:19
  • Intro To Gesture & Structure2:29

    In this video I will share the big picture for this course and what to expect as we move forward.

  • Gesture & Structure Overview18:24

    Art is an idea. All art is an illusion that's created with symbols. That's because everything we paint and draw are objects, except for non-objective artwork, that only exist in real life.

    So, when we draw our subjects we need to do this with symbolism. And an artist needs a library of shapes and forms to get their ideas on the page.

    The two main parts we will use and discuss in great detail for this course are Gesture & Structure.

    Structure is best defines as the parts, or pieces

    Gesture is the curvy flowing line that helps us connect and compose the bigger pieces and ideas

    Structure will include shapes and forms. Sometimes these can be broken down into two-dimensional and/or three-dimensional choices.

    Some three-dimensional forms work better than others because it's easier to convey length, width, depth, leans and tilts. More on this as we move forward.

    As you watch this course keep in mind that this is a process. Learning to draw the human figure will involve many steps and it's important to take it slow. To rush through lessons without fully understanding the lesson are are currently viewing.

    Try to envision the stepping stones idea and if/when things start to go south always backtrack to where you feel you're lacking the skill needed to move forward.

    To be concerned with style. This comes much later! It's achieved with many miles of drawing so it's best to focus on developing the fundamental drawing skills and try not to get ahead of yourself.

    At this stage you want to develop a catalogue of sales and forms that will become your symbols for drawing the human figure.

  • Structure Basics18:25

    Explore structure basics by constructing three-dimensional forms and simplified shapes, focusing on movement over the form, perspective, contour, and expressive forearm proportions to convey character and gesture.

  • Gesture Basics10:39

    Explore gesture as the movement between body parts, using a long axis to convey fluid, organic form and lifelike motion, connecting structure and gesture for dynamic figure drawing.

  • Gesture Basics Part 26:38

    Embrace curved gestures to keep figures alive and dynamic, choosing curves over straight lines when mistakes occur, and see how rotation reveals curves in form and gesture alongside structure.

  • Forms13:47

    Explore how form defines structure through axis directions, lean, tilt, and perspective; learn to read volume and position from simple shapes to improve figure drawing.

  • Forms With Perspective Part 117:01

    Explore how form and position establish perspective, and how eye level and the horizon line guide the way shapes tilt, curve, and recede with lean.

  • Forms With Perspective Part 29:47

    Explore perspective by rotating a form, tilting it relative to eye level, and observing depth and tapering to create dynamic figure drawing.

  • Simple & Characteristic19:15

    Adopt a tube-based approach to capture the arm's gesture and structure, using center lines and egg-shaped forms for deltoid, bicep, and forearm while preserving flow.

  • Pencil Method(s)18:54

    Use the pencil method to measure lean and tilt, a pencil test approach, then transfer angles to paper while noting landmarks like rib cage, xiphoid, navel, and pubic bone.

  • Facing, leaning, tilting and rotating19:10

    Master dynamic figure drawing by analyzing facing positions, twists, leans, and rotations through center lines, space on both sides, and simplified tube and pinch concepts for beginners.

  • Connecting Line19:46

    Identify and preserve the main gesture, the connecting line, as the backbone of figure drawing; balance the longest curve with form while adding structure.

  • Longest Sustained Curve6:23

    Target the longest sustained curve to guide gestural lines in figure drawing, from the torso to the legs and arms, then refine with simple shapes.

  • Master's Analysis Gesture & Structure22:10

    Analyze how flowing curves, egg shapes, and volume define gesture and structure in master and beginner figure studies. Observe construction lines, center lines, and s-curves to reveal twists and form.

  • Drawing Tips To Keep In Mind8:39

    Learn back-pose drawing basics using vertical landmarks, spine alignment, and shoulders, while keeping lines light and experimenting with multiple curves and a steady pencil grip.

  • Demo One14:17

    Study a back pose with vertical and horizontal guides and the longest gestural line to capture volume, pinch points, trapezius, spine structure, and head placement.

  • Demo Two22:07

    Demonstrates empathetic figure drawing from a front pose, emphasizing gesture, volume, and landmarks such as the iliac crest to build a dynamic construction rather than copying contours.

  • Demo Three19:20

    Begin with the head to establish gesture and structure, then build the torso and neck with long curves and axis lines, refining with volume and corners.

  • Practice Reel Assignment
  • Robert's Practice Reel21:45

    Robert's practice reel guides beginners through quick poses, focusing on ideas over detail, using the longest sustained curve and box construction to study posture, perspective, and anatomy.

Requirements

  • You should be able to draw a circle, square, rectangle and curved line. ( I know, super easy!)
  • Plenty of practice drawing paper and a pencil.
  • Willing to roll up your sleeves and participate!

Description

Welcome To Beginner Figure Drawing! The ultimate online course for complete beginners that aspire to draw the human figure.

My name is Robert Joyner, and I'm a full-time artist from beautiful Virginia. I've been painting and teaching for over 15 years and I'm thrilled to bring this in-depth figure drawing course to you via Udemy.

This class has been carefully constructed and includes a step-by-step approach that will build confidence without getting overwhelmed. If you can draw a circle, square and rectangle then you are more than qualified to take this course.

“This class illustrates the breakdown of body parts into shapes upon which the figure is built, and adding gesture to that structure to create a dynamic figure drawing. Robert presents this in easy to understand demonstrations that students are encouraged to draw along with. These techniques simplify the mechanism of figure drawing. Where to start drawing a figure and getting proportions right has always been difficult for me, but even midway through this class that apprehension is being replaced by a growing confidence.” - Kat Schieber

OVERVIEW

Section One: Gesture & Structure

These are the ultimate building block for your drawings.

Gesture is used in a very unique way. Instead of using gesture to draw stick figures we will use it to locate and draw the lovey long-axis curves that make up major body parts. Each pose has several main gestures and you will quickly discover how to locate and draw them using one simple yet characteristic line.

Structure is used to add volume and depth to each gesture. This makes the gestures more dynamic and three dimensional. You will learn how to sculpt each area of the body using basic forms and shapes.

Section Two: Body Parts

This is a complete breakdown of the main body parts including the head, neck, ribcage, waist, pelvis, arms, shoulders, legs and feet. You will learn easy ideas for drawing each part using gesture & structure!

Section Three: Proportions

You will learn to develop a general model for understanding the front, back and profile views. Plus we will discuss some key similarities and differences between male and female bodies.

Section Four: Final Assignment

Here you will put your knowledge and skills to the test. There is a practice reel that includes four poses, each one is six minutes long. To make it even better I will complete the same exact practice reel so you have something to compare your work to!

As you can see this is the perfect lesson plan for beginners! It also includes:

Master's analysis - throughout the course we will look at some of the Master's figure drawings, like Michelangelo, Raphael and more, to see how they used the ideas shared in this course in their work.

12 Hours Of Demos - Each lecture is accompanied with a series of demonstrations where I will use images of models to draw the ideas for you. So, you will see how each main idea can be implemented in a variety of situations and poses.

Thanks for taking the time to check out this course. I really hope to connect with you on the inside and become a part of your creative journey.

"Amazing class, easy to follow along with plenty of example and demo to watch and learn from. It was a long course, I was intimidated by the length at first, but then I have managed to finish it in a week and complete the assessment. I feel that my figure drawing has improved so much." - Carmela Pica

Who this course is for:

  • Beginner artists that want an easy method for drawing the human figure.

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