Drawing Foundations: Figure

Course details

Learn the foundations of figure drawing: techniques for bringing the human form to life on paper. Artist and teacher Amy Wynne breaks down a classical approach to figure drawing into simple steps: capturing gesture and motion, mapping out structure and form, understanding the common "landmarks" of the body, drawing proportionally, and adding volume with shapes and shadows. Filmed on premise in a professional art studio, this course shows how to work with live models and different drawing materials. It's ideal for beginners who are just learning to draw the human figure as well as experienced artists who want to brush up their drawing skills. Follow along with Amy's tutorials and then use the worksheets and sample poses in the exercise files to practice figure drawing in your own time.

Learning objectives
Tracing the history of figure drawings
Using the right materials
Sketching gestures, structure, and motion
Recognizing symmetry and asymmetry
Placing weight and balance
Comparing male and female proportions
Drawing standing figures
Drawing 3D volumes
Rendering shadows

Concepts

0. Introduction

01 - Welcome
02 - What you should know

1. Introduction to Figure Drawing

03 - Why draw the figure
04 - Tracing the history of figure drawing

2. Getting Started

05 - Using materials effectively
06 - Setting up your studio

3. Warm-Up Exercises

07 - Warm-up - Blind contour drawing
08 - Warm-up - The envelope

4. The Quick Sketch

09 - Feeling gesture and connectivity - Process
10 - Mapping structure and relationship
11 - Arranging simple forms in space
12 - Capturing motion - Fluidity and rhythm

5. Contrapposto - Weight and Balance

13 - Recognizing symmetry and asymmetry using the plumb line
14 - Placing weight and balance - Foot placement

6. Recognizing Simple Structural Landmarks

15 - Finding skeletal landmarks - Front and side view
16 - Finding skeletal landmarks - Back view
17 - Comparing male and female proportions

7. Understanding Proportion - The Standing Figure

18 - Drawing proportion - Front view
19 - Drawing proportion - view
20 - Drawing proportion - Side view
21 - Drawing proportion - Back view

8. 3D Volumes - Building a Drawing, Structure to Volume

22 - Drawing 3D volumes in space - Block, cylinder, egg ellipse
23 - Attaching volumes to structure - Dynamic standing pose
24 - Transitioning volumes - The dramatic pose

9. Putting It All Together

25 - Establishing gesture and structure
26 - Defining form
27 - Making final marks and rendering shadows

Conclusion

28 - Next steps