ART SKILLS: First step in drawing a human figure.The first step in learning to draw a realistic-looking figure is to gain an undertanding of the relative position of the parts of the body. Over the centuries, artists have developed a map showing the relationship of the major landmarks to one another when the body is in an upright standing position. Once you have mastered this map, you can make adjustments to reflect the changes that occur when a person is in a different position.
The traditional unit of measurement in figure drawing is the head. A figure standing upright and looking forward is ussually said to be seven and a half head lengths tall. (Some Renaissance masters occasionally drew figures that were eight head lengths high but that formula tends to give the figure a Greek-god appearance that does not adapt well to drawing everyday modern people). A head length is measured from the top of the head to the bottom of the chin, again assuming the person is looking directly at you. One head length down from the chin are the nipples. Going another length down, you come to the waist. Next, is the crotch. A further head length down is just above the knee. Another head length lower is the middle of the calf. One more head length brings you to the ankle. Then it is approximately half a head length to the bottom of the foot. It should be noted that these guidelines are all approximations. People are different and so not everyone will conform to these measurements with mathematical precision. However, if you keep to these measurements in general, it will produce a realistic looking figure. Along the same lines, keep in mind that these measurements are for a person who is standing upright with his or her arms by their side. If the person is standing in another position adjustments have to be made. To illustrate, when a person is standing with his or her arms by their side, the arm bends at the waist. If the arm is held out away from the body, the bend in that arm will be higher in relation to the body. |
As seen above, this work by James McNeill Whistler is consistent with the principles discussed in this article.
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Art technique - Drawing the Basic Figure - Understanding the relationship of the body parts