Article by Alexis Alvey – We take a look at 10 YouTube tutorials for drawing people so that you can help get your ideas across even better and make them come to life. Drawing people can be quite intimidating for architects and artists alike. Perhaps this is because we are so intimately familiar with the human form, that when it is drawn incorrectly, we can easily see mistakes. However, as landscape architects, we do not need to be anywhere close to perfect at drawing people to effectively convey a message in our designs. Including figures in our hand renderings and concept drawings is key to communicating appropriate scale and how a space may be utilized. Drawing people can also convey your personal style and can be a form of self-expression. By following these YouTube videos, you will see that drawing people doesn’t have to be difficult when the process is broken down into manageable steps.
10. How to Draw People / Drawing Tutorials – Howcast
This video starts off by introducing you to the basic proportions of the human figure. The complex human body is broken down into its component shapes by using a wooden mannequin. If you can draw a stick figure, you can draw a proportionate mannequin! The narrator reminds the viewer that any form of drawing should always be an enjoyable experience! WATCH >>> How to Draw People | Drawing Tutorials
9. How to Sketch & Draw People Part 1 / How to Use a Mannequin – Alphonso Dunn If you want another viewpoint on drawing with a mannequin, check out this clip. Understanding how the shapes of the human body function three-dimensionally is key. The narrator dishes out a lot of wisdom about drawing in all of his videos, and this one is no exception! WATCH >>> How to sketch & draw people Part 1 | How to use a mannequin
8. Perspective Art Lesson – How to Draw People in Perspective – Stick Figure Drawing In Perspective – My Drawing Tutorials
In addition to understanding the basic proportions of the human figure, the principles of perspective are just as important in creating life-like drawings. This video focuses on the basic elements of perspective and shows how they can be used in drawing stick figures. After following along with this video, you will have created the best stick figure crowd you have ever drawn! WATCH >>> Perspective Art Lesson – How To Draw People In Perspective – Stick Figure Drawing In Perspective
7. How to Draw People in Perspective – Circle Line Art School Once you have mastered human proportions and perspective, follow along with this video where both of those key elements are combined. The narrator is quite a good artist and the rendering that he creates in the end is something that we can all aspire to. If you get frustrated, review the videos listed above, and remember that your drawings are guaranteed to improve with practice! WATCH >>> How to Draw People in Perspective
6. Human Figures for Architectural Sketches Part 1 – Architecture Daily Sketches – Themodmin If you want some drawing tips direct from an architect, check out this video. The narrator makes the important distinction between drawing detailed figures and drawing super-simplified figures, which he calls ‘perfume bottle people’. Each has an important place in architectural drawings. WATCH >>> Human Figures For Architectural Sketches Part1 – Architecture Daily Sketches
5. Human Figures for Architectural Sketches Part 2 – Architecture Daily Sketches – Themodmin
If you enjoyed Part 1 of this series, continue on to Part 2. The narrator suggests that having a visual stock of key poses, such as walking down the stairs, and learning how to draw these poses in both male and female form will really help you improve your renderings. The awesome soundtrack to this video will help keep your pencil and pen moving quickly across the page! WATCH >>> Human Figures For Architectural Sketches Part 2 – Architecture Daily Sketches
4. How to Sketch & Draw People Part 2 / Gesture Drawing – Alphonso Dunn
This video introduces the concept of gesture drawing, which is also the topic of the next three videos. This approach to drawing human figures will add life and movement to your people. As in his Part 1 video, the narrator of this video takes a lot of time to explain the concepts and delivers unique and highly understandable instructions to any viewer who truly wants to improve his or her figure drawings. WATCH >>> How to sketch & draw people Part 2 | Gesture Drawing
3. How to Draw Gesture – Proko
The narrator of this video is quite personable, and offers another viewpoint on the subject of gesture drawing. Feel free to exaggerate a pose in order to better communicate a feeling in your drawings. Also, as an FYI, this video and the next two videos have images of unclothed individuals, which is the best way to really see the contours of the human figure. WATCH >>> How to Draw Gesture
2. How to Draw Gesture – Step by Step – Proko
If you thought the previous video was helpful, watch this step-by-step video which demonstrates how gesture can be applied to your drawings. Be sure to practice and follow along as the narrator creates quick, thirty-second to two-minute gesture drawings. Time will never pass so quickly! If you need to pause the video in order to finish your drawing, I won’t tell anyone! WATCH >>> How to Draw Gesture – Step by Step
1. Gesture Drawing! – Cubebrush
The final video is also on gesture drawing but shows how you can do it digitally. In this video, the narrator demonstrates how he creates some impressive timed drawings in Photoshop. If you’re a tech enthusiast, the app GestureDrawing!, which he uses, is a must. It is an inexpensive app that you can use with Photoshop and it can be downloaded for Windows or Mac here: https://cbr.sh/xkbbn WATCH >>> GESTURE DRAWING!
After watching these ten YouTube videos, you will see that the three key steps to creating expertly drawn people are:
1) understanding the proportions of the human figure, 2) understanding the basic principles of perspective, and 3) applying these to the concept of gesture drawing. Do you think your drawings have improved after watching these clips? Do you have any suggestions for others who want to improve their people-drawing skills? Feel free to share your experience in the section below!
Recommended Reading:
- Drawing for the Absolute Beginner: A Clear & Easy Guide to Successful Drawing (Art for the Absolute Beginner) by Mark Willenbrink
- You Can Draw in 30 Days: The Fun, Easy Way to Learn to Draw in One Month or Less by Mark Kistler
Article by Alexis Alvey Featured image: Print screen from YouTube video, source.
Published in Blog
