How to Draw Small People

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Drawing a person may sound difficult, but it's really a simple process if you approach it systematically. The easiest way to draw people is with the 'Ball-and-Socket' technique, a method in which the artist sketches several conjoined ovals to form the body parts of the human figure and draft the figure's pose. It may seem basic, but many professional illustrators routinely use this technique to make their artwork, and this technique is both versatile and easy to learn.

1. 1

   Sketch a scene. Don't be too focused on how it looks, but make sure it matches what your people are wearing and style.

2. 2

   Sketch the wireframes and positions for your characters (or people). Remember that this is not the flesh, but just a kind of skeleton. Don't forget to add ovals to bends.

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3. 3

   Sketch the body shapes needed to help you build the figures' bodies.

4. 4

   Sketch the details for the faces, clothes, shoes, features, etc. Don't forget to match the weather in your scene! Keep it simple, but not too simple. Changes are made for women and men. Women have thinner hips, but bigger torsos and waists. Men have more angular faces and features, while women's are more round. Women also tend to have thinner necks.

   • Make sure that you aren't sketching the people in your drawing at eye level. This looks very unrealistic; instead, try to adjust their head and/or posture a little bit.

5. 5

   Refine the sketch using a smaller tipped drawing tool. Smooth out each straight line to be more curved and humane. You don't need a square-bodied person walking around! Make sure to add creases or lines coming out from the joints for more depth.

6. 6

   Draw the outline over the sketch. You can use a marker, pen or just push harder with the pencil.

7. 7

   Erase and remove the sketch marks.

8. 8

   Add color to the drawing. Sign your name if you wish. Keep true to your shading and scene. Make sure to sign your name on the bottom right and not anywhere else!

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1. 1

   Sketch the wireframes to create the pose for your people in the scene (sketch different colors to prevent confusion between figures).

2. 2

   Sketch the body shapes needed to help you build the figures' bodies.

3. 3

   Sketch the details for the faces, clothes, features, etc.

4. 4

   Refine the sketch using a smaller tipped drawing tool.

5. 5

   Draw the outline over the sketch.

6. 6

   Erase and remove the sketch marks.

7. 7

   Add color to the drawing.

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1. 1

   Start with the upper body first. For the head, sketch a circle, and then add a sharp curve at the bottom of it to form an upside-down egg shape.

   • Draw the head so it's slightly turned or angled a bit, as eye-level drawings don't feel realistic.

2. 2

   Draw the neck next. You can usually just draw two short, straight lines roughly ears-width apart.

3. 3

   Draw a horizontal line perpendicular to the base of the neck but very lightly. This is a guideline for the figure's collar bone. It should be about two to three head widths in length.

4. 4

   Sketch circles that are slightly smaller than the circle you drew for the head. The circle should be at either end of the collar guideline. These will be the shoulders.

5. 5

   Draw two ovals slightly longer than the vertical length of the head. Ensure that they are attached to the underside of the shoulder circles. These will be the upper arms/biceps.

6. 6

   Draw the torso at the points where the bicep ovals meet the shoulder circles. This can be achieved by drawing a kind of upside-down trapezoid shape for the chest, and two vertical lines for the abdominal trunk. Beneath that, draw an upside-down triangle for the pelvic area.

7. 7

   Draw a very small circle about half a head-length above the upside-down triangle. This is the belly button. To ensure your figure is proportionate, adjust the bicep ovals so that their bottoms are even with the height of the belly button. Draw a guideline if you need to.

8. 8

   Sketch two circles that are slightly larger than your shoulder circles. They should each be halfway inside the pelvic triangle. These are your hip joints.

9. 9

   Draw two long ovals (the same length as the torso) beneath the hip joint circles. These are the thighs.

10. 10

    Draw two smaller ovals for the knees, half-overlapping the bottoms of the thigh ovals.

11. 11

    Draw two more ovals beneath the knees for the calves/shins.

12. 12

    Sketch two triangles at the bottoms of the calf ovals. These are the feet.

13. 13

    Go back up to the biceps and draw two more ovals beneath them for the forearms.

14. 14

    Draw two small circles on the ends of the forearms for the hands.

15. 15

    Draw a smooth outline, add body details, and add clothing and accessories.

16. 16

    Finished.

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Add New Question

• Question

  Should I use a pen or a pencil to draw people?

  

  Use pencil for the wire frame and the details so that you can erase as necessary, then go over the details and outline with something more refined and not eraseable so that when you erase the wire frame you only erase the wire frame and not the actual details.

• Question

  What does it mean to "refine the drawing"?

  

  Refining (in art terms) means to "clean up" the sketchy mess underneath what's going to be the proper piece. This usually involves erasing sketches, darkening outlines, etc.

• Question

  How do I know when to make a creases on the clothes?

  

  Study photos of people in various poses, and note where the crease are. In general, they appear at the joins: ankles, wrists, knees, and elbows.

• Question

  How do I add shadows, and how do I know where to put the shadows?

  

  First, choose an angle that the light is coming from. The side where the light is should be lightest, and the opposite side should be darkest. Shade the in-between parts going gradually darker as you move away from the light.

• Question

  How can I draw a female figure?

  

  Females are basically the same as males, but have rounder faces and smoother muscles. Their clothes are generally more flattering, and their hair is an even more important feature.

• Question

  What is the best number pencil to use for drawing people?

  

  All of them are good. You will want an artist's graphite pencil box to do this as professionally as possible. Though if you only want one a F, HB or B will be fine, or you could just do this with a #2 pencil.

• Question

  Can I use these techniques on a computer or tablet?

  

  Yes, these techniques work with a computer or tablet. You'll want to use layers for the base of the body, coloring, etc. so you can easily remove parts you do not want.

• Question

  I find these steps hard. What should I do?

  

  You made need to see this explained a different way. Search YouTube for tutorials on drawing people and see if you can find one that's more helpful.

• Question

  How do I draw creases in clothing?

  

  You should study photos of people in various poses, and note where the creases are on their clothes. In general, they appear at the joints: ankles, wrists, knees, and elbows.

• Question

  How can I draw something and then draw something totally different over it, like in the sketch the feet are triangles, but then they are just feet?

  

  You draw the triangles with pencil, and use them as a rough frame with which to draw feet in pen. Then, erase the triangles and the pen-drawn feet will remain.

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• It can help to work with an art teacher as you learn how to draw faces and people. A teacher can help you develop more of an artist's eye.

• Don't rush things, but be prolific. Draw often. Practice makes perfect!

• Get in the habit of sketching lightly. This will make your eraser marks less obvious, as well as put less strain on your hands. You can always go back and darken your lines later, once you're satisfied that you've sketched out what you want.

• Don't draw the body first. Instead, focus on the shape and size of your character's head. From there on you will be able to better continue the drawing based on the heads proportion. Drawing a body first makes figuring out the head size more challenging.

• Long thick strokes are harder to control than shorter light ones. Instead, use a feather motion to create the line you are looking for, then go back and carefully outline now that you know where you're going

• Start out using a pencil. If you make a mistake, you can just erase and try again.

• Take time to make sure that you're seated in a well-lit and comfortable place. If your body's uncomfortable, your mind will have trouble focusing, and you'll never get the results you want.

• Visit the library or a bookstore and look at some art books. The internet is also a fantastic source for examples of professional artwork from around the world.

• Try to get inspiration from your friends, family or simply the internet. Try to look outside for inspiration if you are struggling.

• Plunge yourself into the figure-drawing world. Find artists whose art you enjoy, and practice emulating their techniques. If you'll watch a pro football player to see how professional football is played, then why not watch a pro artist to see how professional art is made?

• If you can't get a feeling for how the characters would look in a specific scene, try making the pose you're trying to achieve, this could make the vision more real to you and you can focus more on whatever you're having trouble on.

• Always keep trying. If you need to erase a lot, it's fine. It just means you're fixing your mistakes, which is the proper thing to do.

• Remember, you can't paint a masterpiece or draw a person in five seconds and make it look perfect. Think about how patient and persistent Da Vinci had to have been!

• Ask others to draw it for you, then use some of their ideas.

• Think of how you are going to draw the figure.

• If you don't know what to draw, it always helps to use easy shapes such as circles, ovals, etc. This helps you do the outline of the drawing.

• if you can't get a shape quite right (like a head shape) try creating the shape over and over then refining it by outlining the shape you want and erasing all the other variants

• Use at least two different pencils: a 2H or harder lead for construction lines, and an HB (#2) or softer lead for your final lines. Drawn lightly with a hard lead, your first lines will disappear and not actually need to be erased.

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• Don't be disappointed if you don't believe that your drawings are good. Not everyone has the talent to be able to draw, but you will get better with practice.

• Don't feel like you have to draw it exactly like the drawing. Get messy, and make mistakes, that's how you learn!

• Some people may find nude figures or adult subject matter offensive. As an artist, you have the basic freedom to draw whatever you want, but be mindful of whom you are drawing, and where.

• You may find yourself getting frustrated. If this is the case, take a break and come back to your drawing later.

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Things You'll Need

• Pencil or pen
• Eraser
• Paper
• Coloring materials such as crayons or colored pencils (optional)

About This Article

Article Summary X

To draw a person, start by sketching a basic wire frame for them that includes their head and body. Then, go back in and draw the shapes of their body parts, including their arms and legs. Once you're finished drawing their body, sketch their clothes, hair, and facial features. Finally, erase the sketch marks inside of the main outline and color or shade in your drawing. To learn how to draw people in action, scroll down!

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