Learning to Draw Step by Step: People

All professional artists have one thing in common with everyone else - they didn't know how to draw at one point in their lives. The difference between those people who can draw and those people who cannot is simply learning how to draw and practice.

Like anything, basic skills can be taught. You can learn to draw by simply following a few simple step-by-step directions and then practicing what you learn here.

Just remember, drawing is simply a matter of creating a few basic shapes and putting them all together. Here is how to draw people...

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This is SO easy - you CAN do this!

Start by drawing a small square, about the size of a postage stamp. Next draw a vertical line from just above the top edge of the square downward through the square. Your drawing should now look like a sail or a sign on a post.

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On the top of your vertical line, draw a small oval about a third the width of the square.

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OK, next draw a bow-tie shape (2 triangles next to one another). This shape should be the same width as the square above it. The upper tips of the bow-tie shape should almost be touching the bottom of the square. The center of the bow tie should be centered on the vertical line.

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Draw a downward line from the outer edge of the bow-tie shape. Make this line about the same length as the distance from the center of the bow-tie to the top of the head. This will be the outer edge of his right leg. Draw two more downward lines from the center of the bow-tie shape, and one last downward line on the outer edge of his left leg. You have just drawn legs!

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You're more than halfway done - keep going!

Add the arms by drawing two lines extending outward from the top 2 corners of the square - these are his shoulders. These lines should be about twice as long as the width of your square.

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Now it's really starting to look like a person! You can add any sort of clothing you want here - I'm going to make him a waiter holding a tray. For this guy, let's draw a small black bow-tie on his collar and add a vest, the opening is a "V" shape going down the front of his chest.

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Draw a single horizontal line on the top of his raised arm - this will become the tray. Next, add a few vertical rectangles for glasses.

How does it look? Don't give up - go on and finish it. Remember that you are training your brain and hands to do some difficult things - there are NO mistakes, only lessons for how to draw it better next time!

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Draw two dots for eyes, a single dot for his nose, some ears on the side of his head and a bit of hair on the top of his head. Fill in the vest to add some variation and make it easier to see.

Hey, look at you! Congrats - you have just drawn your first person!

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I know drawing can be terribly frustrating, especially when you're first starting out. Believe me, my first drawings were very simple and rudimentary, however, I practiced every day and in just a short time, I could draw very well.

Today, I work as a professional illustrator and I owe my ability to daily practice and never giving up on drawing. That pencil drawing to the right is a drawing I did awhile back for a presentation. It's done with a regular No. 2 pencil and took me about 30 minutes to complete. I wanted to show it to you to prove what continual practice can produce over a period of time.

Do you know what the biggest obstacle to drawing is? It's you. You have made an unconscious decision in your mind regarding your ability to draw. Would it help to know that all artists - even seasoned artists - experience this same obstacle from time to time?

I have been drawing every day since I was just a year old (according to my mother) and I still have times when I wonder if I can really draw. That's almost 20,000 consecutive days of drawing practice - and I still have doubts about my ability.

Need some control in your life?

For me, drawing has always provided a healthy escape from pressing problems. Developing a mastery of drawing creates a sense of control and stability in your life. Need another reason? There is nothing more satisfying than completing a drawing and realizing that you have done something real - you have created.

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Watch the Video Below and Then Give it Another Try!