Mastering life drawing: Six essential tips for success

Life drawing is a growing trend, captivating enthusiasts of all skill levels, but beyond its surface appeal lies a rich and rewarding experience. While novices might initially perceive it as simply sketching, diving deeper reveals a world of technique, observation, and expression.

Join us as we explore the intricacies of life drawing and unveil six invaluable tips to enhance your journey and elevate your skills. Whether you’re a beginner seeking guidance or a seasoned artist looking to refine your craft, these insights will help you unlock the full potential of life drawing.

What is life drawing?

Life drawing has plenty to offer any artist

Life or figure drawing is a dynamic art form centred around depicting the human body. Rooted in tradition, it involves the observation and portrayal of a live model, typically in a state of undress.

Why is life drawing important?

Life drawing holds immense value for artists, offering many benefits to their growth and development.

This centuries-old practice offers artists a profound opportunity to study anatomy, explore form, and capture the essence of the human body in its rawest and most expressive state. With a live model, artists examine the complexities of gesture, proportion, and emotion, honing their observational skills and nurturing their creative expression.

Studying and replicating the human body on paper also helps artists sharpen their problem-solving skills and improves hand-eye coordination.

How to improve your life drawing skills

Whether you’re new to life drawing or have been practising for a while, our top tips will help you make the most of your sessions and enhance your results.

1.      Study anatomy

The human body is a sum of its parts, making understanding anatomy crucial for life drawing. Delve deep into the skeleton and muscles, understanding their interactions so you can depict them on paper.

Don’t miss the details of the head, hands, and feet — these areas are rich in character and often overlooked in sketches.

2.      Choose the right drawing tools

Selecting the right drawing tools is crucial for producing your best work, but it can be overwhelming with so many options available. Experimentation might be necessary until you find the perfect tools that suit your personal style, but we can offer some general guidance.

Graphite pencils are excellent for figure drawing because they offer a wide tonal range and allow for intricate detailing. Despite needing regular sharpening due to their soft lead, their versatility makes them invaluable. Combine graphite pencils with an A4 book of white cartridge paper for a winning combination that supports delicate tonal work. Ensure you also have a good-quality pencil sharpener and eraser nearby.

Avoid the temptation to opt for cheap, poor-quality art supplies, and hold off on introducing colour to your work until you’ve mastered pencil drawings.

Check out our blog post on the best pencils for artists to kickstart your journey in selecting life drawing equipment.

3.      Learn from other artists

Figure drawing has a rich history, providing a wealth of past and contemporary examples to study and learn from. Instead of solely focusing on the works of your favourite artists, broaden your horizons. Explore various life drawings spanning multiple centuries, observing commonalities and differences.

If you’ve pinpointed a specific aspect of life drawing that you find challenging, give it extra attention when examining others’ work. Hands and feet are often troublesome, and many struggle with ratios and adding depth to the human form.

4.      Don’t rush your observations

When you attend a life drawing class, the eagerness to draw is understandable, but rushing into it may not yield the best results. Instead of immediately sketching when the model strikes a pose, invest more time in observation.

Before putting pencil to paper, carefully study the pose, the model’s proportions, and the dynamics of their skeleton and muscles. The key to a great result is spending more time observing and drawing less.

5.      Talk to the model

Interact with the live model

In life drawing classes, it’s easy to assume the model is there solely to pose, but it’s a collaborative process. While models might prefer not to chat while posing, engaging with them at other times during the session is essential.

Involving the model in the class is considerate but also benefits your work. By interacting with the model, you’ll hear their voice, see their facial expressions and body language, and get a sense of their personality.

This insight can enhance your drawing, adding depth and character you might not have captured otherwise.

6.      Master the basics

Mastering the basics is essential. Before diving into intricate details, it’s crucial to ensure the proportions of all figure drawings are accurate.

Rushing into details without this foundation can lead to a visually disjointed piece. Ratios form the backbone of any drawing, dictating the relationships between different subject parts. Even the most intricate details can’t save a drawing from looking awkward or unrealistic without accurate sizing.

Once you’ve established the correct dimensions, you can confidently add details, knowing they’ll enhance rather than detract from the overall quality of your work.

7.      Go beyond the outline

Starting with an outline is common but can lead to flat-looking drawings and hinder progress. Contrary to popular belief, outlining can also distort sizing.

The human form is three-dimensional, with countless contours, lines, wrinkles, and textures. To effectively capture this, draw from the centre and work outwards, gradually adding tone as you progress.

If you enjoy drawing but don’t feel ready to tackle the human body’s complexities, consider trying still life drawing instead.