Artist dummies are ideal models: they don't move, complain, take coffee breaks or charge overtime.
Human figure drawing is challenging, even for experienced artists. Working from a model is extremely beneficial to get proportions, shapes and shading correct. Your friends may not be available for all the times you require a model, and hiring models can be cost prohibitive. An alternative to a live model is an artist's dummy: a jointed, posable mannequin.
Instructions
1. Select an artist's dummy you like. Dummies come made out of wood or plastic, and are capable of various degrees of flexibility, depending up on the quality. Choose between male and female figures.
2. Pose your figure. Consider what you want to achieve, such as someone standing casually or someone engaged in an energetic dance. Play with your figure until you are satisfied with its pose.
3. Light your figure. You can leave in the natural light of the room and work with that. Alternately, you can give your figure more dramatic lighting, such as putting it near a window on a sunny day, or aiming a spotlight or flashlight onto it from one angle.
4. Begin sketching faint shapes to capture the mannequin's rough shape and proportion. Use basic geometrical shapes, such as an oval for the head, circles for shoulder, knee and elbow joints or a rectangle for the torso. Just sketch the shapes you see in it, paying attention to keeping proportions accurate.
5. Go over the base guidelines you lay in with a kneaded eraser to lighten them, if necessary.
6. Refine the form, creating more human-like shapes and contours. Continue using a light touch and use your original shapes only as guides.
7. Trace the outline of a more human form around the guidelines you have set down. Add more details in the shapes and contours.
8. Examine where the light and shadows fall on your mannequin. Sketch the shadowy areas to create the illusion of depth. This is where your two-dimensional form will begin to look three-dimensional.
9. Keep working on it until you are satisfied. Change, erase and re-draw lines as necessary. Pose your mannequin differently and try again, as practice will improve your skill.
