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Learn to Draw People

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Why Learn to Draw People? - My Motivation

I always think a portrait or caricature makes a great gift. I would be happy to receive a good drawing of myself and I think most people feel the same too. Although it is easy to hire an artist to do the job nowadays, I love to be able to do it myself.

I wish to draw my family and friends so that I can remember their faces, their smiles, how they look when they were young and imprint everything about them in my mind. I want to tell them that I love and truly appreciate them. It is my way of making myself remember people who are dear to me forever.

If you ever wish you can do a drawing of your mother, your baby, your grandson or your boyfriend but think it is too difficult, I hope this lens will help to make your learning easier.

Difficulties in Getting Likeness Drawing Real People

A Beginner's Fears and Frustrations

My First Drawing

On the right, you see the very first portrait that I drew many years ago. Like most beginners, achieving resemblance in drawing real people was difficult for me.

Very often, I didn't even want to start drawing anything because I hate to let reality tell me that I was not as talented as I would like to be. To make matter worse, because of my inferior complexity when I see all the fantastic drawings in all those art books, instead of being inspired, I just felt overwhelmed and thought there was no way I could be able to draw like those artists.

Fortunately for me, I was able to come across the right resources at the right time that helped me overcome the frustration and gain the confidence I needed to achieve a breakthrough.

Simple Exercises to Improve Drawing Skills Quickly

Easy to Follow Yet Amazing Results

Drawing Practice of Facial Features

The most important resource that really help my drawing skill take off was Draw Real People! (Discover Drawing Series) by Lee Hammond. The technique taught in this book involves using grids to draw from pictures or photographs.

To prove that anyone can draw, the book started with a fun exercise where you are asked to draw patterns of light and dark shapes in square boxes. The aim is to train you draw what your eyes sees instead of letting your pre-knowledge about the subject "tell" you how you should draw. The exercise is really simple but when completed, the results simply took my breath away.

Slowly, my confidence grew as I was able to produce remarkable results by simply by following the exercises in the book. The above are some of the drawings that I did by following the first few step-by-step exercises in the book.

Draw from Photographs - Step by Step

Learn to Draw a Portrait Using Grids

Draw the grids on your sketch book as well as on the photo (or copy of the photo) that you want to draw from. Focusing on one small square at a time, copy the shapes that you see in each corresponding small square.

Draw the grids on your sketch book as well as on the photo (or copy of the photo) that you want to draw from. Focusing on one small square at a time, copy the shapes that you see in each corresponding small square.

Draw the grids on your sketch book as well as on the photo (or copy of the photo) that you want to draw from. Focusing on one small square at a time, copy the shapes that you see in each corresponding small square.
After drawing the outline, use pencil and tortillion to help shade your drawing. To keep my shading smooth, instead of concentrating on one small square at a time, I start to focus on the bigger picture now.
Shading of the hair should be done in the direction of the hair flow. Use a kneaded eraser to highlight the shine in the hair.
Keep shading and complete the picture. Do take note of the darkest dark and the lightest light in the photograph. Do not shade everything in the same tone.
The higher contrast, the more realistic your drawing will be. Hope you enjoyed the demonstration.

Draw Real People! by Lee Hammond

An Excellent Beginner's Guide to Improve Drawing Skill

Draw Real People! (Discover Drawing Series)

Draw Real People! (Discover Drawing Series)

by: Lee Hammond

Amazon Price: $4.86 (as of 05/27/2012)Buy Now

I like this book because the immediate improvement is really a morale booster. The suggested assignment and extra projects are provided to keep learning enthusiasm high. The best part is, after mastering the grid method, you can apply it to draw anyone or anything you want.

A Pencil Self-Portrait

A Pencil Self-Portrait 

A Portrait of Zhang Ziyi

Pencil Portrait of Zhang Ziyi 

Portrait of Stephanie Sun Yanzi

Pencil Portrait of Stephanie Sun Yanzi 

A Word of Caution for Beginners

Do Not Over-rely on Grids

Although the grid technique is a good method to start with, that is only the beginning. Over-reliance on grids will only makes you feel helpless because you'll find that you can't draw without it.

If you have greater artistic aspirations than to do a one-time drawing of somebody, you will find that there is really not much fun in duplicating pictures and photographs. Printing machines and digital cameras can do the job even better and faster.

Now that you know you are capable of drawing, the next step is to get rid of grids.

  • Go back to the basics of drawing
  • Read more art books
  • Understand simple human anatomy, values and contrast
  • Draw from life
  • Join Deviantart.com or other art community to study at the works of other artists and learn from them.

Different Ways to Draw People

Explore More! You'll Find Your Style Eventually

If you look around the Squidoo community, it's not difficult to find many talented artist and illustrators offering tips and help for drawing people - pencil portraits, traditional painting, digital caricatures, simplistic cartoons, Japanese manga... and many varied styles.

Pay a visit to their lenses, maybe you'll pick up a thing or two that truly inspire you.
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My Wedding Caricature

I drew a caricature of my husband and me for our wedding cards. Take a look at my creation process.
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Poll: How Do You Like to be Drawn?

Realistic Portraits, Creative Caricatures or Fun Cartoons?

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A Final Word

"Talent must be in company with a capacity for unlimited effort, which provides the power that eventually hurdles the difficulties that frustrate lukewarm enthusiasm."

Andrew Loomis - The Grand Master of Art Instruction Books for Realistic Artists

Interested in Learning How to Draw People?

Have You Find This Lens Useful?

  • Chinajoy Jan 15, 2011 @ 7:04 pm | delete
    I decided to force myself to learn to draw portraits and at the same time share the culture I am presently in (China), so I am drawing 110 Faces of China this year. I have been reading and studying this past month from books and the internet, and I have already done the first four. They are not bad, but they are not great either. I am curious to see the 110th portrait and the progress.
  • dancerene Jan 16, 2011 @ 6:55 am | delete
    Wow... that's a great project! The 110th portrait will definitely be very much better than the first few. All the best!
  • 4U2C Sep 24, 2010 @ 8:22 am | delete
    Really got some good ideas here, for gifts for grandchildren. Me, I never got the hang of it. You have some real talent, and I am amazed. Great ideas for teaching those who haven't a clue - like me - and there may be hope, yet! Thanks for writing this, as I shall be passing it along!
  • CastleRoy Sep 17, 2010 @ 2:51 am | delete
    these are beautiful thank you for sharing the how to
  • Sep 17, 2010 @ 12:22 am | delete
    wow beautiful artwork
  • aesta1 May 4, 2010 @ 4:23 am | delete
    Enjoyed looking at your drawings. They are beautiful and well done. I now understand what I had been reading about grids as you have clearly illustrated here. Will try again.
  • mellancaster Feb 23, 2010 @ 10:26 pm | delete
    Absolutely beautiful! It's a bit eerie our sites are similar and even reference same books! Yours of course are MUCH BETTER! I just found that I can draw but have never taken art in my life. I find it hard to draw by book techniques but I still enjoy. Your lense is just beautiful and your so talented. I hope to draw like you someday.
  • clouda9 Jan 13, 2010 @ 11:11 am | delete
    Your pencil drawings are stunning. Thanks for sharing the step-by-steps too!
  • prosperity66 Jan 12, 2010 @ 6:11 am | delete
    Yeah, I'm back... Still love this step-by-step tutorial. You're an artist, Dancerene!
    SquidAngel blessings for a wonderful lens!
  • arncyn Jan 10, 2010 @ 9:59 am | delete
    I love your lenses Irene but this has always been one of my favorites from you! I've returned to say that it's been *Blessed by an Angel* (:
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More Resources on How to Draw People

Drawing Tutorials from Blogs

May 19, 2012 @ 9:12 amLearn To Draw People from "how to draw people" - Google Blog Search
Knowledge regarding how to draw people could possibly be as being a test, so suitable training is critical. To get the best} deals on How To Draw A Person and How To Draw People please visit at howtod...
Apr 27, 2011 @ 12:41 amYou May Learn How To Draw People Easily And Quickly... from "how to draw people" - Google Blog Search
It might be essential for you to Draw People while in your drawing class in your school or just when you are drawing casually.

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dancerene

Hello! I come from the lovely sunny island, Singapore. I learned about Squidoo while doing research for my wedding and have been addicted to it since.

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