Sketching People

People, in my opinion, are the most complex subjects to sketch. However, when I glanced at the example sketches in my book, I noticed that they all were very simple yet distinct. It turns out that sketching people is a lot easier than expected.

The first tip Crawshaw reveals to us is: "Dont try to sketch moving figures at first--begin with someone in the family sitting down or standing at the kitchen sink" (64). I definitely agree with this tip, as it is very difficult to sketch someone who is moving around. Stick to the basics first, then advance onto more challenging things.

It also very important to start sketching from the head, and then work down the body (64). If you dont follow this method, your sketch may turn out disproportionately. Additionally, Crawshaw notes, "The more lines that are drawn, the more the figure will appear alive" (64).

In the book, there are some simple example sketches of people walking. Alwyn Crawshaw suggests that we first try sketching these walking figures. After practicing this type of sketch for a while, it should only take a few seconds to do (64). I decided to sketch a walking figure.

The sketch was very rough, and I tried to limit myself to one minute. Crawshaw emphasizes, "...dont try to put in detail, even if you decide to make people the entire subject of a sketch" (64). I believe this has to do with the concept of simplifying your subject.

Lastly, I sketched my family member sitting at the table. It wasnt easy, but it still wasnt as difficult as my previous attempts (before reading Sketching by Alwyn Crawshaw).

 

I found the sketches to be more enjoyable and much simpler. I still think that I need to work on making my sketches more realistic, but I have improved. This book has given me many useful tips that have helped me enjoy sketching and become less focused on tiny details.

I will continue to practice sketching people. Crawshaw writes, "The way to become skilled...is to spend a lot of practice time drawing" (65).

My question is: have you ever had difficulty sketching/drawing people? Do you think doing simple sketches is better than doing very detailed ones?

 

Citation:

Crawshaw, Alwyn. Sketching. New York: Collins, 2008. Print.