How to Learn Life Drawing
Hey, hey, don’t be scared! No one is looking…
Learning how to draw the human figure from life can be daunting prospect. After all, learning any new skill as an adult can often feel tricky but some people seem to get extra nervous when naked bodies are around. Aside from any niggling giggly or prudish thoughts, you might be wondering how to start; where to go and where to find the time to take part.
All the Young Nudes is for everyone. We welcome aspiring artists and hobbyists of all levels. So, we thought we would share some life drawing for beginners’ tips, tricks and techniques for anyone looking to get started.
What is Life Drawing?
Before we get started, you might be wondering, what even is life drawing?
Life drawing is often referred to as figure drawing. It is the practice of drawing the human form in various different poses and angles from a live model. The final art piece can vary from highly detail and anatomically correct figures, to expressive and abstract sketches.
The art practice has lots of different benefits. For example, life drawing is recommended to all aspiring artists as a method for improving hand eye coordination and observational skills. However, it’s also incredibly relaxing and the perfect hobby to unwind with after a long day. We want you guys to have a good time too, and always recommend a glass of wine or a beer alongside your sketch pad, or drawing in your jammies at home, but whatever takes your fancy, it’s your session!
Online Life Drawing
The easiest way to learn how to life draw as a beginner is to take part in an online or local class. This might sound as if you’re throwing yourself in the deep end but drawing sessions are the quickest and easiest way to get a gauge on what’s involved and find out if life drawing is for you.
A lot of people find the idea of attending a class a bit intimidating. You might be thinking: What happens if I don’t like it and want to leave? What if someone asks to see my work? What if I just can’t do it? What if I’m uncomfortable with the nude model? Well, my friend, you are not alone, and ATYN’s online life drawing club might just be the answer.
Being able draw from the comfort of your own home eliminates any social pressures that you think you will feel from an in-person class. No one can take a peek at your work over your shoulder and during our online sessions, no one is onscreen except our host and our model, so you can remain entirely anonymous. You can also leave the virtual drawing room at any time, if you’re not feeling it, without anyone noticing (there are usually between 80 and 100 people participating in our sessions). You can then pop back in at any time too! Once our broadcasts are over, they are converted in to HD videos which you can return to at a later date and watch on your own time. You can pause and rewind so that you are able to focus on the pose that you enjoyed the most. We also have an online bank of HD poses which you can access. Many of our sketchers prefer this to the Monday night live experience.
It’s also important not to take your first few sessions too seriously. It’s natural to compare your drawings to others but try to remember that everyone has so start somewhere. At All the Young Nudes we have always welcomed anyone and everyone - we find that people with no artistic background whatsoever often have the most fun. You need no experience, we just want you to wind down, have a good time, draw in your style and enjoy the process.
If you’re still feeling a little apprehensive and aren’t sure whether life drawing is for you, why not check out the free sessions on our site to see what you think?
Practice, Practice, Practice: Life Drawing Techniques
So, you’ve tried out our life drawing sessions and want to improve for the next one? The only way to do this is to practice life drawing techniques!
There are plenty of different drawing techniques out there and different one’s approaches work for different people. Perhaps you can draw from your imagination, or maybe you are the type who can copy, really, really well. I can’t wait for you to find your thing! Try different styles out and find out what one works for you.
Here are a couple of ideas we recommend for beginners to get started and for in between life drawing sessions:
Essentially glorified stickmen, armatures are used to map out the basic shape of the body: where things go, how they work together and how they move. You are basically drawing a stickman, but try to include the angle of the hands, feet, a tilt in the head and bends in the elbow and knees to mimic natural movement. (This is really fun by the way, and you can buy wooden armatures online on Amazon).
Self Portraits
No excuses here. Use a mirror, and practice drawing yourself. This is really great practice and can actually be a lot of fun. Set yourself up at a table with a sketchpad or some paper, a soft pencil (like a 2B) and of course a mirror. You’ll never get it “right” but be open to whatever outcome. Some of our favourite musicians like Joni Mitchell and David Bowie were partial to the occasional awesome self portrait… Just go with it. You’ll be surprised!
Use these two approaches as a base from which to build upon. Start simple, I mean really - this could be stick people. Build your figure up from the important lines, gradually adding detail as you go. Don’t worry if you feel frustrated or impatient with it. Leave it for another day. The idea is to enjoy yourself. When you start to see improvements, I promise you will be delighted!
Life Drawing Books and Resources
If you’re loving your life drawing journey so far and are looking for more, there are plenty of books and other resources out there that can help you further develop your skills and move on from a beginner to advanced life drawer.
Some of our favourites are:
Figure Drawing: Design and Invention by Michael Hampton
Anatomy for the Artist by Sarah Simblet
Life Drawing Live on BBC 4
Love Life Drawing podcast
Hopefully this is everything you will need to start your life drawing journey. Remember, practice when you can, enjoy the process, check out our online life drawing club and follow us on Instagram for details of upcoming sessions. I look forward to seeing you in the virtual drawing room!
