7. The Human Figure and Face

Looking at human figures and faces fascinates people. Studies show that even newborns show a preference for looking at faces. Artists and their patrons have favored the human figure throughout the history of art. Images of the human figure and face play key roles in cartoons, graphic novels, and general illustration, as well as in fashion design, graphic design, and advertising.

How do you convey a human gesture? How do you anchor a figure in pictorial space? How do you capture someone’s likeness? How do you get a human figure scaled down to fit on a drawing pad? To accomplish any of these tasks, all of the drawing basics come into play, as does developing keen observational skills.

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