When you sketch outside during a trip or just a walk you meet people around. They are walking, running or sitting on the bench, or in the café. Sometimes people move less or more. And sometimes they stay on location for a couple of minutes or hours. Should you sketch people that move or include people in your sketches? Sure! People make your sketches more vivid and alive. But it is not so easy. So how to sketch people in motion?
Learn and Observe
You need a lot of practice to draw moving people. At first I recommend you to learn a little about anatomy and natural poses. If you are deeply interested in drawing people you should take a course or workshop. Also advise you to watch videos of how artists draw people and take some tips from them. Observe people in motion in the park, at sporting events and see how their bodies move. Observation is important, it will help you analyze figures in motion.
Try to capture the highlight
Choose a place where many people cross, for example a promenade. At first, sketch all the people that pass on one page, for practice. How to start? For example, if you see a woman in a red dress, try capturing the dress by making a red stain. Make a stain that is similar in its shape to the dress. Then draw an outline to shape the body. Try to sketch people from their back, it will be easier, like in pictures below.
Add details
Once you have the basic structure down, start adding more details. Pay attention to the flow of clothing, wrinkles, and how shadows and highlights fall on the body. If you don’t remember some details, make them from your imagination. Choose where the shadow will be or draw sunglasses on the face if you don’t exactly remember face expression. Sunglasses could be a useful lifehack for sketchers that not comfortable to draw faces.
Add Color
Color is also an important part of the sketch like highlights and shadows. Color your people after you finish detailing them and you will see that they are more alive. Color gives them volume and make it look cooler. Also you can make shadows and highlights with colors, or draw a simple background. All these will give your people more volume.
Try One Line technique
One-line drawing is a technique in which an artist creates an entire image with a single, unbroken line. The goal is to produce a drawing that captures the essence of the subject with a minimalist and abstract quality. One-line drawing is a challenging yet rewarding technique that encourages you to simplify complex subjects and focus on the fundamental shapes and contours. It’s an excellent exercise for sharping your observational and drawing skills while producing unique and abstract and also quick sketches. Is it hard to make a quick sketch? Read my post ,- how to make make quick sketches.
Sitting people are best way to start
I love to sketch people that are sitting, they are less on the rush and it seems that you have more time to sketch them. By the way it’s a good strategy when you just begin to draw people outside. Anyway they are moving too, so it is also a challenge. Try to sketch people in the café, there you will have more than 5 minutes for each person.
Sketching people on their go it’s not about perfect sketching. It’s about different vibes of freedom, allowing making mistakes, improvisation and being creative in such a challenging situation. Try to relax ,enjoy the moment and process. Have fun, it’s very important.
Remember if you continue to practice in such a way, you will be more satisfied with a result. Don’t expect great success from the first time, but also don’t think that it will be a failure.
Have a great sketches!
