How To Draw Figures With Gesture

There are countless different ways to draw the human body. In most art curriculums there may even be several methods of drawing people depending on whether you want to practice anatomy, movement, or character. In this “how to” blog article we will be delving into the basics of depicting movement in the human figure with gesture drawing.

By Mot Tuman

What is Gesture Drawing?

Gesture drawing is a loose and fast method of illustrating. While it is commonly used for figure drawing, it can be used for any subject. Gesture drawings are often done in timed intervals, typically between 1-10 minutes, with the goal of capturing the essence of the subject before time is up. 

These can feel incredibly fast paced, even for seasoned artists, but the goal is to improve your confidence by forcing you to make quick decisions.

See our recommended supplies for drawing: Drawing Supplies

Why Is Gesture Drawing Useful?

This method of drawing people is different from other methods because anatomy and proportions take a bit of a back seat. While both are still important for accurately representing people, gesture drawing’s main purpose is to build confidence and depict movement in your figures. 

Practicing anatomy, proportions, and perspective without practicing gesture can lead to stiff and awkward drawings because they will lack a unifying gesture of movement.

How To Gesture Draw

Whether you are starting from a photo reference or a real figure, when you first start out your gesture drawing you want to take a minute to observe the pose. Try to map out in your head how you are going to tackle drawing the figure and look specifically for long curves of movement.

These curves are what define the motion of the body. Since your goal is to capture the overall gesture of the pose, these dominant curves are going to be the most important detail.

Try Holding Your Pencil Differently

Though it might feel awkward and hard to control at first, holding your pencil like this will make it easier to draw confident strokes. This is because you will have to rely more on the movement of your whole arm rather than your wrist. This will also make it easier to cover a large area quickly.

Holding a drawing pencil this way can also utilize the side of the pencil, which will allow you to easily vary the thickness of your lines. 

That being said, every artist works differently. While drawing this way can take some getting used to, some artists may find more success with their own techniques. 

Start From The Center

Once you have observed the pose and prepared yourself to draw, it is time to begin! Decide if you want to work on a timed session or not, set your timer, and start drawing. 

It is easier to build a form with accurate proportions and anatomy if you start from the center of the body, such as the head or torso, and then work your way out to the extremities. You may see in some of the examples that drawing a light circle for the head and an oval for the ribcage can help you start to build your figure quickly. Look frequently between your drawing and the figure to make sure you are placing arms, legs, and other features where they need to be. 

Anatomy

Even though anatomy takes a back seat in gesture drawing, finding reference points in a person’s anatomy will help you depict the body with more ease. The key for this is to remember that gesture drawings are not typically detailed. The aim is to capture the movement while still retaining the body’s necessary structure.

The first area you can look out for when figure drawing is the body’s centerline. Fortunately, this is easy to locate on humans as we have obvious markers, namely the spine on the back as well as the chest, abdomen, and the pit of the neck on the front. 

This centerline can curve quite a bit, so do not be afraid if your centerline is not perfectly straight. It would only be perfectly straight if the model has their front or back completely facing you and they are not bending to either side

Another reference point to look out for is the pit of the neck, also known as the suprasternal notch. Reference points like this are helpful because you can use them to better judge the distance between key features. In this case, the pit of the neck can help you find the driving lines of the neck, shoulders, and collarbones. 

Notice in the example above how the centerline follows the curve of the rib cage towards the pelvis. Complex poses like this can be confusing. Learning perspective drawing is very important for understanding where to place the centerline in this example. 

Simple curved markings for ears help describe the perspective on the head with little effort.

Using a line to mark out where the eyes are is also very helpful when trying to describe the very basic features of the face without going into too much detail. 

In order to not waste precious time on details that are not relevant to the overall impact of the pose, complicated features like hands and feet can be drawn using simplified shapes that represent their general form. Triangular shapes for the feet and boxy ones for the hands are some go-to shapes among artists. Sometimes a single finger, such as the thumb, can be emphasized if it adds to the overall effect. 

Repetition Over Perfection

Gesture drawing, especially when it is timed, can be intimidating at first. The key is to not focus too much on your mistakes in the moment, but rather evaluate what you need to improve between each drawing. They will get easier the more you do them. Repetition will help you learn the basic forms that make up the human body. If you are able to step back from details and focus on the overall form, then you will improve your figure drawing in no time. 

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is Gesture Drawing?

A: Gesture drawing is a fast and loose method of drawing that is typically used to capture movement in the human figure. 

Why is speed important in gesture drawing?

A: Gesture drawing is a form of practice that artists typically use for capturing complex poses in a simplified way. Speed is important in gesture drawing because it does not leave room for hesitation and will improve confidence. On top of that, it prepares artists to capture poses quickly and accurately which is vital for jobs in animation or illustration industries. 

Do gesture drawings have a lot of detail?

A: Typically, gesture drawings do not have a lot of detail because their aim is to rapidly capture the overall movement and gesture of the figure.

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More Resources

1. 5 Ways to Improve Your Drawing Skills
2. Practice Drawing with Gesture Motion Drawing
3. The Rule of Thirds To Help With Painting or Drawing
4. Learn Beginner Graphite Pencil Drawing Skills