I've ALWAYS struggled with figure drawing, ever since I started dabbling in digital illustration. In particular, I couldn't get hands and feet right - I'd get frustrated and resort to tracing a hand in the correct (or close enough) position I found online, or using difficult-to-maneuver digital figure posing apps just to get the hands right. When I saw that Charly had a new class just for figure drawing, I got so excited!

Hairstyle Study/"Cheatsheet"

More Confidence in Figure Drawing! - image 1 - student project

Hands & Feet Study (had to throw a little Sign Language and "live long & prosper" in there)

More Confidence in Figure Drawing! - image 2 - student project

Outfits Study More Confidence in Figure Drawing! - image 3 - student project

Tell a Story More Confidence in Figure Drawing! - image 4 - student project

Photo Inspiration & Stick Figure Sketch for Final Project:

More Confidence in Figure Drawing! - image 5 - student project

I went with the "Circus, Curly Hair, Rosy Cheeks" prompt, but wanted to give my character some more curvy dimensions!

Color Study:

More Confidence in Figure Drawing! - image 6 - student project

I knew I wanted to keep the classic red of the ringleader coat, and I started with a color palette that ultimately didn't have enough contrast and didn't make the character pop. I ended up with a palette similar to the main inspiration photo! I loved the tip of desaturating all the colors to see if you have enough contrast in your piece!

Final Piece: More Confidence in Figure Drawing! - image 7 - student project

I love how she turned out! Will definitely be using the Stick Man method to work out body proportions in the future. And I'll keep working on those hand and feet gestures!

Bonus character sketches:

More Confidence in Figure Drawing! - image 8 - student project

I did a few extra sketches for possible future projects. Which one should I finish up next?

Sarah Busse

Multitasking creative

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