AS2316

FIGURE DRAWING
Mannikin Frame (Loomis, 2011)
When drawing figures, one must start with the goal of capturing life and movement. As a result, one needs to
develop their ability to depict actions in figures. But as weight dictates the force or action of the figure, Loomis
claims that the first issue with figure sketching is how the weight will be carried within the body. Therefore,
the first step in drawing a figure is to learn how to portray the action by spreading its weight from the very
beginning of the drawing after learning about human dimensions. You can use this strategy by beginning each
step with a frame.

Image retrieved from Loomis, A. (2021). Figure Drawing for All It’s Worth.

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Now that you know how a Mannikin is put together, it’s time to add bulks and masses to the figure. This gives
the figure a firm shape. When learning figure drawing, using a Mannikin as a starting point makes it easier to
swiftly sketch and draft actions and build up a figure that can be developed and rendered in a drawing.
Additionally, it acts as a reference for the masses and framework proportions of the figure.

Image retrieved from Loomis, A. (2021). Figure Drawing for All It’s Worth.

The Female Mannikin

The pelvis is the primary area of distinction between the male and female Mannikins. In men, the hip bones
are two or three inches below the navel line. In women, they reach the navel line. The male and female
waistlines are at or slightly below the navel, respectively. Females have smaller rib cages, larger and deeper
pelvises, narrower shoulders, and a "cape" that falls forward to cover the breasts.

Image retrieved from Loomis, A. (2021). Figure Drawing for All It’s Worth.

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It's crucial to approach sketching a female manikin frame sensitively to the variety of female body forms and
steer clear of extremely stereotyped depictions. The intention is to provide a flexible tool that acknowledges
each figure's individuality while enabling the exploration of many positions and expressions.

Drawing the Mannikin Frame

Drawing a manikin frame involves breaking down the human figure into simplified shapes and joint
articulations.
1. Start with the Torso – Begin by drawing a vertical line to represent the central axis of the torso.
Add a rectangular, oval shape at the top to represent the chest and a slightly larger shape at the
bottom for the pelvis. Connect these two shapes with two slightly curved lines to indicate the sides
of the torso.
2. Add the Limbs – Extend lines from the sides of the pelvis for the upper legs and from the bottom
of the chest for the upper arms. Use simple cylindrical shapes to represent the upper and lower
limbs. Add joint points at the shoulders, elbows, hips, and knees.
3. Define the Joints – Emphasize the joints by drawing circles or ellipses at the shoulder, elbow, hip,
and knee locations. These will represent the pivot points of the Mannikin’s joints.
4. Sketch the Head – Above the chest, draw a circle to represent the head. The size of the head can
vary, but it’s often used as a unit of measurement for the proportions of the rest of the body.
5. Connect Limbs to Joints – Connect the limbs to the joint points, maintaining a simplified, straight,
or slightly curved form. This step helps establish the basic structure and proportions of the
Mannikin.
6. Refine and Adjust Proportions – Refine the shapes and proportions of the Mannikin, adjusting the
length of limbs and the size of the head as needed. Ensure that the Mannikin maintains a balanced
and realistic appearance, even in its simplest form.

Remember that the manikin frame is an adaptable instrument that may be modified and tailored in accordance
with your creative vision and the particular needs of your artwork. It helps you comprehend and visualize the
human figure, which makes it possible for you to draw figures more accurately and expressively.

Foreshortening
The distortion known as "foreshortening" occurs when we depict the human figure in space, particularly when
we do it from an extreme or exaggerated viewpoint. The figure can be positioned in an infinite number of
ways, and artists need to be able to identify and reproduce the distortion present in a posture in order to
depict the figure in these particular kinds of poses.

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Image retrieved from https://www.lovelifedrawing.com/powerful-exercises-in-foreshortening/

Foreshortening Effects
Although foreshortening occurs naturally in nearly all human poses, it is most apparent when viewed from an
extreme angle. These extreme viewpoints can take the form of a "bird's eye view," which looks down on the
figure, or a "worm's eye view," which looks up at the figure. There are additional situations in which
foreshortening can happen.

Depending on the extent of the foreshortening, the effects will vary. The primary effects of drawing
foreshortening are:
• Objects in the distance will appear more compressed and shorter than they are in reality.
• Objects that are closer to the viewer will overlap those behind.
• As objects recede into the background, they will appear to shrink in size.

The art of foreshortening has mathematical roots, to be sure, but we artists don't have to be this exact. You
are free to calculate the relative angles to get the ideal viewpoint for foreshortening. In the end, all that
matters is that our drawings appear accurate to human sight, and this can be accomplished without having to
worry about the underlying mathematics.

The Four-Step Method for Figure Foreshortening

When drawing a figure from an extreme angle, we must comprehend how the perspective distortion will affect
our lines.

Measuring Your Figure Visually

Visual height measurement is the first stage in drawing a figure in perspective. Although it's not necessary to
measure exactly, the result could differ significantly based on how you perceive the figure. To show the height
of your figure from their feet to their head, draw a line. Depending on the viewpoint you have selected, this
line can be curved or at an angle.

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The first step in ensuring that your figure will fit on your page is drawing this line. This will help you with the
remaining figure proportion planning. The line is significantly shorter when viewed from an extreme angle on
the figure.
Mapping Out Other Proportions
You will draw out some of the other proportions using more lines in the second step of foreshortening a figure.
You must draw the contours of your figure's shoulders and waist. The figure's position and your point of view
will determine the length and form of these lines.

Depending on how close the figure is to you, these lines may have a small curvature to them. The spacing
between them will also change. Compared to the waist, the line for the shoulders will be substantially longer.
The space between the feet and the waistline is significantly shorter if you draw the picture from above.

Drawing a Stick Figure

The next step is to create lines that follow each limb to further develop the figure's structure. This stage should
be approached as though you were sketching the human form's skeletal system. When drawing the torso, use
a geometric shape instead of a central line. You'll have a better framework to work with when you eventually
add more detail if you use geometric forms. The hands and feet can also be represented by geometric shapes.

Fleshing out the Figure

You now have a map of the figure's fundamental proportions. Now, you may start adding contour lines to your
human body. You can experiment and explore your ideas at this point. You are free to add as much or as little
detail as you wish to your figure. This is the moment to add any detailed embellishments or clothing. The
degree of foreshortening you apply to your figure can be increased or decreased until you are happy with your
drawing.

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The Geometry Technique

Image retrieved from Lunn, R. (2020). The essential guide to foreshortening in art.

While the four-step method and the geometry technique are similar, the geometry methodology divides the
body into various shapes. Dividing the body into basic geometric shapes can be a very useful technique when
attempting to both foreshorten the figure and understand human anatomy. This method has no set guidelines;
you must study the figure and sketch it using various forms.

Imagine the torso as a collection of cuboids or rectangles and the limbs as three-dimensional tapering
cylinders. The shapes you choose will probably vary depending on the size and perspective of each figure you
create. Finding how each of these forms fits together is one step in this process. Once you have your figure's
fundamental dimensions and shapes drawn out in basic geometric shapes, all you need to do to add detail to
your foreshortened figure is smooth out the edges.

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The Spiral (or Coil) Technique

Image retrieved from Lunn, R. (2020). The essential guide to foreshortening in art.

Although a little messier, the spiral or coil foreshortening technique captures three-dimensional figures
excellently. Concentric spirals that mirror the body's contours are used to construct a three-dimensional
structure at the base of the spiraling process. With this method, our advice to draw across your object is
especially pertinent. You are doing more than just sketching down a two-dimensional picture of the figure.

You must use very little pressure with your pencil when attempting this method. There will be some messiness
to the finished product, and you will need to rub out quite a bit. Your coils will appear flat on the vertical or
horizontal sections of the body. Your spirals will become near circles when the figure starts to move toward
you, like a leg extending toward you or away from you. This allows you to map the changing form quite
effectively. This method can be quite helpful for getting acquainted with the human body's curves.

References
Fussell, M. (2023, December). Foreshortening - Drawing the Figure in Perspective. Retrieved from The Virtual Instructor:
https://thevirtualinstructor.com/foreshortening.html
Lewis, C. (2021, April 7). Foreshortening – A Guide on Foreshortened Drawings and Paintings. Retrieved from Art In Context:
https://artincontext.org/foreshortening/
Loomis, A. (2011). Figure Drawing For All It's Worth. Titan Books.
Lunn, R. (2020, March 20). The essential guide to foreshortening in art. Retrieved from Creative Bloq: https://www.creativebloq.com/how-
to/foreshortening-in-art

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