130Advanced | TECHNIQUES
Simplifying
gures
USING SIMPLE SHAPES
Tackling the drawing of gures can
seem intimidating, but in fact they can be
broken down into simple shapes to create
convincing human beings in a contemporary
graphic style. By using owing lines, a
stylized gure can be drawn that still
remains believable.
Drawing the essentials
This technique can be used when drawing from life,
from a reference, or even from the imagination. It uses
lines running through the center of the body to make
the gure ow convincingly. The gure is drawn in
sections, starting with the torso. Reducing the complex
human form to simple graphic shapes makes gures
easier to draw in any position. Once the shapes are
determined, the form is drawn over with darker lines.
PUTTING IT INTO PRACTICE
This stylized watercolor is painted from the palest
tone to the darkest detail color, using light and
medium washes that are layered to create blocks
of shadows and a graphic style.
No. 1 mop brush
No. 3 and no. 1 soft-hair
round brushes
Masking uid
11 x 15 in (28 x 38 cm)
rough 300 lb (425 gsm)
watercolor paper
You will need
Adding the limbs
Next, add curved hips
and render the legs
and arms as simple
shapes, splitting the
legs into two parts,
above and below
the knee.
The initial lines
Sketch a line,
imagining it going
through the center
of the body from the
neck to the hips. Draw
the torso as a simple
oblong shape.
The head and neck
Add the neck and an
egg shape for the
head. Draw a central
line between the eyes
and down the nose.
Base the features on
this central point.
Gazing at the moon
1
Sketching and masking
Using the reference sketch, lightly draw the composition.
With the end of a paintbrush, apply masking uid in the areas
that are to remain white. When it is dry, mix plenty of very
dilute color and paint in the lightest tone using a mop brush.
Try to paint these areas at one time to keep the color as at as
possible. Mix the reds together for the skin tones.
Cobalt blue
Dioxazine
purple
French
vermilion
Ultramarine
deep
Payne’s gray
Quinacridone
red
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131 Simplifying figures
2
Building up tones
Once the rst layer is dry, paint shadows
on it in the same color. The moon is the light
source, so follow the direction of the light.
You should now have two tones.
3
Painting the negative shape
Mix a darker blue wash and paint around
the gure in a at layer. Repeat the areas of
the rst wash with the darker wash and paint
owing cloud shapes.
4
Add detail with the darkest tone
Mix the darkest tone and, using a round
brush and small strokes, paint details such as
the face, hair, sky, and edges of some of the
clouds. Finally, remove the masking uid.
US_130-131_Simplifying_figures.indd 131 02/04/2020 3:34pm
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