How to draw people - a free people drawing guide
Drawing
Quick
Learn to draw people step-by-step, creating proportionate human figures with faces, clothing, and basic poses. Practice shading and line work to add depth. Download the PDF for complete instructions.
Photos of example drawings of people
Step-by-step guide to draw people
Step 1
Place your paper vertically on a flat surface.
Step 2
Lightly draw a straight vertical center line down the middle of the paper.
Step 3
Draw an oval near the top of the center line to make a head shape.
Step 4
Measure the height of your head oval with your ruler and mark that length six more times down the center line to make seven head units.
Step 5
Draw a short horizontal line across the top of the second head unit to mark the shoulder level.
Step 6
Draw a horizontal line across the fourth head unit to mark the hip level.
Step 7
Draw a light straight line from the bottom of the head oval down to the hip line to make a spine guide.
Step 8
Draw straight lines from the shoulder line for the arms and from the hip line to the bottom mark for the legs to make a stick-figure skeleton.
Step 9
Around the stick figure draw simple shapes like ovals and rectangles to add volume for the torso arms and legs.
Step 10
Draw a light horizontal guideline halfway down the head oval to mark the eye level.
Step 11
Draw the eyes nose and mouth on the face using the guideline for placement.
Step 12
Sketch clothing and hair outlines over the body shapes to give your person an outfit and hairstyle.
Step 13
Use light pencil strokes to add shading under the chin in clothing folds and on one side to show depth.
Step 14
Gently erase your construction lines and darken the final outlines to finish your drawing.
Final steps
You're almost there! Complete all the steps, bring your creation to life, post it, and conquer the challenge!
Help!?
What can we use if we don't have a ruler or eraser?
Use a folded strip of paper or the straight edge of a book as a ruler for measuring the head-oval units and a soft cloth or kneaded eraser substitute to lift pencil lines when you can't erase.
My drawing's proportions look wrong—what should I check?
Check that your vertical center line and the six extra head-unit marks are evenly spaced by remeasuring the head oval along the center line and keep the spine guide, shoulder line, and hip line light so you can adjust the stick-figure skeleton before adding body volumes.
How can I change the activity for younger or older children?
For younger kids simplify to placing the paper vertically, drawing a big head oval and a stick-figure skeleton to add simple shapes, while older kids should use the full seven-head measurement, add the eye guideline, refine facial features, and practice the shading step.
How can we extend or personalize the finished drawing?
Personalize by changing the pose before you 'draw simple shapes' around the stick figure, designing unique clothing and hairstyles in the clothing/hair steps, adding color or a background, or photographing and sharing the finished creation on DIY.org.
Watch videos on how to draw people
How To Draw A Self Portrait: For Kids!
4 Videos
Facts about figure drawing for kids
⏱️ Doing 30-second to 2-minute gesture sketches helps you capture lively poses faster than long, detailed drawings.
✋ A hand (wrist to fingertips) is about the same length as the face from chin to hairline.
👀 The eyes sit about halfway down the head, not near the top like many people expect.
📏 Your arm span is roughly equal to your height — a great quick-check for proportions.
🧍♂️ Artists often measure people in "heads" — an average adult is about 7.5–8 heads tall!
How do I teach my child to draw people step-by-step?
What materials do I need to learn how to draw people with my child?
What ages are suitable for learning to draw people step-by-step?
What are the benefits of practicing drawing people, and how can we vary the activity?
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