Drawing of Basic Shapes
How to Draw Basic Shapes
Follow this guide to learn how to create complex forms by combining simple, geometric shapes. Breaking any process down into small chunks is a great way to tackle what can seem like a daunting task. If you're struggling to figure out how to draw something complicated, breaking the subject down into simple shapes can help you begin to describe its overall structure. All you need a solid grasp of how to draw a cube, cylinder and sphere, which we'll cover here.
In the opening stages of a drawing, you should be looking to describe your subject and its environment in very simple terms: always avoid details too early on. By drawing with simple shapes, we can focus on proportions, composition, planes and the relationships between forms. It's all about working big down to small; simple into complex; basic shapes into crafted details.
There are three basic shape archetypes that any form can be fitted into: the cube, the cylinder and the sphere. At the heart of these form shapes are two simple geometric shapes: the square and the ellipse. Learning to accurately draw and combine these will help you to construct any object, observed or imagined. In walking you through this process we will have to deal with concepts like perspective and foreshortening, so we'll take a very brief, practical look at them.
We'll start with drawing the square, leading onto the cube – the most articulate shape when it comes to describing geometry in a drawing that has perspective. Having six basic planar faces, the cube's proportions help to echo their relationship within 3D space. This aids further description of more complex rectilinear, cylindrical and curvilinear forms.
1. SQUARE
Drawing a basic square is the simple connection of four straight lines, two along the horizontal axis and two to describe the vertical axis. Drawing these lines is all about living in the future: pinpoint your start point; imagine the end point.
Place your pencil on the start point, relax and focus on the end point. Pull your mark along the imagined path removing the pencil once it reaches the end point. Pull your lines towards their goal: this uses more adept muscle groups.
Try this squared exercise
The grip shown above is one we're all accustomed to using when writing. Grip using the thumb, index and middle finger. The barrel of the pencil should rest naturally in your hand's web space.
Avoid closing the web space as this forces the barrel to rest on the knuckle of the index finger and promotes strokes using finger gestures only. Avoid grasping at the tip of the pencil, as this can limit line length and lead to less fluid lines.
2. CUBE
When you first start drawing cubes, it helps to study with an object in front of you. The first line to go down is the vertical line closest to you. The next two lines are for the inside edges [B]. These start at the top of our first stroke as we're looking down at our cube and the top plane is visible.
The degree at which the inside edge lines are drawn depends on how much top plane we can see: if it's a lot, the lines are drawn at an acute angle, for less, a more obtuse angle.
How to draw a cube with perspective
When you first start drawing cubes, it helps to study with an object in front of you. The first line to go down is the vertical line closest to you [A]. The next two lines are for the inside edges [B]. These start at the top of our first stroke as we're looking down at our cube and the top plane is visible.
Finishing your Cube
The length and angle of the inside edges depends on how much of the front and side is on show. If both are equal, the angle and length of the inside edge lines are also equal. Turn the front face more towards you and the line gets longer, the angle more horizontal. This turning creates the opposite; the line is more vertical, shorter. To finish, go to the end of each line and join the remaining edges with converging lines.
Try this cube exercise
Draw a horizontal line across your surface, this will act as your eye line or imaginary horizon line. Draw a square directly in the centre (note no sides should be visible). Now, above the horizon line and off to the right, draw a cube as if you'd picked up the centre square and moved it up and to the right. Your goal is to populate the paper with 3D cubes as seen from various angles.
3. CIRCLE
Measure out a square using a ruler. From the top left corner, draw a line [A] to the bottom right. Draw a second from top right to lower left [B]. Add two centre lines, [C] and [D]. On the eight short lines going out from the centre, plot dots at incremental thirds [E]. Now draw your circle tangent to the sides of the square and using the plot points placed two thirds from the centre. 'Ghost draft' this to practice first.
4. ELLIPSE
To draw a circle that appears tilted in perspective (an ellipse) repeat step 6 but this time start with a square drawn on an imaginary angled plane. You can simplify this process by drawing two lines dissecting each other, one short and vertical [A], the other horizontal and longer [B]. Now plot end points. Those on the horizontal line should be equal in distance from the centre.
Complete our Ellipse
Once again it's about connecting these points with a curvilinear path. But this time the upper semi-circle [A] is more foreshortened than the lower arc [B]. Practise this process small at first, just to build up your confidence – then move onto larger ellipses, which require more gestural arm and shoulder movements. It takes a lot of training to draw accurate ellipses.
5. CYLINDER
You first need to determine your cylinder's size and orientation in 3D space. Draw an angled line measured to express its length in depth [A]. Introduce a line that runs parallel to it to determine the cylinder's width [B].
These two lines should be tapering to an imagined far off point to express any foreshortening that's occurring. The shape of both end ellipses depends on your viewing angle; in both cases the angle of each is perpendicular to the established sides.
Your ellipses should run perpendicular to your edge lines; knowing this helps you avoid 'squished' cylinders, a common issue when using horizontal ellipses to cap the ends of angled cylinders. Applying this rule will also help you describe cross contour lines accurately. When you need to add a cross contour line to a cylinder, lightly 'draw through' the entire ellipse in question, this helps maintain the curved ends found when the visible line connects to the form edges.
Try this cylinder exercise
Establish a horizon line, then draw a plumb line directly down the centre of your paper. From the converging centre point, draw a set of diagonal lines reaching outwards mimicking the length and width lines [A & B] from step 9, and cap it off with an ellipse. As this first cylinder started life at a single point (the vanishing point) we've actually drawn a tiny cone. Now continue to draw more cylinders, continuing along the established perspective plane.
6. SPHERE
We can express spherical form using cross contour lines. Repeat step 6, but take it further by creating an ellipse within the circle. Starting at [A], lightly draw a curve with a trajectory that passes through the first third-from-centre plot point [B] then follows around to the opposite edge [C], continuing through to the next third-from-centre [D] point, ending where it began [A]. Erase the upper or lower arc.
HOW TO DRAW A FACE
Knowing how to draw a face and head accurately and realistically is key to developing effective characters. When it comes to drawing heads, nothing is set in stone; different characters have vastly different features. However, a basic understanding of how to draw and a grounding in head anatomy will enable you to experiment confidently, and these skills will certainly improve your drawings.
On this page I’ll show you how to draw a face, moving from initial drawings to using references, and sharing my personal techniques. Once you've mastered that, flip to page two to learn how to further your skills. I’ll offer some advice on how to draw a face with personality and how to show different expressions. Right, grab a sketchbook or your Cintiq and let’s get cracking!
Step 1: Start with two circle
Step 2: Add construction lines
Draw two lines slightly in from either side of your circles. These will indicate where the forehead and cheekbones sit. From the centre intersection, place a triangle for the nose and mark out where you want the mouth to go. Then add two triangles for the eyes – these will also help you locate the eyebrows and eye sockets.
Step 3: Explore different proportions
You can experiment with different sized circles to give different head dimensions. The more squashed the circles, the wider and heavy the face, while the more elongated the circles, the longer the head shape.
Step 4: Line up the features
Always remember that the eyes, nose and mouth are on the same plane on the face, otherwise things start to go a bit lopsided and weird! Imagine the facial features are wrapped around a cylinder, so they have a natural curve.
Position the top of the eyebrow and bottom of the nose so that they’re lined up with the height of the ear. This helps the face look more natural; giving it a flow, and stopping it from feeling flat.
Step 5: Start with the eyes Your character’s eyes are crucial to conveying the right emotion. Try to keep them focused and tell a story with them. Give the top eye a thicker line to indicate a shadow from the eyelid, and add a light source to give them life. Longer and thicker eyelashes create a more feminine look.
Step 6: Add in the nose
Noses can be pretty difficult to get right. I initially create a triangle with a diamond shape for the tip of the nose. From there I draw nostrils, remembering to add line weight and shadow to the bottom of the nose. I keep the details light, adding only what’s needed.
Step 7: Try different lip shapes
I keep a little sketchbook to practise different lip shapes. Study films and TV programmes to see how actors exaggerate their mouths. Experiment and explore different mouth shapes. Try to convey ‘oh’, ‘ah’ and ‘esss’: this will help when you want figures to look like they’re having a conversation.
Step 8: Consider differences between male and female faces
The male face is a harder, angular shape. The female face is softer and rounder in general. For women, try to depict fuller lips, larger eyes and rounder cheeks. These are not hard and fast rules, though – just a guide.
Step 9: Finish with some hair
When drawing a character’s hair, I first create the basic hair shape, noting that the hair is bigger than the scalp. I then add direction to the hair, remembering to draw strokes from the crown of the head. To give hair a more natural appearance, I introduce a sense of weight to the bottom of the shape. Trying drawing the hair shape with a thicker outline and thinner internal lines. This gives it direction.
Step 10: Exaggerate emotions
Once you’ve got the basics it’s time to have some fun with your figures! As a general rule, try to make the character over-act, to really convey the emotion in your drawing. I usually start with a super-quick gesture drawing to capture the emotion I’m after. Look in the mirror and exaggerate your facial features. Try to put feeling into the drawing.
Step 11: Use photo references
When drawing characters, try to get into their mindset: how they’re feeling and where they’re coming from emotionally. Then act out the expression, using a mirror or photo reference to capture the emotion. Always try to get that perfect snapshot moment, and make it look as dynamic as possible.
Step 12: Add creases
Adding facial lines to characters can emphasise an expression, but it’s important to bear in mind the age of the person. The more character lines and emotion lines you depict on a face, the older a character will look. Men usually have harsher lines and females have fewer. Younger characters will have also have fewer lines around the eyes, forehead and mouth. This is a good excuse to put together a reference library of faces young and old.
Step 13: Make subtle tweaks
Sometimes, though, subtlety is required. A slightly raised eyebrow or smirk can be very effective. Adding just a touch of emotion or quirkiness to the character can make them feel natural and lifelike.
Step 14: Try new facial expressions
Grab every opportunity to experiment with the expressions. Try to push what you’re used to drawing, and look at yourself in the mirror to see how the face can move. Try and be whacky with the different facial expressions, but be careful not to hold your breath for too long!
Step 15: Explore feature close-ups
Both the eyes and mouth are expressive. A powerful technique when drawing a comic page is to use a close-up of one of them. Consider illustrating an open mouth, snarling teeth or stern lips. Using just one area of the face will really push you to convey the emotion and sell the drawing.
Step 16: Remember body language
While drawing heads you also have to think of the figure’s body language, which will show in the close-up. A tilt of the head or shrug of the shoulders can emphasise an emotion. I draw beyond the panel to check that the body language is working and is anatomically correct. Remember to have fun and try out new things!
Resources:
Follow this guide to learn how to create complex forms by combining simple, geometric shapes. Breaking any process down into small chunks is a great way to tackle what can seem like a daunting task. If you're struggling to figure out how to draw something complicated, breaking the subject down into simple shapes can help you begin to describe its overall structure. All you need a solid grasp of how to draw a cube, cylinder and sphere, which we'll cover here.
There are three basic shape archetypes that any form can be fitted into: the cube, the cylinder and the sphere. At the heart of these form shapes are two simple geometric shapes: the square and the ellipse. Learning to accurately draw and combine these will help you to construct any object, observed or imagined. In walking you through this process we will have to deal with concepts like perspective and foreshortening, so we'll take a very brief, practical look at them.
We'll start with drawing the square, leading onto the cube – the most articulate shape when it comes to describing geometry in a drawing that has perspective. Having six basic planar faces, the cube's proportions help to echo their relationship within 3D space. This aids further description of more complex rectilinear, cylindrical and curvilinear forms.
1. SQUARE
Try this squared exercise
2. CUBE
The degree at which the inside edge lines are drawn depends on how much top plane we can see: if it's a lot, the lines are drawn at an acute angle, for less, a more obtuse angle.
How to draw a cube with perspective
Finishing your Cube
Try this cube exercise
3. CIRCLE
4. ELLIPSE
Complete our Ellipse
5. CYLINDER
These two lines should be tapering to an imagined far off point to express any foreshortening that's occurring. The shape of both end ellipses depends on your viewing angle; in both cases the angle of each is perpendicular to the established sides.
Try this cylinder exercise
6. SPHERE
HOW TO DRAW A FACE
Step 1: Start with two circle
I start off by drawing two overlapping circles. Where they intersect is the eye level. From there, put a centre line down the two circles. This gives the basis of the human head.
Step 2: Add construction lines
Draw two lines slightly in from either side of your circles. These will indicate where the forehead and cheekbones sit. From the centre intersection, place a triangle for the nose and mark out where you want the mouth to go. Then add two triangles for the eyes – these will also help you locate the eyebrows and eye sockets.
Step 5: Start with the eyes Your character’s eyes are crucial to conveying the right emotion. Try to keep them focused and tell a story with them. Give the top eye a thicker line to indicate a shadow from the eyelid, and add a light source to give them life. Longer and thicker eyelashes create a more feminine look.
Noses can be pretty difficult to get right. I initially create a triangle with a diamond shape for the tip of the nose. From there I draw nostrils, remembering to add line weight and shadow to the bottom of the nose. I keep the details light, adding only what’s needed.
I keep a little sketchbook to practise different lip shapes. Study films and TV programmes to see how actors exaggerate their mouths. Experiment and explore different mouth shapes. Try to convey ‘oh’, ‘ah’ and ‘esss’: this will help when you want figures to look like they’re having a conversation.
The male face is a harder, angular shape. The female face is softer and rounder in general. For women, try to depict fuller lips, larger eyes and rounder cheeks. These are not hard and fast rules, though – just a guide.
When drawing a character’s hair, I first create the basic hair shape, noting that the hair is bigger than the scalp. I then add direction to the hair, remembering to draw strokes from the crown of the head. To give hair a more natural appearance, I introduce a sense of weight to the bottom of the shape. Trying drawing the hair shape with a thicker outline and thinner internal lines. This gives it direction.
Once you’ve got the basics it’s time to have some fun with your figures! As a general rule, try to make the character over-act, to really convey the emotion in your drawing. I usually start with a super-quick gesture drawing to capture the emotion I’m after. Look in the mirror and exaggerate your facial features. Try to put feeling into the drawing.
When drawing characters, try to get into their mindset: how they’re feeling and where they’re coming from emotionally. Then act out the expression, using a mirror or photo reference to capture the emotion. Always try to get that perfect snapshot moment, and make it look as dynamic as possible.
Adding facial lines to characters can emphasise an expression, but it’s important to bear in mind the age of the person. The more character lines and emotion lines you depict on a face, the older a character will look. Men usually have harsher lines and females have fewer. Younger characters will have also have fewer lines around the eyes, forehead and mouth. This is a good excuse to put together a reference library of faces young and old.
Sometimes, though, subtlety is required. A slightly raised eyebrow or smirk can be very effective. Adding just a touch of emotion or quirkiness to the character can make them feel natural and lifelike.
Grab every opportunity to experiment with the expressions. Try to push what you’re used to drawing, and look at yourself in the mirror to see how the face can move. Try and be whacky with the different facial expressions, but be careful not to hold your breath for too long!
Both the eyes and mouth are expressive. A powerful technique when drawing a comic page is to use a close-up of one of them. Consider illustrating an open mouth, snarling teeth or stern lips. Using just one area of the face will really push you to convey the emotion and sell the drawing.
While drawing heads you also have to think of the figure’s body language, which will show in the close-up. A tilt of the head or shrug of the shoulders can emphasise an emotion. I draw beyond the panel to check that the body language is working and is anatomically correct. Remember to have fun and try out new things!
Resources:
- https://www.creativebloq.com/illustration/how-draw-basic-shapes-31619534
- https://www.creativebloq.com/digital-art/how-draw-faces-without-reference-21514096
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