Art Class, Level 4: Drawing People With Degas

Product Description

Learn to draw a human figure in proper proportions and use it to show a person in action.

In this lesson you will learn to draw a properly proportioned, generic human figure. The lesson provides a simple way to bend the initial drawing into an action figure, add clothes, and color the figure with chalk pencils on textured card stock. You can turn your figure into a dancer, athlete—whatever you like!

Beginners who draw people often get so caught up in minor details that the overall human form gets distorted. This lesson helps people avoid such pitfalls in three ways:

• The lesson provides a simplified way to draw hands and faces
• The paintings of Degas are used to inspire a loose, less detailed approach
• Using chalk pencils on card stock frees us to use a less detailed style

Please note: The video version and the PowerPoint version of the lesson use different media. Using chalk pencils—not chalk pastels—and using heavily textured paper like textured card stock are both important to the PowerPoint lesson’s success. Oil pastels are used for the video version of the lesson.

This lesson includes both POWERPOINT and VIDEO versions of the lesson plus 2 downloadable printouts: a warmup and a drawing of a generic figure.

Approximate Time to Complete the Art Class:

• Drawing the generic figure: 25 minutes
• Tracing the figure onto textured paper and color with chalk pastels: 60+ minutes
• Total time: 85 minutes

Families will have access to the online lesson for one year from the date of purchase.