Drawing people... Why is it so hard for most?

Question

If you think about it, humans spend more time looking at themselves and each other than they spend looking at anything else. So why is it so difficult for most of us (not trained in art) to reproduce the images accurately??

Answer 1

Drawing people is often difficult for beginning (and seasoned) artists for a number of reasons. Since we DO look at people every day, we are familiar with what they should look like. When the artwork is off, we know it. I think the best way to learn to draw people is to do three things: learn proportions, learn a little anatomy, and learn the basic drawing fundamentals (not too difficult). I've been teaching drawing for years, and most people leave the class with the ablity to get a drawing that they are at least not embarrassed by and more often, something they are a bit proud of. Really. :) Also, practice, practice, practice.

John Cichowski M.F.A.
New York Academy of Art

Instructor: Felician College & Bergen Community College

Answer 2

because everything takes practice - looking and drawing are different things. as kids everybody spends time drawing trees and houses and I bet you can do those pretty good right now?
People are hard because the dynamic, the muscle work, and movement, the lighting ALL need to be there perfectly at the same time to reproduce a believable human being. If it was just a stick and circle - then anyone could do it and we wouldnt be able to call it Art... no?

oh and the person up there talking about drawing upside down is not quite right - it is actually harder todo it that way because that side of your brain is not used to doing that task EVEN THOUGH it is pre programmed to be better at it than the other side. it is just not trained. I am an ardent "artist" if you will - I have tried it all and the upside down people turn out messed up and laughable.
thank god I can do them right side up eh lol

Answer 3

Anything is hard to draw without adequate practice. The best things to remember when drawing people is the proportions.A human body is about 8 head length long with 9 spaces in between. Here is a rough idea of how it should go.
1-Head
2-shoulders
3-chest
4-waist
5-hips
6-thighs
7-knees
8-shins
9-feet
A man shoulders are approximately 3 heads wide and a woman's are 2 & 1/2.
Hips for a man are 2 heads width and a womans are 2 & 1/2.
Hope this helps. Remember practice will make everything easier and MUCH better.

Answer 4

Some people have difficulties perceiving perspective, proportion, symmetry, form, precision and/or detail. This is why for some it is hard to transfer the image(s) to paper or canvas.

Some people have a barrier to transfer what they see on paper.
It takes refining of skills at a basic level to reproduce things like, lines, strokes, shape, form, figure, perspective and composition. Also sometimes it's just a lack of precise techniques.

Answer 5

looking is often not really seeing,and also people need to be in the right setting ,and not be rushed,nor have other things which distract them.
I do not have formal study in art,and only a few years ago I did good to draw stick figures,today however in the rural of my summer home,no noise,no rush,no distractions-I have only my easels,canvas,pads,etc,and I have developed a rather good ability in drawing,and painting.
I strongly suggest practice,it will get better,unless you turn on the PC the TV the radio or, well you get my point.
On drawing humans, if you re right handed outstretch your left hand,and dont just look at it but see it,then draw it,then see the lower arm,and draw that,then a mirror,and draw your face.
PRACTICE,PRACTICE!

Answer 6

i learned this in art class... take a picture of a human.. turn it upside down and youll draw it better, because your brain looks at it as just lines, if its right side up its overwhelming to have to draw a human. also maybe its hard for the brain to reverse the image on its own

Answer 7

not all even trained in art could actually draw or reproduce the exact image of somebody accurately... what more if we are not trained to draw...

Answer 8

Its a gift, a talent, who thankfully some have, and the rest of us don't.
The human face has thousands of muscle in it, and numerous shades also. There is no real standard shape either, sure we have oval, round, square, etc, but they vary so much. Just be happy that some can, and hope that we have other talents, to compensate us for not having that gift.

Answer 9

Because if you look at a human( you know, look at our features) they are very hard to put on paper. Eyes have a lot of detail, nose, ears, hair, and the different shading you need to do, its all really hard to just put down on paper. Texture is really hard to do, and duplicating the correct size of the eyes, ears, nose, and the correct length for hair, and the correct shading in the correct places is REALLY hard, unless your drawing on a grid, that makes things easier.

Answer 10

it's not that we are human and drawing humans is hard...it is because proportion of the human figure is difficult to render accurately; unlike drawing objects like trees, etc., where proportion doesn't necessarily determine whether it is a
'tree' or 'rock' or some still life; proportion is key to the human figure. when you see a drawing of the human figure and something's not right, 99.9% of the time it is a proportional error.