As the founder of Dr. Sketchy’s Anti-Art School, I’m besieged by newbies who want to attend, but have the terror they’re not good enough.

Here’s an basic guide to the complex art of figure drawing, so you can show up to your local alt.drawing salon and wield you pencil with pride.

1.) Don’t be precious with materials.  I’m rocking a sharpie and dip pen on a Fresh Direct box. You want a fat implement to keep you loose, and a surface you aren’t afraid of messing up.  In terms of your surface-bigger is better.

2.) Get the gesture.  Find the motion of the body and make that line first.  Get the entire body on the page. No cutting off the feet.  Once you’ve figured out how the spine, hips, head and shoulders sit, you can move on to the arms and legs.

3.) Know your anatomy- and no, this is not a code word for boobs.  The head is an egg.  The shoulders and hips always counterbalance each other.  Otherwise, you’d fall over.

4.) Don’t be afraid to push a gesture.  If the spine in your drawing looks sway-backed, that’s still better than crabbed stiffness.  Let your hand free. Push decorative details like lace, and swirling hair.

5.) Do as Aubrey Beardsley did and remember solid blacks make a drawing pop

6.) Be imaginative.  Wouldn’t your inky lady have more fun hanging out with piglets?

7.) If you’ve gotten the whole body in and have extra time, don’t be afraid to hone in on a favorite part.  Rendering Katelan Foisy’s face took up my extra minutes.

EXTRA CREDIT: Get a copy of  Drawing the Head and Figure, a simple-to-follow guide to making stuff look right

Most importantly, draw! Draw your boyfriend. Draw your hand. Draw at your favorite art club.  It’s been said that everyone has a thousand bad drawings in them.  Start cracking away at your thousand.

Words and Art by Molly Crabapple with modeling by Katelan Foisyand photos by Lauren Goldberg.  Molly’s dress by Stop Staring.

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