120 ideas

Drawing Ideas People Watchers Will Recognise

Deal one invented person in one pose, at a bus stop, up a ladder or asleep on a train, with the line to find first.

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Drawn: A row of people on a bench, each doing something differentA row of people on a bench, each doing something differentLine up the seat and the knees, then vary everything above. One reads, one eats, one sleeps, one feeds the birds.

Next step Give the crowd a street or a room to stand in

All 120 ideas

Everyday poses 20

A cyclist pushing a bike up a hill The body leans into the slope with both arms straight to the bars. The back leg is one long diagonal, pushing off.
A person asleep on a train, head against the window The neck bends further than feels right. Slump the shoulders, cross the arms and let the mouth fall a little open.
A person brushing their teeth at a mirror One elbow sticks out level with the shoulder. Draw the back view and the reflected front view for double the practice.
A person climbing stairs two at a time The front knee comes up past the hip and the torso leans over it. One hand slides along the rail.
A person pegging washing on a line Both arms up and a peg held in the mouth. Shirt hems lift in the wind, and the basket sits by the feet.
A person sitting cross-legged on the floor The legs make a flat diamond with the torso a rectangle above it. The knees sit lower than you expect.

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Everyday poses, continued

A person stretching after waking, arms overhead One long curve runs from the fingertips to the heels. Arch the back, tip the head back and let the ribs lift.
A person waiting at a bus stop, weight on one leg This stance is contrapposto, or counterpoise. The hip over the standing leg rises and the shoulder above it drops.
A person walking into the wind behind an umbrella Tilt the whole figure into the wind with the umbrella out in front like a shield. Coat and scarf stream behind.
A shopper with a heavy bag in each hand The weight pulls the shoulders down and the arms dead straight. Tilt the bags outward and bend the knees a touch.
A stick figure walking, arms swinging against the legs Each arm swings with the opposing leg: left arm forward with the right foot. Lean the spine the way the figure is going.
Someone carrying a stack of boxes they cannot see over Lean the torso back to balance the load. Fingers show at the bottom of the stack, and one eye peers round the side.
Someone crouching to stroke a dog Thighs press to the chest and the heels lift. Foreshorten the reaching arm: whatever points at you looks shorter.
Someone leaning on a wall with their arms folded Shoulders touch the wall and the feet stand a step away, so the body is one slant. Cross one ankle over the other.
Someone on tiptoe reaching for the top shelf A straight line runs from the raised hand to the opposite heel. The free arm swings out behind for balance.
Someone reading on a sofa with their legs tucked under Draw the sofa as a box first, then fit the figure inside it. The head tips down and the book rests on the knees.
Someone running for a bus with their coat flying Lean the whole body forward past the front foot. One foot is off the ground, and the coat trails out behind.
Someone sitting on a kerb with their chin in their hands Knees up, elbows on knees, face squashed into the palms. The back is one C-curve from hips to neck.
Someone tying a shoe, down on one knee Fold the body into a Z, back curved and one knee up by the chest. Both hands meet at the foot, so the arms make a loop.
Someone walking while looking down at a phone The head drops forward, so the back of the neck shows. Elbow tucked in, thumb over the screen, stride short.

People at work 20

A baker sliding a tray of loaves into an oven Bend at the hips with a flat back and straight arms. The tray is a thin box in perspective. Add an apron and a cap.
A builder carrying a plank on one shoulder The plank runs past the head in perspective. The loaded shoulder rises and the free arm swings wide for balance.
A chef tossing vegetables in a pan The wrist does the work: forearm level, pan tipped forward. Arc the food above the pan and lean the head back.
A decorator on a stepladder with a paint roller Arm right up, roller flat to the wall. Feet on different rungs tilt the hips one way and the shoulders the other.
A delivery rider stopped at a red light Back hunched over the bars, a big square bag behind. One foot is on the ground and the other on the raised pedal.
A farmer leaning on a gate Forearms rest on the top bar with one boot on the bottom rail. The back is a gentle slope from hips to shoulders.
A firefighter hauling a hose The body leans hard away from the hose with the heels dug in. Bulky kit hides the joints, so find the pose first.
A gardener kneeling at a flower bed with a trowel One knee down and one hand planted for support. The back slopes forward, and the hat hides half the face.
A hairdresser mid-cut, comb in one hand and scissors in the other Both elbows lift and the head tilts to sight along the comb. The seated client is a cape shape with a head on top.
A librarian shelving books from a trolley One arm clamps a stack to the hip while the other reaches up. The head tilts sideways to read the spines.
A lifeguard on a high chair, watching the water Seen from below, the chair legs draw together as they rise and the feet are nearest. One hand shades the eyes.
A market trader handing over a bag of apples One arm stretches across the stall and the body leans over the crates. The other hand is already finding change.
A nurse checking a watch pinned to a tunic The chin drops and one hand lifts the watch. Keep the uniform plain: a tunic, trousers and flat shoes.
A postal worker sorting letters from a shoulder bag The strap cuts across the chest and drags one shoulder down. One hand fans the letters, and the head tilts to read.
A potter at a wheel, hands wet with clay Hunched over with the elbows braced on the thighs. Both hands cup the pot, and the forearms mirror each other.
A school crossing guard holding up a stop sign A long coat turns the body into one simple block. One arm goes straight up with the sign, the other straight out.
A street sweeper pushing a wide broom Both hands on the handle, one high and one low. The body leans the way the broom travels, back foot trailing.
A teacher writing on a board and looking back at the class The torso faces the board while the head turns over one shoulder. That twist pulls creases across the shirt back.
A waiter balancing a tray on one hand Tray on the fingertips at shoulder height with the elbow bent beneath it. The other arm folds behind the back.
A window cleaner on a ladder, seen from below From below, the boots and legs loom large and the head shrinks. The ladder's rails draw together as they climb.

Ages and generations 20

A baby crawling, seen from the side A typical crawl goes hand, diagonal knee, other hand, other knee. Keep the back level and lift the head.
A baby sitting up, arms out for balance An infant's face is rounder, with a higher forehead and a smaller nose and mouth. Keep the legs short, bent and wide.
A child in wellingtons crouched over a puddle Young children squat by instinct. Bottom nearly on the ground, knees up by the ears, head tipped down to look.
A child on a swing at the top of the arc Legs straight out in front, body leaning back, laces trailing. The two chains run up to meet the frame.
A child riding on an adult's shoulders The adult grips the child's shins. The child's hands rest on the adult's head, and both lean a little forward.
A grandparent reading to a child on their lap Two figures make one shape. The child's back fits against the adult's chest, and both heads tip towards the book.
A great-grandmother blowing out birthday candles Cheeks puffed, lips pushed forward, eyes on the flames. The candles light the face from below.
A height chart of toddler, child, teenager and adult Stand all four on one ground line. Count each height in that figure's own head lengths and write the number above.
A hero drawn eight and a half heads high Artists stretch heroic figures to eight and a half heads. Most of the extra goes into a bigger chest and longer legs.
A middle-aged jogger bent over, hands on knees A rounded back with the arms locked straight onto the knees. The head hangs, the cheeks puff and the feet splay.
A new parent rocking a baby on one shoulder One hand under the baby and one behind its head. The parent's weight sits on one hip, head tilted towards the child.
A schoolchild with a backpack too big for them The pack pulls the shoulders back, so the head pokes forward to balance. Thumbs hook under the straps.
A student asleep on a pile of books Head sideways on folded arms with the cheek squashed. Shoulders rise round the ears, and the pen is still in one hand.
A teenager carrying a skateboard under one arm Board tucked against the hip, free hand in a pocket. Long limbs, loose clothes and a slight slouch.
A teenager slouched in a chair with headphones on The spine is a C-curve and the hips slide to the front of the seat. One leg stretches out and one bends.
A toddler taking first steps with arms held high Feet wide apart, knees bent, tummy forward. The arms go up and out like a tightrope walker's.
An adult measured out at seven and a half heads An average adult stands about seven and a half heads tall. Stack head lengths down a line, then hang the figure on it.
An elderly woman walking with a shopping trolley The upper back rounds and the head comes forward. The steps are short, so keep both feet close to the ground.
An old man's hands folded over a walking stick Lay one hand over the other on the handle. Draw each knuckle a little wider than the finger on either side of it.
Three generations on one park bench One pose, three bodies: feet dangling, feet planted, feet tucked under. Match the tilt of all three heads.

Faces and portraits 20

A blind contour portrait, drawn without looking down Keep your eyes on the sitter and never on the paper. The wobbly result is the point, because the eye learns the edges.
A caricature of yourself with one feature loaded up Caricature comes from the Italian caricare, to load. Pick the feature people notice first and make it carry more.
A cut-paper silhouette of a head in profile Before photography, a profile cut from black card was the cheapest likeness. Forehead, nose, lips and chin do it all.
A face front-on, built on an egg and a cross Draw an egg, one line down the middle and one across. The features hang on that cross, so tilt it to tilt the head.
A face in the middle of a yawn The jaw drops and the whole face lengthens. The eyes squeeze shut, the nostrils flare and the neck cords show.
A face lit from one side by a window Split the face into a light half and a shadow half. Leave one small patch of light on the shadowed cheek.
A face pressed against a window pane Flatten the nose tip, one cheek and the lips into pale ovals where they meet the glass. Add a patch of fogged breath.
A half-length portrait with both hands showing Half-length means head to waist or hips. Arms measure about three heads long, and a hand is as long as the face.
A head and shoulders portrait in a hat and scarf Portraitists call head and shoulders a bust. The hat sits on the skull, not the hair, so draw the whole head first.
A head in profile, facing left Profile portraits were the fashion in Italy from 1450 to 1500. Set the ear well back, behind the line of the jaw.
A head in three-quarter view Somewhere between full face and profile. The far eye narrows, the nose overlaps the far cheek, the centre line curves.
A head looking up at the sky, seen from below The underside of the jaw becomes one big plane. The features bunch towards the top and the ears drop lower.
A head tilted down over a book, seen from the front You see more skull and less face. The features crowd into the lower half and the nose tip covers the mouth.
A laughing face with the head thrown back Seen from under the chin: the nostrils show, the jaw becomes a wide curve and the eyes squeeze into arcs.
A person caught mid-sneeze Everything scrunches towards the nose. Eyes shut tight, mouth open and square, one hand coming up too late.
A self-portrait drawn from a mirror Better, cheaper mirrors helped self-portraits spread. Stand yours beside the board and move only your eyes.
A self-portrait with your drawing hand in the picture You cannot draw the hand that is moving, so pose the other one and flip it. Check its length against your face.
A sulking child with arms crossed and lip out Brows down in a V, chin tucked in, lower lip pushed forward. The shoulders hunch up towards the ears.
An old face with its creases mapped Creases run across the forehead, fan from the eye corners and bracket the mouth. Draw the deepest few, not all.
Six expressions on one simple face Much of an expression is made by the eyes and eyebrows. Keep the head the same and change brows, lids and mouth.

Couples and pairs 20

A couple asleep on a sofa under one blanket The leaning head pushes the near shoulder down. Let the arms go heavy and the legs sprawl past the blanket's edge.
A couple holding hands, seen from behind Back views need no faces. Tilt the heads towards each other and let the joined hands swing between the two.
A couple in a rowing boat, one rowing, one trailing a hand The rower leans back at the end of the stroke with arms pulled in. The boat is a shallow curve in perspective.
A couple reading back to back under a tree Two spines share one upright line. Knees up, books on knees, heads tipped opposite ways.
A couple sharing one umbrella Both lean in under the canopy and the outer shoulders get wet. The taller one holds the handle with a bent arm.
A couple slow dancing in a kitchen One shape with four feet. Arms wrap, heads rest together, and both bodies sway their weight onto the same side.
A couple walking a dog that pulls ahead The lead is one taut straight line. One arm is dragged forward, and the other person laughs from half a step behind.
A couple's portrait with heads close together Overlap the heads so one jaw hides part of the other. Set the two eye lines apart by the difference in height.
A first dance with the dress swinging out Spin the skirt into a wide bell. Joined hands stretch to one side, and both bodies lean away from them.
A hug seen from the side Arms overlap arms, so decide whose goes on top. Chins hook over shoulders, and the two spines lean in like a letter A.
A kiss on the forehead at a front door The taller figure bends at the neck and the shorter tips the face up. Hands rest lightly on the upper arms.
A parent teaching a child to ride a bike The adult runs bent over with one hand under the saddle. The child's arms are rigid and the eyes fixed dead ahead.
A piggyback ride with both people laughing The carrier leans forward to balance, hands hooked under the rider's knees. The rider's arms loop round the collarbones.
An arm-wrestling match across a table Locked hands at the centre with the forearms making an A. Each face strains differently, and free hands grip the edge.
Two children on a seesaw, one up and one down One tilted plank on a pivot. The low rider's knees fold up, and the high rider's legs dangle straight.
Two friends sharing a whispered secret One cups a hand round the other's ear. The listener's gaze slides sideways and the brows lift.
Two people carrying a sofa up the stairs The lower carrier takes the weight, arms straight and knees bent. The upper one climbs backwards, looking round.
Two people sharing earphones on a bench The wire makes a V between two tilted heads. Shoulders touch, and both pairs of feet point the same way.
Two silhouettes on a hill watching the sun go down A silhouette is one solid colour with nothing inside it, so the outline carries the whole pose. Lean the heads in.
Two stick figures high-fiving in mid-air Both figures leave the ground with bent knees. The hands meet at the highest point, so the arms make a peak.

Crowd moments 20

A bus queue of six stick figures, no two standing alike A stick figure is straight lines for limbs and torso and a circle for the head. Give each of the six its own lean.
A choir in three rows, all mouths open on one note Stagger the rows so each face shows between two shoulders. Matching folders, matching mouths, different faces.
A cinema audience lit by the screen Rows of heads in silhouette, faces lit from the front. Give each face a different reaction to the same scene.
A class photo in rows, front row cross-legged Front row sits, middle row takes chairs, back row stands. Draw the faces as plain ovals and vary only hair and tilt.
A concert crowd with arms in the air, seen from behind A dark mass of heads with arms and phones rising out of it. The light comes from the stage, so rim the edges pale.
A crowd of shape people: circles, rectangles and triangles Build each body from one shape, then add a head and stick limbs. Repeat a shape and those people look related.
A family photo lined up by height Shoulders overlap like roof tiles. Tilt a few heads, and have one person in the front row looking the wrong way.
A market crowd seen from directly above From above, people are heads on shoulders with feet poking out. Cluster them at the stalls and leave the paths clear.
A packed train carriage at rush hour Heads at different heights, arms reaching for the rail. Draw the front row fully and the rest as overlapping shoulders.
A picnic group on one big blanket Everyone sits differently: kneeling, propped on an elbow, legs out straight. Point all the feet away from the food.
A queue for ice cream on a hot day Hands fan faces, a child tugs a sleeve, someone counts coins. Cast short shadows straight down for the midday sun.
A road crossing full of walkers, everyone mid-stride Standing among them, you see adult heads near one level line. Nearer walkers grow downward, their feet landing lower.
A row of people on a bench, each doing something different Line up the seat and the knees, then vary everything above. One reads, one eats, one sleeps, one feeds the birds.
A sketchbook page of ten-second gesture figures A gesture drawing lays in action and pose, often in as little as ten seconds. One sweeping line first, then the limbs.
A tug of war with both teams straining Every body leans away from the centre at the same angle. The rope is dead straight and the heels plough the ground.
A wedding dance floor with every age on it Borrow from the Ages group: a child standing on someone's feet, a grandparent with a stick, a teenager barely moving.
Children playing tag in a playground Every figure leans and no two run the same way. The chaser reaches out, and the chased twists away at the waist.
Commuters on an escalator, seen from the side Figures climb a diagonal in even steps. Most stand still on one side while one person strides past on the other.
Six people sheltering from rain in one doorway Pack six into a space meant for two. Shoulders hunch, bags go over heads, and everyone looks up at the sky.
Stadium spectators doing a wave Arms rise in a ripple along the row: seated, half up, fully up, coming down. Draw it as five poses in order.

How it works

These are drawing ideas people watchers will recognise: someone tying a shoe, a queue for ice cream, three generations on one bench. Each of the 120 names an invented person in one pose or moment, and the hint says what to get right. The filters combine: Crowd moments plus Easy holds five.

Read the full guide

Name the pose before you draw the person

Most people drawing ideas stop at the word person. These name the pose, because the pose is the drawing. Someone tying a shoe, down on one knee is a Z of back, thigh and shin before it is anybody. Find that line first, then hang the head, ribs and hips on it. Human drawing ideas are measured in heads: an average adult stands about seven and a half tall, and the halfway mark falls at the outer hip bones.

Six groups of 20 and three levels

Everyday poses, People at work, Ages and generations, Faces and portraits, Couples and pairs, and Crowd moments hold 20 each. Faces and portraits carries the portrait drawing ideas, from profile to three-quarter view. Couples and pairs has couple drawing ideas such as A couple sharing one umbrella. The 33 easy ones are easy drawings of people in the plainest sense: stick and shape figures. The 26 hard ones overlap bodies or look from above or below.

Draw the spine first, then the tilt of shoulders and hips. With the weight on one leg, they tilt opposite ways.
Sketch strangers as shapes and keep the faces generic. A pose belongs to everybody, but a likeness belongs to one person.
Beginners draw hands too small. A hand is about as long as the face, so hold yours up and check.

Questions and answers

Where should a beginner start?

With the 33 in Easy. They read as stick figures or bodies built from plain shapes, such as A person sitting cross-legged on the floor. Get the lean and balance right, then redraw the pose with a ribcage, hips and cylinders for limbs.

Are there self-portraits in the list?

Three. A self-portrait drawn from a mirror is the classic, and A self-portrait with your drawing hand in the picture adds a hand problem. A caricature of yourself with one feature loaded up is the quick one. Fix the mirror beside the board so only your eyes move.

What is a gesture drawing?

A fast sketch that lays in the action and pose of a figure, often in as little as ten seconds. Put down one sweeping line first, then the limbs. A sketchbook page of ten-second gesture figures sits under Crowd moments. For a slower round, give each figure 30 seconds.