Realistic Human Figure Drawing
A course by Diego Catalan Amilivia , Painter and Illustrator
Joined November 2017
Learn step by step how to illustrate the human body proportionally by analyzing its structure
Joined November 2017
Every good artist's ability to draw the human figure is based on the study of its anatomy and the analysis of its form. When you are able to draw as your eyes see, you can go farther and allow yourself certain creative freedoms. Diego Catalán is passionate about everything human, both the physical and the psychological, and is an expert at capturing the essence of the body in great detail.
In his previous course, Realistic Portrait with Graphite Pencil, he showed how to use different techniques and tools to achieve a unique portrait. However, in this one, you will have the opportunity to analyze the surface and the bone and muscle structure of the body to learn how to successfully draw the human figure from scratch.
What will you learn in this online course?
35 lessons & 18 downloads
- 99% positive reviews (1K)
- 42,520 students
- 35 lessons (8h 25m)
- 18 additional resources (9 files)
- Online and at your own pace
- Available on the app
- Audio: Spanish, German, English, French, Indonesian, Italian, Dutch, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Turkish
- Spanish · English · Portuguese · German · Italian · French · Polish · Dutch · Turkish · Indonesian · Romanian
- Level: Beginner
- Unlimited access forever
What is this course's project?
Make a drawing in which you progressively analyze each part of the body and compose a realistic figure that will allow you to face new artistic challenges in the future.
Projects by course students
Who is this online course for?
Illustrators, designers, and anyone with basic notions of drawing who wishes to achieve more professional results by acquiring a solid knowledge of human anatomy.
Requirements and materials
To take this course you will need basic drawing knowledge, a willingness to learn, and an interest in deepening the knowledge of the human body. If you have done Diego Catalán’s other course focused on realistic portrait drawing, it will be easier for you to follow along.
As for the materials, it is essential that you have pencils of different grades, paper, an eraser, a stick, and a mirror.
Reviews
Diego Catalan Amilivia
A course by Diego Catalan Amilivia
Diego Catalán graduated from the University of Salamanca with a degree in Fine Arts, specializing in painting. He has done postgraduate work at the Art Students League and the National Academy of Design in New York City. He currently combines his art with his work teaching Artistic Anatomy at the Escuela Superior de Dibujo Profesional in Madrid.
Content
-
U1
Introduction
-
Presentation
-
Influences
-
What will we do in this course?
-
-
U2
We start the drawing
-
Materials
-
The block-in of the drawing 1
-
The block-in of the drawing 2
-
The block-in of the drawing 3
-
Proportion and anatomical blocks
-
Action, balance, gesture and 3D shape 1
-
Action, balance, gesture and 3D shape 2
-
We draw the interior of our silhouette 1
-
We draw the interior of our silhouette 2
-
We draw the interior of our silhouette 3
-
The light
-
Shadow pattern introduction
-
-
U3
The anatomical refinement
-
The thorax and pelvis: bone and muscle analysis
-
The refinement of the drawing: we finished the torso 1
-
The refinement of the drawing: we finished the torso 2
-
The refinement of the drawing: we finished torso 3
-
The skull and neck: bone and muscle analysis 1
-
The skull and neck: muscle and bone analysis 2
-
Refinement of the drawing: we finished head 1
-
Refinement of the drawing: we finished the head 2
-
Refinement of the drawing: we finished the head 3
-
Arm, forearm and hand: bone and muscle analysis 1
-
Arm, forearm and hand: bone and muscle analysis 2
-
Refinement of the drawing: we finish arm, forearm and hand 1
-
Refinement of the drawing: we finish arm, forearm and hand 2
-
Refinement of the drawing: we finish arm, forearm and hand 3
-
Thigh, Leg, Foot: Bone and Muscle Analysis 1
-
Thigh, Leg, Foot: Bone and Muscle Analysis 2
-
We refine the drawing of leg 1
-
We refine the drawing of leg 2
-
-
U4
Final adjustments and preservation of the drawing
-
Final touches
-
Conservation and farewell
-
-
FP
Final project
-
Realistic Human Figure Drawing
-
What to expect from a Domestika course
-
Learn at your own pace
Enjoy learning from home without a set schedule and with an easy-to-follow method. You set your own pace.
-
Learn from the best professionals
Learn valuable methods and techniques explained by top experts in the creative sector.
-
Meet expert teachers
Each expert teaches what they do best, with clear guidelines, true passion, and professional insight in every lesson.
-
Certificates
PlusIf you're a Plus member, get a custom certificate signed by your teacher for every course. Share it on your portfolio, social media, or wherever you like.
-
Get front-row seats
Videos of the highest quality, so you don't miss a single detail. With unlimited access, you can watch them as many times as you need to perfect your technique.
-
Share knowledge and ideas
Ask questions, request feedback, or offer solutions. Share your learning experience with other students in the community who are as passionate about creativity as you are.
-
Connect with a global creative community
The community is home to millions of people from around the world who are curious and passionate about exploring and expressing their creativity.
-
Watch professionally produced courses
Domestika curates its teacher roster and produces every course in-house to ensure a high-quality online learning experience.
FAQs
You will learn to analyze and draw the human figure from life observation, understand bone and muscle anatomy, apply construction, shading, and modeling techniques, and enhance realistic representation using technical resources and anatomical references.
This course is designed for people with basic drawing skills who want to deepen their knowledge of anatomy and the human figure. It’s intermediate level, so prior artistic drawing experience is recommended.
You’ll need pencils of various hardness (H and B), charcoal, blending stumps, kneaded eraser, Bristol or suitable drawing paper, a sharpener blade, pencil extender, artist’s tape, mat board, and fixative to preserve your work.
Studying anatomy helps you understand the structure of bones and muscles, making it easier to accurately depict volumes, movement, and proportions, resulting in more realistic and expressive drawings.
You’ll learn shading techniques using graphite and charcoal, blending with stumps, texturing, creating smooth transitions, emphasizing shadows, and applying reflected light to add volume and depth.
Yes, the course combines life drawing with photo references, teaching methods to analyze proportions, angles, and negative space for faithful human figure representation.
Yes, the course offers a structured process from initial construction to final modeling, with step-by-step exercises to build human figures and apply anatomical knowledge in drawing.
Curso bem didático
EXCELENTE EL CURSO!! LA EXPLICACION DEL PROFESOR ES EXCELENTE !! ES IMPOSIBLE NO APRENDER ! HE APRENDIDO DE ANATOMIA MEJOR QUE LA UNIVERSIDAD. HA SUPERADO TODA MI EXPECTATIVA.
MUCHAS GRACIAS PROFE DIEGO!!
Gran curso, completísimo, un gran profesor, muy metódico y detallista, todo bien explicado, sin duda uno de los mejores cursos para entrar en el estudio del dibujo de la figura humana.
Muy contento. Curso muy completo, un gran profesor, muy metódico y detallista, todo bien explicado, tanto éste como el de retratos.
Muy completo y explica extremadamente bien.