Day 19 // How to Draw Feet

Now that you’ve practiced drawing toes, let’s learn about the foot as a whole. Feet are very important: without them your character won’t have anything to stand on! Unlike hands, feet don’t move a ton, but their shape is very unique, so they’re hard to nail when drawing freehand. So I suggest a structure of 3D shapes to help you learn and get familiar with the forms and angles of feet. Watch the video to learn more!

Minimal Depiction

Reference Photos

Here are some feet reference photos, but go out and find more of your own! Sites like Pexels, Pixabay, and Unsplash are great for free-to-use stock photography and I use them frequently for reference photos.

(click to enlarge)

Basic Elements

Ankle

Bridge & Arch

Toes

Heel & Ball

Ankle Bones

Triangular Shape

Heels Narrow,
Toes Wider

MOVEMENT Elements

Main joints are at the ankle and toes

Full range of motion at the ankle

Foot can point in a straight line with leg

Foot can flex perpendicular with leg

Toes can point up

More Details

Skin on soles of feet wrinkles the foot is pointed

Feet can flex past 90 degrees when pressure is applied

Bony on top, fleshy on the underside

…keep making more observations!

Homework

Disclaimer: this homework should take you more than one day! Start by drawing a variety of 2D feet poses using a wedge and two rectangles.

Draw some feet using the detailed method described in the tutorial. Experiment with the direction the foot is pointing, the vantage point of the viewer, and the pose of the foot. Get comfortable with that, then try to simplify that structure, so you can draw feet faster.

Once you are more familiar with drawing feet, try drawing them using the “rounded method” described in the video. Maybe even try drawing a pair of shoes!

(click to enlarge)

Keep researching, observing and learning! I’ve made a Pinterest board full of additional resources to help you learn more about drawing toes & feet.

This lesson is a part of a month-long series that will get you you familiar with the basics of drawing humans, and help you develop your own people-drawing style. To learn more, check out the People Skills Intro, or continue on to the next lesson below.