Day 20 // How to Draw Legs

In today’s lesson, we are going to be drawing those long and lovely lower limbs, the legs! In my opinion, the thing that makes a bent line look like an actual human leg are the curves. The legs have lots of curves that change depending on what angle you are looking at. In this video, we’ll go into detail about where to place these curves and how you can stylize legs when drawing. I’ll also teach you a fun method that can help you draw legs in different poses.

Minimal Depiction

Reference Photos

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

(click to enlarge)

Basic Elements

Tapered Shape

2 Sections

3 Joints

Curves & Straights

Knee Protrudes

Attaches to Torso at an Angle

The Butt

MOVEMENT Elements

Joint at Hip: full range of movement

Knee Joint: moves out and back

Ankle Joint: moves up, down, and all around

Homework

Observe lots of photos of legs. Identify what angle you’re looking at and where the curves are on the legs. Then draw the three sets of legs like in the tutorial: front-facing, side view, and 3/4 view. Then, follow the steps to create a ball of legs to practice drawing legs in bent positions and at different angles.

Examples

(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 fingers and hands.

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.