Drawing the
Human
Form
In Theatre…
The Standard Formula
for Figure drawing is
7 ½ Heads
Or
7.5 X Head Length
1
Head
2
Chest
3
Waist (Belly Button)
4
Crotch
5½
Knees
7
7½
Ankles
Feet
Commonalities of the Body’s Construction
Shoulder Width:
Men = 2 x Head Length
Women = 1 ½ x Head Length
Elbow is even with the Belly Button
Wrist Bone is even with the Crotch
Hand Spread (tip of thumb to tip of pinky)
= Length between crook of elbow
and crook of wrist
& = Length of Foot
Arm Spread is equal to Height
Waist Width = 2 x Head Width
Some Additional Thoughts…
 Fill the page!
 Always draw a complete body: head, hands, feet
 Ground the character. Don’t let them float in space.
 Give your figures personality, character and movement.
Figures drawn straight from the front are very static.
 Include all accessories and as much detail as possible.
 Figure drawing in Theatre is 7 ½ to 8 Heads
 Figure drawing in Fashion design is 9 to 10 Heads.
 Include a title box. (Show name, character, scene, designer)
 Current trends lean toward adding facial features.
 DRAW! DRAW! DRAW!
The more you practice, the better you become!