Using shapes to construct a figure is just an extension of gesture drawing. First determine a pose and the size of your character by doing a quick gesture sketch. Now that you've made that, add a "skeleton" or "stick figure" to the body. The skeleton will help you in putting the body together. Then fill out the body with shapes. Oval for the head, cylinder shapes for the arms and legs, and geometric shapes for the body areas. You should also practice these about 20 times a day until you think you are ready to move on. Use the examples below to see how these figures look like. Note that I didn't draw gesture on the figures. I drew only the filled out skeleton. This is to give you a better look at the drawings. You still need to do gestures to pose your chararcters.

Using shapes to create a figure: 1 2 3 4 5 6

Now that you know how to make the basic form of the figure, you can add the details. The other sections of this site will go into detail on how make specific body parts. Below are examples of completed figures. And no, they're not nude, they're robots.

Drawing complete figures: 1 2 3 4

The pictures below show step-by-step tips on how to make the upper and lower bodies of both males and females. Remember to gesture. I'm no expert at anatomy, so use that in regard when using this lesson. I do know enough to help you get on you're way to being a better artist. The best thing to remember is that everything begins with simple lines and shapes. Once again, practice these in your sketchbook.

Focus on the upper body: 1 2 3 4