Draw the Karate Girl
And learn about foreshortening
What you need: Pencil, eraser, felt tip.
| 1. In pencil, start with the three ovals that form the hand buds and the crown of the head. The sides of the head are angled lines joined by the chin line. Two horseshoe shapes will become the arms and legs. Find the curved center line for the face and the torso guideline. |
2. Begin to flesh out the figure. Erase the bottom of the head oval and sketch the hairline and guideline for the eyes. Rough in the fingers, feet and clothing. |
3. Continue to refine your drawing while erasing unnecessary lines. Be sure the hair goes around the head in curved lines. The eyes, nose and mouth, too, follow the contour of the head. Add the ridges to the knuckles. Notice that the legs become narrower where they meet the feet. Add the heel bump. | 4. After a little more refining, you are now ready to begin inking with a felt-tip. Now is a good time to remove some of the excess graphite (pencil) on your paper by lightly going over it with a kneaded eraser. This will make the ink stick to the paper better. |
| 5 Start with a simple ink outline. Next, add shadows under the nose and chin. Add shadows under the shirt tail and pants legs. The bottom of the fist is also in shadow. Don't be afraid to thicken portions of line. Rows of scribbles make the braids, and the hair is finished with fine lines that follow the shape of the head. |