Gesture Drawing with Pencil

Do you find yourself intrigued by people you encounter—at the coffee shop or maybe out in the park—wishing you could capture the moment in your sketchbook, but you’re unsure of how to begin? Drawing people in motion is a unique challenge that can take some time to get the hang of, but in this video, sketch artist and illustrator Marc Taro Holmes shares his tried-and-true method for sketching people on location with loose, gestural drawings in pencil.

Marc demonstrates and discusses three essential elements for establishing a sketch while working from a moving model. First, he shows how to establish the gesture without worrying about small details with sweeping, energetic lines and careful observation. Once the overall gesture is taking shape, Marc moves to the next phase of “working larger to smaller.” In this stage, he begins to subdivide the larger forms of the torso, head, and surrounding elements into their smaller puzzle pieces—the hair from the face, the shirt on the body, etc. The third key is finding “anchor points” to record the essential elements of the sketch before your subject moves. Drawing from life is exhilarating, bringing freshness and vitality to your work, and with a little guidance, you’ll be out sketching people in motion in no time!