Drawing Figures The Easy Way!
The Art of Applied Visual Thinking
The official newsletter of Applied Visual Thinking SUPERHEROES. Vol. 2 No. 7 April 2, 2021
We're adding a new feature to our newsletter. Starting this week from time to time, we'll be taking a break from our regular newsletter format to have some drawing fun, which by the way, is an excellent way to...
Build Your Visual Vocabulary!
You may wonder what I mean by
visual vocabulary. Think of visual vocabulary as the
building blocks for visual thinking. A great
visual vocabulary contains simple icons representing:
- People
- Places
- Things
- Actions
- Concepts
- Metaphors
A working knowledge of the different types:
- Charts
- Map
- Diagrams
Pair these with:
- Connectors
- Containers
- Arrows
- Visual Hierarchy
and you'll be well on your way to expressing
your ideas visually.
Enough theory.
Grab a copy of the handout, some paper
and a pen or a marker.
Let's Draw!
Step 1) Draw a carrot - Not the kind Bugs Bunny is so fond of; a tapered triangular shape is all you need.
Step 2)
Add a dot
- Keep it small. Typical humans are around 7 heads tall. If you stacked a bunch of heads, the
average human would be about 6 heads high from shoulders to feet.
Step 3) Put them on the ground - Add a horizon line and a quick squiggle for a shadow.
That's it, you can now very quickly draw people!
Here are a few tips.
- Draw a few carrot figures together for a crowd, keep the heads on the same plane to keep things in perspective.
- To show a sense of distance, make the closest figures larger and lower on the page while still keeping the heads
on the same plane. - Add a few more strokes, if you want to show legs, arms, hands, feet, or hair.
- Adding a few background details can provide a sense of place or action to help communicate your idea.
Drawing people can be fun, fast, and easy. Try drawing the carrot figures from the handout, then make up some of your own. After you've drawn several different carrot figures pick out your favorite two and fill a page with them!
For extra credit, give your favorite carrot figures identities.
Think about the people you often encounter in your work or personal life. Depending on how you spend most of your time,
they could be:
- Family
- Friends
- Clients or Customers
- Team Members
- Colleagues
- Executives
- Board Members
- Staff
- Patients
- Faculty
- Students
- Parents
- The list can go on and on and on.
Next to your favorite carrot figures, jot down a list of people you see in a typical day, and then tape it up where you can see it. For the next week, practice drawing your favorite carrot figures every time you're taking notes. Soon it will become second nature to draw people when you're taking notes or trying to communicate an idea.
Building your visual vocabulary can start you on your journey to becoming a great visual thinker. Want to learn more about the building blocks of visual thinking? Check out our FOUNDATIONS course.
Till next time have fun drawing and practice, practice, practice! Take a picture of your work and share on social media.
Tag us with #appliedviz.
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