Figure drawing is drawing the human figure, usually nude, but sometimes clothed.

Depicting people in art is as common as art itself and figure drawing (often called life drawing) remains central to the teaching of art. In particular it teaches fundamental drawing techniques in a context that all artists throughout time have and always will be able relate to in the same way as each other.

Fashion & technology changes over time, however the human figure fundamentally does not. For these reasons, figure drawing is considered by many artists as very important in their career, like serving an 'artistic apprenticeship' it is a crucial step before learning other forms of art.

When drawing the figure you’ll learn how to best construct your drawing to scale, you’ll learn to understand tone, observe light, and depict volume and foreshortening. You will also learn about human anatomy. Knowing how the human body’s bone structure and muscle mass works enables an artist to understand and depict the body even if the position of the body is not entirely revealed, an artist who masters figure drawing can often draw a human with no visual reference and still depict it quite accurately in many varied poses.

Figure Drawing Materials:
Figure drawing can be doen in any medium, however traditionally charcoal is used for it's free flowing line and shadow. Basic materials for a figure drawign class are, Drawing Charcoal, A1 Drawing Paper, Putty Rubber, Bullclips and A-Frame Easel or a Drawing Horse.

Life Drawing Classes:
If you want to participate in life drawing, most art schools or art societies hold regular figure drawing classes using expereienced models. See: Life Drawing Classes, Art Classes, or Art Schools