Introduction to Figure Drawing (lines and Articulation)

One of the most important tool to drawing is the usage of straight lines for both
angles and articulation.


Why is this important ?

1) Lines allow you to gauge the tangent of a shape. With that, you can
properly assess the accuracy of a shape before you commit to the drawing. If you were to draw an organic shape.... This is how you can assess accuracy ?
The answer ? Straight lines

Is there a way to draw this shape accurately ?

Lines allow us to estimate the tangent of a shape and proximate you closer to the actual form.  

Here's how line can get us closer. Curve things out only in the end

2) The other thing that straight line allow you to do is to find an angle. When you check the lines intersection, you can assess its proportion. The grid method is an extension to the usage of straight lines, it breaks the larger image up into tinier boxes, so that can focus on the actual SHAPE of a given image. Squinting your eyes drastically facilitate one with the identification of forms.

Artist must first isolate the shades on an image into two tones (done through squinting your eyes). This facilitate the identification of shapes.

Do check out at this wonderful tutorial by Mandy Bouriscot. She clearly demonstrated the application of lines, angle and blocking in figure drawing.