Figure Drawing

The art of figure drawing can be traced back some 30,000 years to the very beginning of drawing itself, when the earliest men and women made the walls of their caves, their canvas.

The human figure has always been a source of inspiration for artists. The shifting moods of a person, his or her reaction to the world are manifest in body language. And the artist attempts to capture this in his work.

Why has the human figure been such an enduring theme in art work? Perhaps, an answer to that question lies in the challenge posed by the versatility of the human figure. No two figures are alike, and indeed, no figure an unchanging subject. The slightest change in posture and in expression, inspires a new artistic creation.

The theme of the human figure is vast and varied, and has been further specialized into the following application areas:

• Portraiture
• Cartooning
• Sculpture
• Medical Illustration

Portraiture

A portrait is a representation of a person's appearance and personality. It is usually not more than the head shot, or the head and shoulders. The oldest portrait in the world dates back to 27,000 years ago. It was discovered in the Vilhonneur grotto near Angoulême, in 2006. the world's most famous portrait is the Mona Lisa, painted by artist Leonardo da Vinci.A type of portrait is the self-portrait . This is a representation the artist does of himself.