Best figure drawing classes: Capture the human figure (2024) (2024)

It’s no secret figure drawing requires lots of learning, practice, and time — especially if you’ve never drawn a day in your life!

The good news is that there’s a world of figure drawing classes online curated for all skill levels and preferences. Yes, even for those of you starting totally from scratch.

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If you’re ready to put your skills to the test and see where your talent takes you, check out our recommendations for some of the best figure drawing classes online!

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Best figure drawing classes

Whether you’re looking for comprehensive figure drawing classes online, quick figure drawing tutorials, or guidelines for live model drawing, we’re confident any of the suggestions below will be worth your time, money, and dedication!

Introduction to Artistic Figure Drawing

Whether you’re already familiar with illustration or a beginner interested in exploring the realm of figure drawing for the first time, this Domestika course will provide you with a fantastic overview of this art form.

Guided by Leonardo Gauna, this comprehensive class will teach you how to analyze, observe, and develop realistic human figure drawings through live model drawing. You’ll also learn how to organically incorporate external elements such as objects, accessories, and clothing into your work.

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For your class project, you’ll be using a live model for inspiration to draw a unique piece of your own from start to finish. One of the advantages of this course is that it requires very few basic art supplies, making it an easy-to-prep, budget-friendly class.

If you eventually want to explore more figure drawing classes on Domestika, consider purchasing bundle courses with Domestika Plus to get discounts and additional perks. Also, know that once you’ve purchased a Domestika course, it’s yours to keep forever!

Figure Drawing for Beginners

There are tons of figure drawing classes for beginners online, but this best-seller Domestika course stands out for its high-quality content, outstanding production value, and convenient time duration.

Focusing on figure drawing fundamentals from start to finish, your teacher Miguel Bustos Gómez will guide you through simple techniques to transform simple shapes like lines and circles into depictions of the human form.

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Before diving into your class project, you’ll learn about proportion, precision, how to capture dynamics, volume, and more. Because this is a foundational-type course for beginners, you won’t require working with a live model.

For your class project, you’ll be putting together a catalog with all the techniques you’ve learned through multiple drawing drills and exercises to keep as a reference for future works.

This class is an excellent choice if you want to learn the basics before attempting live model drawing — you can always sign up for more in-depth figure drawing lessons on Domestika as you begin to feel more confident with your skillset.

Foundational Figure Drawing

Next up is this foundational figure drawing class on Creativebug taught by professional illustrator and educator David Tenorio.

Although this drawing style is intimidating at first (especially if you have zero experience!), you’ll be surprised with how much you’ll learn in just a little over an hour — it’s the ideal starter course if you want to tackle crucial concepts within a short period.

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Along with practice drills and examples, David will cover gestures, poses, proportion, volume, rhythm, and more. You’ll also learn how to prep your tools for specific techniques, such as sharpening charcoal pencils for detail, and you will receive PDF resources you can keep forever.

In addition, David also teaches two other figure drawing courses on the platform worth checking out: Foundational Figure Drawing: Heads and Foundational Figure Drawing: Hands and Feet.

Click below to learn more about this initial course, or click here to enjoy a free Creativebug trial for 60 days. That will be plenty of time to enjoy all three courses!

Dynamic Figure Drawing

Suppose you already have a couple of beginner-level figure drawing classes under your belt and want to explore the craft further. In that case, this Domestika class is an excellent segue into more challenging techniques!

For over six hours, your teacher Shane Wolf will cover all you need to know about dynamic figure drawing to incorporate movement and rhythm into your work like a pro.

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During this time, you’ll learn a series of concepts from value ranges and shape development to helpful visual memory exercises and lots of guidance on effectively working through a live model drawing.

Unlike other courses, your final project will consist of four hours of figure drawing using a model as a reference. That said, this class is primarily technical and hands-on and, therefore, best suited if you’re willing to put in the time and practice to learn.

Note that this course requires a more extensive set of tools in comparison to most figure drawing classes for beginners; click below to check the complete list of supplies before signing up!

Realistic Human Figure Drawing

With over eight hours of lessons, this Domestika course is definitely the best figure drawing class for value on our guide and will cover the ins and outs of realistic human figure drawing for beginners.

During this in-depth class, your teacher Diego Catalán will review the elements of form, perspective, proportion, and gesturing. In addition, you’ll learn about bone and muscle structure and how to translate volume by playing with light.

Like the previous course, your class project will entail ongoing drawing drills and observational work as you work through each section. This is the ideal option if you’re looking for a hands-on experience and are open to learning at a slower pace. For something quicker, other figure drawing tutorials are probably your best pick.

Another comprehensive figure drawing course worth checking is Dometika’s Graphite Drawing Techniques for Planar Portraiture by artist Dan Thompson. Purchasing figure drawing classes as a bundle with Domestika Plus is a great way to get juicy discounts.

On the other hand, this platform offers very affordable prices, so rest assured; buying this course individually won’t burn a hole in your pocket!

Expressive Figure Drawing: Conveying Mood & Emotion

During this two-hour Craftsy class, your teacher Richard Scott will walk you though the process of capturing emotion and expression in your art, as well as human physical features like volume, rhythmic gesture, and proportion.

One of the most important methods you’ll learn is additive and reductive drawing with charcoal— certainly a highlight if your goal is to lean into more professional, challenging techniques.

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Because it’s more technical, this course is best suited for somewhat experienced illustrators; you won’t be learning how to draw from scratch here. It also takes a more classic approach to drawing vs. more freeform sketching, so keep this in mind before signing up.

If you’re looking for a more contemporary approach to this art form, Contemporary Drawing of the Human Figure on Domestika is an excellent alternative.

Craftsy offers flexible, affordable payment options, which allow you to buy courses individually or sign up for a yearly subscription (~$8 a month). By subscribing, you’ll be able to access all of the figure drawing classes on the platform!

The Human Figure in Watercolor

Watercolors are the perfect medium to bring any piece of artwork to life, and this Domestika course will show you how to bring that kind of magic to figure drawing.

Ale Casanova will be your teacher for this class and will show you how to mix contemporary and classic painting styles, combine sketching with watercolors, create beautiful color pallets, prepare materials, and do lots of freehand art.

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For your class project, you’ll use a studio photo to create your own figure drawing piece, as Ale guides you from start to finish. If you want to try out other figure drawing classes by this teacher, Artistic Portrait with Watercoloris another great option on Domestika!

This is a comprehensive class, just a little under four hours long. However, once you’ve purchased this course, it will be yours forever, so you won’t have to worry about rushing through it in a short time.

Adding some watercolor classes to your Domestika Plus bundle is also a great way to improve your skills!

Figure Sketching Made Simple

Another fun course that teaches you how to incorporate watercolors into your figure drawing projects is this Craftsy class taught by Suhita Shirodkar.

If you’re looking for figure drawing tutorials or shorter lessons, this course is under two hours long, but don’t be fooled — there’s a lot to learn here!

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Ideal for illustrators wanting to explore more freeform sketching, during this class, Suhita will show you how to create lively figures and add mood and context to your work.

The urban sketcher will demonstrate techniques to create loose gesture sketches, movement, and simple doodle-like figures —plus tips on the best materials to make your piece pop off the page.

Besides traditional drawing tools, you’ll learn to use watercolors to create depth and warmth to sketch a complete composition. Unlike the previous figure drawing classes, during these lessons you won’t be using a single image or a live model for reference.

Character Drawing from Scratch: Capture Faces and Figures

If your goal is to improve your figure drawing skills around head and facial features, this Domestika class by Laura Pérez is an excellent opportunity to learn.

The professional illustrator will show you how to use simple supplies to transform basic geometric shapes into beautiful pieces of art. You’ll learn how to draw human faces and capture emotion spontaneously, and explore different illustration styles, both realistic and fantasy-inspired.

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Laura will also teach you how to approach this art form through reference photos and live model drawing. Your class project will be to make a creative sketchbook filled with techniques, drawing drills, and exercises to refer to for future projects.

This is a really fun class for beginners wanting to get into figure drawing through a specific theme rather than a general overview of the craft. Seasoned illustrators will also enjoy this course, although it may not be as in-depth or challenging if the goal is to pick up on new skills.

Click below to learn more about this Domestika course and watch the class trailer!

Drawing Figures in Procreate (Livestream)

Next up is one of the most unique suggestions on our guide and ideal if you’ve been searching for figure drawing tutorials packed with Q&A’s and lots of great tips.

Proko is a platform designed for (and by!) a community of artists looking to mentor illustrators and passionate sketchers through short lessons and courses.

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This particular lesson captures a live stream session with artist Lane Brown who guides you through his process of creating figure drawings on Procreate. I really enjoy being able to see Lane develop an entire piece from beginning to end and his helpful commentary as he draws away.

If you’re all about digital art or are exploring new grounds as a more traditional artist, this is a great way to get a general overview of what you can achieve with the app and/or mixed medium projects.

And the best part is that this option is entirely free! However, there is a very in-depth (16+ hour-long!) paid course on Proko called Figure Drawing Fundamentals that’s worth the premium price tag. Click below to access this free lesson and peruse more figure drawing tutorials on the platform!

Learn the Basics for Improving Your Figure Drawings

This Skillshare course is all about digging into areas of improvement to make sure you keep figure drawing exciting and impactful.

Guided by Robert Marzullo, this class is only one hour long and will guide you through drawing techniques to refine and enhance specific areas and movements of the human figure. That said, if you’ve been looking for short figure drawing tutorials, this is a great option!

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One of the key techniques your teacher will cover is foreshortening; you’ll learn to develop and perfect the illusion of depth in your work with just a few lessons.

While this course is best suited for intermediate-level illustrators, Robert also hosts several beginner classes: Figure Drawing – Starting with Basic Forms, Figure Drawing – The Benefits of Gesture, and Figure Drawing – The 3 Main Masses of the Body.

Because Skillshare requires a yearly subscription, you’ll have open access to all of this content once you sign up. Don’t want to commit to a membership just yet? Click below and get a free, 1-month trial!

How to choose the best figure drawing class for you

Are you attempting figure drawing for the first time? Keep the following in mind when choosing the best figure drawing class for you!

Firstly, find an approach that excites you! Introductory figure drawing classes and general overviews are perfect if you’re a beginner and enthusiastic to learn all you can about the craft.

Then, with time, look into courses incorporating other materials like watercolors or digital art or challenge yourself to live model drawing. The trick is to keep things interesting as you learn!

One thing is sure: you will need to practice if you want to excel in this craft. That said, make sure you choose a class that doesn’t seem overly demanding in terms of duration so that you learn at a comfortable pace and stay motivated.

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Because this is a meticulous art form, most figure drawing classes can get pretty comprehensive. However, while platforms like Domestika and Proko lean more toward in-depth learning, Creativebug, Craftsy, and Skillshare offer more bite-sized learning experiences.

Also, consider what platform resonates most with you: do you want to pay a subscription fee or purchase courses individually? Are bundle discounts something you’re interested in, or would you prefer to look into open classes only?

Does production value matter, or are you flexible when it comes to visual appeal and teaching styles? A helpful way to get a taste of what each platform offers is by watching class trailers.

Because you can explore many approaches to figure drawing, ensure you have access to suitable materials. Even if you’re going with traditional graphite and paper or the Procreate app on your iPad, make sure you put some TLC into prepping for your class projects.

That’s it for our list of the best figure drawing classes online! Do you have any more recommendations? Let everyone know in the comments below!