Painting the legs of men and women

By Tissa Hewavitarane

I have explained earlier how to draw and paint the arms of men and women. This time, it is about the legs of men and women.

Women have a layer of fat beneath their skin, which is responsible for their smooth streamlined shape, compared to men. When drawing a human figure, form a habit to observe and study the shapes and curves of the human anatomy. Try to remember how their arms and legs look like. The length of a leg is roughly half of the body's height. Some women especially teenagers, particularly models, exceed this measurement and are much in demand in the advertising field.

The legs of a models are illustrated in Fig.1-Notice the smooth curved contours of female legs. These are best drawn in one sweeping motion. Look at the two small bumps the knee cap then at the tiny swelling behind the knee and the way the line of the thigh runs into the buttocks.

Fig. 2 shows female legs from the front, side and rear. Beginners tend to notice it and as a result, scrawl a couple of straight props for the legs. Perhaps this is the moment to mention that there are no straight lines in the human body, all are gentle curves of one kind or another. Stockings seem to be making a comeback against tights.

Fig. 3 gives an example of each. Notice the way the roundness of the thigh is followed by the line of the stocking top.

Men's legs are shown in Fig. 4. It's noticeable how the appearance of the thigh and calf muscles is not subdued by a layer of fat as in girls.

Sportsmen tune up their muscles and this helps an artist to see what is what. Study the sportsmen's legs in Fig. 5 and draw the two muscular legs of an athlete. Draw the basic shapes first before colouring but don't stop at legs, but include the body, arms and hands and head.

In colouring apply a light colour first before you start shading.

I have shown here only a pale colour coating to different figures. Brushes used, No. 6 Sable hair and No. 2 Windsor and Newton. Burnt Sienna, orange and light red for the skin. A pretty colour could be used for clothes.