Drawing skills – drawing a person

Drawing a person

What is it?

Your child draws a person with head, facial features, body, arms, legs, feet and hands. All body parts are positioned correctly in relation to one another.

Why do we need it?

Drawing a person involves controlling a pencil, knowledge of basic body parts and spatial awareness. These things will encourage the development of your child’s drawing and copying skills and their body awareness.

How do we teach this skill?

• When your child can draw a face extend the drawing to include body parts. Show them how to add other body parts one at a time, eg. body, arms, legs, feet, hands.
• Talk about body parts and function of body parts.
• Begin by asking your child to draw a face. Then encourage them to trace over the body parts or to complete the other half of a body if they are having difficulty with positioning the parts.
•  Some prompts to give to encourage drawing of body parts include:
  • “Lets draw Dad. Start with his face.
  • Has he got a body?
  • Where are his legs?
  • Where do his feet go?”
•  Initially teach in a set order, eg. face, body, arms, legs, feet and hands, then change the order once your child can draw a person.
•  Always make your teaching time fun by varying the media you use and praise your child for all attempts.
•  If your child struggles with this activity try starting by forming a person with felt pieces or plastic shapes.

Activity Ideas:

• Draw around a doll or a teddy and then add clothes and colour it in.
• Draw around your child while they are laying on a large piece of paper. Deliberately miss an arm or a leg and get them to fill it in.