Dynamic Figure Drawing
A course by Shane Wolf, Artist
Learn how to capture the shape and movement of the human body
Do you want to capture the beauty and movement of a model’s body in your figure drawings? Artist Shane Wolf has dedicated over ten years to exploring and experimenting with the art of figure drawing. In this course, he not only shares his techniques for improving your drawing skills, but also teaches you a fundamental aspect of figure drawing: how to connect with your model.
Discover Shane’s studio life, his expertise, and his philosophy on the art of depicting nudity. Learn some practical exercises to perfect your accuracy and technique. See Shane’s step-by-step process for filling your drawings with movement and learn to unravel the beauty and personality of your model in your figure drawings.
What will you learn in this online course?
29 lessons & 20 downloads
What's included in this course?
Begin the course by discovering the twists and turns of Shane’s journey towards becoming an artist. See why his biggest artistic influence is the models he works with and discover his methodology to create dynamic figure drawings.
See how to use and take care of your drawing material before learning about value ranges and experimenting with your pencils. See the difference between light value range and dark value range, and closely observe how light and shadows work together to give dimension to your drawings.
Next, do a powerful self-learning exercise that anyone can use to improve visual accuracy with Shane’s shape exercise. Then, learn how to accurately measure something in space.
It’s time to start working with your model! Learn how to welcome your model and get Shane’s tips on working together in harmony. Learn how to find a dynamic pose, and see some anatomy basics to help capture the dynamism of a figure. Develop your visual memory skills with a series of practical exercises, a skill which Shane considers essential for adding movement to your drawings.
Then, get started on your 4-hour dynamic figure drawing. Once you are finished, get Shane’s advice on how to protect your drawing, as well as creating a certificate of authenticity for it.
- 98% positive reviews (624)
- 21,270 students
- 29 lessons (6h 33m)
- 20 additional resources (9 files)
- Online and at your own pace
- Available on the app
- Audio: English, German, Spanish (Latam), French, Indonesian, Italian, Dutch, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Turkish
- English · Spanish · Portuguese · German · French · Italian · Polish · Dutch · Turkish · Romanian · Indonesian
- Level: Beginner
- Unlimited access forever
What is this course's project?
Create a single dynamic figure drawing in graphite using a model as a reference.
Projects by course students
Who is this online course for?
This course is ideal for beginner-level figure drawing artists, as well as more advanced artists who would like to add new techniques to their repertoire.
Requirements and materials
To take this course, previous experience in live model figure drawing is helpful, but not essential.
As for materials, you will need graphite pencils (2B, HB, 2H), sketch paper, Canson Mi-Teintes paper, a kneaded eraser, a pencil sharpener of some sort (lead pointer, handheld sharpener, exacto knife or sandpaper, etc), a drawing board, tape or clamps to hold your paper to the drawing board, tracing paper, a clock, something long and thin for measuring (ie thin knitting needle, thin paintbrush, bbq skewer, etc), and a ballpoint pen.
Reviews
Shane Wolf
A course by Shane Wolf
Shane Wolf is an artist from the US who has been based in Paris, France for over ten years. After receiving a Bachelor’s degree in Graphic Design from the University of Cincinnati, he set off for the French Alps to work as a ski designer.
It was during a backpacking trip when he realized his true passion and calling: to explore his inner artist with unwavering determination. He set off to Florence, Italy, where he studied at the Angel Academy of Art. Today, Shane is a professional painter working from his studio in Paris, where he experiments and seeks to express the depth of humanity through his art.
Content
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U1
Introduction
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About Me
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Influences
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What Will We Do on This Course?
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U2
Materials and Preparation
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Materials and Basic Preparation 1
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Materials and Basic Preparation 2
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Value and Value Scales
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Light and Shadow
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Shape Exercises
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Measuring: Do’s and Don’ts
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U3
Working with the Live Model
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How to Welcome the Model
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What is Dynamic Figure Drawing?
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Important Anatomy Basics 1
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Important Anatomy Basics 2
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Developing Your Visual Memory - Five Minute Exercise
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Short Pose Sketching 1
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Short Pose Sketching 2
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Short Pose Sketching 3
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U4
4-hour Dynamic Figure Drawing from Life
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Beginning the Dynamic Figure Drawing 1
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Beginning the Dynamic Figure Drawing 2
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The Halfway Point 1
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The Halfway Point 2
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Finishing the Drawing 1
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Finishing the Drawing 2
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Finishing the Drawing 3
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Finishing the Drawing 4
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Finishing the Drawing 5
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U5
On Your Way!
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How to Take Care of Your Drawing
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Continue to Work from Life
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Copy, Copy, Copy!
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FP
Final project
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Dynamic Figure Drawing
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What to expect from a Domestika course
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Learn at your own pace
Enjoy learning from home without a set schedule and with an easy-to-follow method. You set your own pace.
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Learn from the best professionals
Learn valuable methods and techniques explained by top experts in the creative sector.
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Meet expert teachers
Each expert teaches what they do best, with clear guidelines, true passion, and professional insight in every lesson.
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Certificates
PlusIf you're a Plus member, get a custom certificate signed by your teacher for every course. Share it on your portfolio, social media, or wherever you like.
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Get front-row seats
Videos of the highest quality, so you don't miss a single detail. With unlimited access, you can watch them as many times as you need to perfect your technique.
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Share knowledge and ideas
Ask questions, request feedback, or offer solutions. Share your learning experience with other students in the community who are as passionate about creativity as you are.
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Connect with a global creative community
The community is home to millions of people from around the world who are curious and passionate about exploring and expressing their creativity.
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Watch professionally produced courses
Domestika curates its teacher roster and produces every course in-house to ensure a high-quality online learning experience.
FAQs
Yes, this course is designed for intermediate artists who have some basic drawing experience and want to deepen their skills in figure drawing from life and working with live models.
You'll need graphite pencils (2B, HB, 2H), kneaded eraser, pencil extender, sandpaper, masking tape, tracing paper, drawing board, quality paper for graphite, fixative, mahl stick, and archival folders for storage.
You’ll learn dynamic and classic figure drawing from life, gesture and memory sketching, anatomical analysis, light and shadow rendering, and professional studio practices including working with live models and organizing open studio events.
No prior experience with live models is required, but basic drawing skills are recommended. The course covers professional etiquette, model communication, and best practices for working with live art models.
You’ll practice quick pose sketching, gesture drawing, and capturing movement, learning to analyze and render dynamic poses as well as traditional static ones for expressive, lively results.
Yes, the course includes guidance on setting up a natural light studio, including lighting, space organization, and model comfort to support effective life drawing sessions.
Yes, you’ll study major anatomical landmarks, proportional guidelines, and morphological analysis to accurately capture the human figure from observation and memory.
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Çok faydalanıyorum. Teşekkürler
Enjoyed the course and have been trying the techniques using both reference photos and life drawing classes. Also found some of the activities such as shapes and visualisation exercises really useful
El curso es muy bueno para información práctica pero definitivamente es para saber, no para que la gente aprenda a dejar de dibujar stickmans
El curso tiene muy buena estructura, sencilla de seguir, aporta muchos conocimientos prácticos para iniciar a dibujar, así como material para descargar y trabajar. El artista es magnífico y la forma de compartir sus habilidades es muy amena.
My only comment is that this is not for beginners