Chapter 3 | OTHER POSITIONS

Sometimes pupils asked me how to draw a foot from the front. Feet from the front or back are difficult to draw because you see them ‘shortened’ (= not at their full length). The foot is higher on the inside at the instep. Furthermore, the protruding parts of the ankle are higher on the inside of the leg than on the outside. You can also skip this chapter and go on to chapter 3.

Exercise 1: Feet from the front can be simplified somewhat by starting very lightly with a block and then drawing the curves, toes and/or shoes over it.

This foot from Rembrandt’s double portrait of the couple Soolmans and Oopjen from 1634 is not quite completely viewed from the side. The very luxurious leather shoe shows the wealth of the portraited couple.

Exercise 2: the following image shows a simplified way to draw this special shoe. Start light so you can easily erase lines if needed.