How to draw a foot

Hello, friends. Today we are analyzing the foot. The topic is lively: from above, the foot looks one way, but from below, from the side of the sole, it looks completely different. I draw in Procreate, but everything we do can be easily repeated on paper with a pencil. First, we'll look at the structure, and then we'll draw the foot from two angles.

Right away, the main idea: the foot is not flat or smooth. There is a clear bone logic inside it, and once you understand it, drawing feet will become much easier.

What you will need

A sheet of paper and a simple pencil or a tablet with your favorite brush. Be sure to keep a reference of a real foot handy, preferably several from different angles. We don't draw strictly from a photo, but project: we look at the model for understanding and construct ourselves. We draw all the lines lightly and gray at the beginning, and make accents at the very end.

Foot made of four blocks

When viewed from above, the foot is conveniently assembled from four blocks. The first block is the heel. The second one looks like a can of such a tight fit, this is the tarsus. The third block is the metatarsal bones, they run almost parallel, like the metacarpal bones in our hand. And the fourth block is the toes themselves. There is a characteristic ligament between the shin and the foot, I call it the hockey goal, through which the shin turns into the foot. Remember these four blocks, then we will add details to them.

Metatarsal bones like a roof

The metatarsal bones do not lie on the same level, but rather like a house, in a hill. The top of this hill corresponds to the second metatarsal bone, which is the highest. Next come the third, fourth, and the metatarsal bone of the little toe, which protrudes slightly on the side as a small growth. Because of this, the foot is not flat in cross-section; it has an arch. I call the shape of the metatarsal bones the cockpit, like that of an old Batmobile or an airplane: there is a cut on top, then another cut, and a nearly parallel plane. We then insert the toes into these bones like balls.

Starting with the Silhouette

Anatomists forgive me, but everything starts with the shape, with the silhouette. If we don't get the silhouette right, we'll get very convincingly tangled up in the structure. So first, very easily, without anatomy, we draw the general silhouette of the foot as we see it in the reference, with all its twists. Pay attention to the characteristic twist at the big toe: it doesn't go straight forward, but at a slight angle to the main direction of the foot. This angle is very important for the dynamics, for the movement of the entire shape. We've caught the silhouette, and that's half the battle.

Bones and Ligaments

Now we clarify how the foot is attached to the lower leg. On the inside, we have the large tibia, and on the outside, the small fibula. Remember: the fibula is always slightly lower, the tibia is slightly higher, and you can't draw them parallel, they're not parallel. Their condyles, those rounded bones, form our hockey goalposts. At the back, there's the Achilles tendon, which turns into the gastrocnemius muscle higher up. And another important point: the heel is not immediately bone. At the bottom, it has a cushion of the calcaneus, and the bone itself sits on a rise. The cushion is needed so that when we walk, we don't step on bare bone, otherwise it would be painful, like running on your elbows. We cover how the whole leg is built in the lesson How to Draw Legs.

Toes: Little Toe, Big Toe, and Three Brothers

Toes have their own logic. The thumb is separate in design, I build it like a matchbox: the box itself is the volume of the toe, and the nail plate is the label on top. The thumb pad can be complicated, like a double chin, and it's important to show the roller of skin from which the nail grows. The little toe is crooked, a poor fellow beaten by angles. And the three middle toes are three acrobat brothers, they are very similar and go as a single unit, like a mitten. We never place toes in a straight line, always in an arc: first we find the wrapping arc, then we place the toes along it. Each toe is three phalanges, in a staircase: the first is the longest, the second is shorter, the third is short but with a nail and a pad. We show each joint with a ball, the phalanx starts with a capital and ends with a drum. And remember, the further the toe is from us, the less detailed it is: the thumb is the most detailed, the little toe is the most modest.

Volume and plasticity

To make the foot look voluminous, with a light press we close the side plane and leave the top one light. Planes that face up are light, and those that go at an angle are darker. I like to add ellipses-wrapping to the foot and shin, they help to feel the shape. And the most important thing, for the sake of which everything is done, is plasticity. I graduated from the Stieglitz Academy and adhere to the Leningrad school of drawing: construction plus plasticity, like Michelangelo. Think in vectors and arcs, look for S-shaped and G-shaped lines. An arc is movement, rhythm. Without it, the foot will look clumsy.

Bottom view: arches and pads

Now let's draw the foot from a different angle, from below. Here we immediately outline the sole and Achilles tendon, dividing the foot into the big toe section and the little toe section. From the sole side, two pads are visible: the big toe pad and the little toe pad, with the transverse arch running between them, a characteristic curve. The metatarsal bones of the big toe and little toe rest on the ground, while the middle ones are slightly raised, hence the arch. At the back, we highlight the heel and the calcaneus on its pad. Even in the foot, perspective works, so we strengthen the nearer, front part and make it the focus.

Tone, detailing, and accents

When the form is constructed, we work with tone, but without fanaticism. At the joints and articulations, we work more actively, while in the middle of the form, we intentionally relax, leaving it calmer. The viewer's eye needs rest: if you cover everything with hatching, it will be hard to look at. We provide space for stress in some places and for rest in others. I use a smaller brush for the heel folds to make them softer. And step away more often, look at the drawing from a distance, so you can immediately see if we've got the proportions right.

A few words about the hatching. We place the strongest hatching at the form break, where one plane transitions to another. Where there's no break, hatching is almost unnecessary, these are the resting areas. We subordinate the hatching direction to the form, as if stroking the foot with a hand, embracing its surface. We lead the internal modeling more gently than the silhouette contour, otherwise the drawing will become fragmented. There are many skin folds on the foot, they also have their own volume, and we arrange them rhythmically, not parallel to each other, to create a lively play. And we place the most vibrant accents at the main breaks, like on the edges of a cube.

Common mistakes

• Flat and even foot. The metatarsal bones form a roof-like structure, the foot has an arch and arches.
• Tibia bones parallel. The fibula is lower, the tibia is higher, never on the same level.
• Toes in a straight line. First, we find the arc-like grip, and only then place the toes along it.
• All toes are equally detailed. The farther the toe, the less detail. The big toe is the most detailed.
• Anatomy before silhouette. First, catch the shape, then insert the structure.
• Heel like bare bone. There is a pad at the bottom of the heel bone, the bone itself is elevated.
• The stroke is the same everywhere. We place a strong stroke along the breaks in the shape, in places of rest it is almost non-existent.

Short advice finally

Build the foot from four blocks, start with the silhouette and think in arcs. Draw feet from different angles, from above and below, using several references, this is the best warm-up. The more you draw them, the more lively and confident they will turn out. The foot seems complicated only until you see the simple logic in it.