Want to make your sketches come alive? Add people engaged in simple actions—chatting, looking around, or moving—and create lively, dynamic scenes. Discover how a few figures can tell compelling stories in your drawings. Ready to bring your art to life? Start sketching people today!
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I don’t remember when was the last time I draw some buildings in Paris. I went to the 1st floor of a Starbucks, and sat in one of their comfy chair. Then I draw what I saw from the window.
TIP 22 Bring life to your drawing
Adding people to your drawings brings immediate life and energy to your scenes. I find that including figures in action, whether they’re chatting, smoking, or looking up at the sky, adds a dynamic story element that makes the artwork more relatable and engaging. Imagining what people are doing or discussing helps me create a narrative within the scene.
Why Adding People Makes a Difference
People add scale, movement, and focal points to your drawings. By placing characters in your scene, you guide the viewer’s eye and make your composition feel alive. This simple addition not only gives context but also invites emotional connection with your work.
Adding people is an easy and powerful way to breathe life into your drawings. Try practicing this habit regularly, and you’ll notice your scenes becoming more vibrant and compelling without needing perfect anatomy or detail.
Chou-Tac Chung – From Starbucks window, Opera, Paris, 2014
Let me know your opinion in the comment box below.
Hello! I'm Chou-Tac, a Product Designer from France.
If the sketching methods I’ve acquired aid me in my life and in my industrial design career, I believe that they can also help you reach your dream goal as a student or professional designer.
Leave a comment in the blog or send me an email at choutac@thedesignsketchbook.com : )
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