How to Draw a Person Standing and Walking on Tiptoe

Standing on tiptoe

I had a request about how to draw a figure standing on tiptoe. The drawing to the right shows the posture of a figure standing on tiptoe. Notice the tension of the figure's muscles. In order to get up on the tips of the toes the muscles of the calves and thighs have to be tensed. There is a natural inclination to lean the torso back slightly which is exaggerated in this figure because she has raised her arms and leaned her head back. The drawing comes from a photo, see it here.

The drawings below also show the tension of the muscles in the leg. The first shows a man standing on tiptoe and the second a woman walking on tiptoe. You can see that in both of them the lower leg is thrust slightly forward which will cause the standing figure to lean backward slightly from the torso. The gastrocnemius muscle at the back of the calf contracts, as does the biceps femoris at the back of the thigh. These two contractions cause the knee to bend slightly when a figure either stands of walks on tiptoe.

Left, standing on tiptoe, right walking on tiptoe.

An anatomical drawing of the knee, leg and ankle on tiptoe from Cunningham's Textbook of Anatomy By Daniel John Cunningham 

Cunningham's Textbook of Anatomy (Oxford Medical Publications)

Drawing Hands & Feet: Form, Proportions, Gestures and Actions (The Art of Drawing)

Comic Artist's Photo Reference - People & Poses: Book/CD Set with 1000+ Color Images (Comic Artists Reference)

More photos of people walking here.

How to Draw a Foot

These are two more images from The Art of Figure Drawing by Thomas H. Maguire. Mr. Maguire was an accomplished portrait artist with numerous credits. The one below is of Charles Darwin.

Here's a step by step method for drawing a foot.

1. Sketch in the basic structure of the foot, notice the weight of the figure is on a vertical line through the balance of the foot.
2. Add outlines of the skin as it passes over the structural parts of the foot, the ankle, the toes, the heel and the lower leg.

 3. Continue to develop the anatomy of the foot notice the angle of orientation of the ankle bones, and the curvature of the toes. Notice how the second tow is the longest, longer than the big toe, and how the smallest tow tends to curve under the one next to it. You can see these in the drawings at the top of the page also.
4. Add details, toenails, shape of the toes, shape of the ankle and begin to indicate where you will shade the drawing.

5. Now you can finish shading the drawing and do some finish outlining to the forms. be sure to observe how the shadows fall because that will help develop the forms in space.

 Two plates from The Principles of Drawing by Gerard De Lairesse Published by Thomas Bowles.

The principles of drawing: or, an easy and familiar method whereby youth are directed in the practice of that useful art. Being a compleat drawing book

The principles of design for the curious young gentlemen and ladies, who study and practice the ... art of drawing, colouring and japanning: or a new and ... drawing-book; ... introduction to drawing

A treatise on the art of painting, in all its branches; accompanied by seventy engraved plates, and exemplified by remarks on the paintings of the best masters ..

Other Posts:

How to Draw Legs and Feet

Arthur "Pop" Momand - How to draw Hands and Feet

Anatomy for Artists Painters and Sculptors ebook at Figure- Drawings.com









Drawing Hands and Feet: Form, Proportions, Gestures and Actions (The Art of Drawing)

Drawing and Painting Hands and Feet