By John English — Thursday January 15, 2026 — Blog
Get Better at Life Drawing with the Illustration Academy Process
Learn the process developed in part by illustrator and painter, Mark English, more than 25 years ago at The Illustration Academy.
Drawing the human form from observation is an essential step in improving your drawing abilities. Continued practice is one of the most effective ways to improve your drawing skills. Attending drawing sessions with friends and practicing life drawing with more experienced artists is a great way to refine and advance your abilities.
The following notes and drawing exercise will demystify the challenges and hurdles of illustrating the figure and capturing shape, light, and mood of your model.
The Illustration Academy Method is used by some of the biggest names in illustration and is a powerful point of reference for any artist working to improve their life drawing techniques.
The following is the process created for Illustration Academy students to improve their life drawing skills. Students attending the Illustration Academy attending figure drawing sessions at least 2 to 3 times per week, putting to work the drawing techniques, studying shape, learning the process of posing a model, and more.
Figure Drawing by illustrator & painter, Mark English
Figure Drawing by illustrator & painter, Mark English
The Life Drawing Process
We are making a light object on a dark background. For this technique, light and dark are relative to only each other. The following five steps will act as your compass in sharpening and improving your drawing skills.
1. Blocking in the figure drawing
Block in the entire figure just a little better than a stick figure. Get the gesture first, then proportion, scale and of course shape. Do this all in the light tone, with no lines allowed in the pure version of this technique. Get the shape of the leg, the shape of the head, and the of the arms.
2. Adding Shadows to the Figure drawing
Add darks around the figure and never inside the figure. Look at the samples of drawings included below. You should only allow one or two small accents of dark on the final. Be sure to design the darks and not just put a “halo” around the figure.
This process of life drawing is similar to using clay. You can add light, and take it away by pushing the darks over it. If you take off too much, push the light back into the dark, etc.
3. Creating Magic Tone
If you have applied just enough light pastel, and just enough dark pastel, then when you rub the whole thing with your entire hand (not just a finger or two), then you create what is called the magic tone. This tone is not the paper, not the light pastel, not the dark pastel, but something new, that is a combination of all three. It doesn’t exist anywhere but on the page.
4. Re-establish the Darks
This is the step that everyone leaves out. By doing this, it forces the “magic tone” to become the shadow value of the figure.
The magic tone must therefore be dark enough, and light enough to function as the shadow of the figure and still be lighter than the background. It is important to remember, we are making a light object on a dark background.
5. Rendering Light
Paint in the areas of the model that the light is illuminating. Do not render the shadows. In addition, do not put darks into the shadows with the exception of one or two small accents.
The Illustration Academy Figure Drawing Assignment
- Produce 4, 5 minute drawings for yourself to warm-up and practice. Choose the best of the 5 minute drawings.
- Produce 3, 30 minute drawings using the technique mention above.
- Be sure to follow all 5 steps.
- Don’t get caught up in detail and rendering
- Pay attention to your value-control
- Try to be sensitive with the materials, don’t use too much pastel in your life drawing
Important Materials for the Drawing Exercise
Paper:
- You will need a neutral, smooth, mid-toned paper.
Nupastels:
- Naples Yellow Light 247-P
- Warm Grey Medium 219-P
The colors listed below work as well as those above, so any combination will work, as long as you have a light and a medium dark. The idea is to have a light-value pastel and a medium-dark value pastel.
Additional colors and numbers:
- Shell Pink 366-P
- Warm Grey Medium 219-P
- Warm Grey Light 239-P
- Sepia 293-P
- Van Dyke Brown 283-P
We hope that this is a helpful resource as you continue to refine your skills as an artist!
Any drawing board will work for this exercise!
Recommended pastel colors for Illustration Academy life drawing exercise
Toned gray sketch paper for your life drawing exercise
Courses You’ll Love
Figure Drawing: Structure, Gesture & the Human Form
Learn to see the figure clearly, construct it confidently, and draw it with purpose.
John English, Visual Arts Passage Co-founder
About the Author
John English is a nationally respected artist and educator whose career has been dedicated to advancing art education, figure drawing, and classical draftsmanship. With over 25 years in collegiate art education, John has trained and mentored thousands of artists, helping shape the next generation of illustrators, fine artists, and visual storytellers.
He is widely recognized for his expertise in figure drawing, anatomy, gesture, and visual structure, as well as for his ability to translate complex visual concepts into clear, actionable instruction. His teaching is known for its rigor, clarity, and depth, emphasizing strong fundamentals, disciplined observation, and intentional design. Students consistently credit John’s guidance with producing major breakthroughs in both skill and artistic confidence.
Join Our Newsletter
Join 70,000+ readers who catch up on art events, techniques, history, and more every month.