Use a grid to create Betty Boop with accurate proportions.
Betty Boop, with her symmetrical head and hiccupy voice was said to have been modeled after Clara Bow, Helen Kane or Mae West. Designed by Max Fleischer, she was introduced in 1930 and became popular in the early part of the 20th century, appearing in many Paramount Pictures films. She and her black-bobbed head still enjoy popularity today. Her big eyes and large head, as well as the many outfits she's sported over the years, make her a fun character for artists to draw. Drawing Betty Boop is easier when you use a grid; it helps to create the drawing and capture the precise symmetry of her face.
Instructions
1. Pick your Betty Boop reference image. Betty has enjoyed a number of incarnations over the years, from her standard red dress to getups that include motorcycle hats. Find the one that appeals to you.
2. Print a copy of the reference picture, enlarging it to the size of the drawing you'd like. For example, if you want to make a 10-inch by 12-inch mini-poster, have the printer print off that size. If your intended size is bigger than your printer allows, have it done by an outside copy shop.
3. Use a pen and ruler to draw a grid on the Betty Boop copy. Draw 3/4-inch squares across the entire image, similar to graph paper.
4. Create a grid on your drawing pad of equal proportions to the one on your reference picture, making sure to draw the same number of squares as well. Draw these lines with pencil.
5. Count the squares on your Betty Boop picture until you find the top of the right-hand side of her head. For example, her head might be located four squares from the right-hand side and eight squares up from the bottom of the page. Then, find the square on your drawing pad that corresponds with the one on your picture.
6. Draw the lines that you see in the grid square on your picture. Most drawings start out with a series of lines to form the object you're drawing. Look at the corner of Betty Boop's head and notice how the lines fall within the grid square. See how they curve within the square and notice how they intersect each other as well as the walls of the grid square. Draw what you see in the grid square on your paper.
7. Draft the rest of Betty's head, her big eyes and rosebud lips, using the grid squares just as you did to draw the first corner of her head. Use the grid to draw the rest of her body and the surrounding background. Experienced artists may use freehand techniques to draw her, however, using the grid allows the average person to easily keep Betty's proportions accurate.
8. Erase the grid around Betty's body.
9. Use flat-tipped markers to lay down a layer of color on Betty Boop's drawing. For example, if she's wearing a red dress, color in the whole dress using steady, even strokes with your marker. Allow the marker to dry.
10. Color the highlights and shaded areas using colored pencils. For instance, if Betty's hair on your reference image features a white highlight, draw that using a white colored pencil.
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