How to Draw a Man in a Casual Sweater

There's nothing like a sweater to take the chill from an autumn day. This man is modeling a casual patterned sweater, a classic look that is just at home in the city as it is at a small-town farmer's market.

Learn how to draw this man in a casual sweater.
Learn how to draw this man in a casual sweater.

In this section, we'll show you how to draw the man in the casual sweater above. Either draw the picture freehand while looking at your computer monitor or print out this page to get a closer look at each step.

Follow the red lines in each illustration to learn exactly what to draw in that step. The lines drawn in previous steps are shown in black. Here, we'll show you an illustration of each step and then give you a description of how to draw it.

To draw a man in a casual sweater, begin by sketching in the basic shapes for the head and torso.

Step 1: Sketch an egg for the head. Divide the egg into uneven left and right halves with a vertical line to determine the center of the face. Separate the egg into upper and lower halves with a horizontal line to show the position of the tops of the eyes.

Sketch a horizontal line for the hairline about one-sixth of the way down from the top of the oval. Divide the area below that into three equal parts. The first line below the hairline is for the eyebrows, and the next line shows the location of the tip of the nose. The ears lie between the eyebrows and the nose.

Divide the area below the nose into three more equal parts. The line below the nose is for the mouth opening, and the next line is for the lower lip.

Draw a curved line under the head to show the shape of the neck and backbone. Use rectangles for the chest and hip areas. Form the arms with curved tube shapes. Use oval shapes to form the shoulders. Draw partial rectangles for the hands.

As you continue to draw a man in a casual sweater, add the sweater and draw the hairline.

Step 2: Draw in an oval shape for the ear. Use curved lines to establish the shape of the face and the hairline. Sketch a U-shaped figure for the jawline. Extend two curved lines from both sides of the head for the shoulders and arms. Sketch in the sides of the sweater. Use two odd-shaped ovals to separate the sides from the arms.

Add facial features and define the sweater as you continue to draw a man in a casual sweater.

Step 3: Shape the hair with curved lines. Draw in two dark curves for the eyebrows. Form the eyes with dark ovals. Use an L-shaped figure and a comma-shaped figure for the nose. Draw full lips as shown.

Use curved lines to form the collar of the turtleneck sweater. Sketch V-shaped figures to form the collar of the V-necked sweater. Draw a slightly curved line for the left shoulder. Separate the body of the sweater from the sleeves and waistband with bent lines. Draw in many curved lines to show the wrinkles.

Add the sweater pattern and pant pleats as you continue to draw a man in a casual sweater.

Step 4: Draw lines on the V-necked sweater to form diamond shapes. Add pleats to the pants with straight lines. Use curved lines to form wrinkles on the sleeves of the sweater.

Finish this drawing of a man in a casual sweater by adding details to the hair and sweater.

Step 5: Use short squiggles to finish the hair. Add a dark line on the jaw for shading. Use many short straight lines on the collar of the turtleneck sweater to show ribbing. Add more ribbing to the neckline, cuffs, and waistband of the V-necked sweater. Fill in every other diamond on the V-necked sweater with straight up-and-down lines to define the knit.

Great job! This patterned sweater is perfect for a chilly day, but colder weather calls for more protection. See the next section to learn how to draw a man in a bomber jacket.

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