How to Draw Superman
In the world of superheroes, there are two major companies: Marvel and DC Comics.
Today it's the latter that will interest us as we're going to learn how to draw the hero from Krypton: Superman.
As a model, I chose Bruce Timm's Superman, who is a cornerstone of DC Animation. He is known for creating the character Harley Quinn but also for his instantly recognizable character designs. I really appreciate his style because with just a few lines and simple shapes he manages to create a character. I think he creates the most expressive versions of heroes, which is why I chose him.
The sketch for the Superman drawing
To begin, we will draw the overall shapes, and then we will do the details.
Superman is 8.5 heads tall. Usually, I don't draw using the head measurement, but with Bruce Timm's style each "head" represents a specific part of the body, so it's a good indicator.
Be careful, draw lightly with the pencil so you can easily erase your construction lines!
Draw the head. To do this, make a circle and then extend it downwards to form the jaw. Measure the head and replicate this measurement 8 times on your paper.
In total, you must have 9 "heads".
Now we are going to start the torso. To begin, create the neck, it's a sort of triangle that goes 1/3 of the way down the second head.
For the base of the neck, sketch a rectangle that has the top points wider than the bottom ones. The bottom of the rectangle reaches 1/3 of the way down the third head.
Extend your lines to bring them down to the middle of the fourth head and complete the rectangle.
For the trunks, you will draw a line on each side that goes up to the start of the fifth head and join them in a triangle at the bottom.
For the legs, it's very simple. You start from the trunks, the knees are at the beginning of the seventh head, then the calves and ankles go down to the bottom of the eighth head.
For the arms, make a first rectangle that goes from the base of the neck to 1/3 of the way down the 4th head. Superman's right arm (left for us) will be partially hidden by his torso.
Finish the arms with another rectangle that ends at the midpoint of the 5th head.
For the hands, we're just going to make a simple rectangle. Make the inside of the hand wider, so it extends beyond the arm. That's where the thumb goes.
Finishing the Superman drawing
We're going to tidy up!
Outline the outer lines of the head and add an ear at the end of the jaw.
For the neck, redraw your lines more smoothly and rounded.
Make two folds at the shoulders for the cape.
The arms are divided into two parts. There is a first arc that connects the shoulder to the elbow, and then another less pronounced one that connects the elbow to the wrist. But this is only true for the outer side of the arms!
For the inner side of the arms, you just need to follow your construction lines, no shapes, just a straight line.
For the torso, you will create a slight bulging effect on the right side of Superman to suggest developed pectorals. For the left side of the torso, simply make a slight "wave". His torso is very developed but his waist is slender.
Then trace over the lines of the trunks.
Before tackling the legs, let's finish the arms. We just need to add the hands.
We will draw them with clenched fists. Following your construction lines, either just a simple rectangle, make 4 dividing lines to get 5 parts. The thumb will be pretty much hidden by the index finger. The right hand is viewed from the side, just make a line to distinguish the thumb and the index finger.
To finish the trunks, add a waistband. To do this, draw a line just below the top of the trunks and add a circle between the two lines.
The legs are like the arms, in a semi-circle. So, make a semi-circle going from the trunks to the knees.
For the calves, approach them as you did for the thigh but in more detail. Start from the knee and create an arc up to the ankle.
The feet are teardrop-shaped.
Let's move on to the cape. We've drawn the top of the cape with its two folds, for the bottom it's very simple. Just make two rectangles for the outer folds.
Complete the drawing step by step
Then you connect them and it's done.
Let's move on to the details.
Superman's boots have small patterns. Draw a first sharp wave-like line just below the knee, and then do the same a little lower.
For the hair... Superman is always well groomed, with his little quiff.
To style his hair, start with the "S"-shaped quiff that comes up to the forehead. For the top of his hairstyle, his hair is relatively flat.
The face should not pose a problem for you.
Draw thick eyebrows, slightly below the quiff.
For the eyes, draw a line that goes from the inside of the face towards the outside, narrower than the eyebrows, then draw a semi-circle that you will fill in black to make the eyes.
The nose starts from the right eyebrow, descends slightly rounded, ends in a point, then draw a small arc on the side to make the nostril hole.
The mouth is a simple straight line, placed just below the nose and a slightly curved line underneath for the lips.
Regarding the small details that are left, there is a line in the middle of the chin, a rounded line that crosses the neck, which goes from the jaw to the base of the neck.
Two horizontal lines across the chest, three more vertical lines below the chest for the abs, and finally two small triangles above the boots for the knees.
The most important part is missing, the famous "S" on the chest.
To do this, start by making a diamond shape.
Add triangles at the top right towards the corner, one at the bottom following the point, and a slightly rounded rectangle on the left.
Then, it may help you to draw an "S" as I did and draw the shapes that fit inside the loops.
And now you've completed drawing Superman in the style of Bruce Timm.
The section on the basics can also help you to draw other characters in Bruce Timm's style or create your own characters. In general, for all the main characters, Bruce Timm uses more or less the same foundations, with some characteristics changing according to the characters.
Writer and illustrator: Coralie