How Do You Draw A Ballerina?

I, of course, do not know what your limitations are on travel and time, but the best place to start would be at a dance studio.  If you could get the permission of the instructor to visit the class and make sketches, this would be a great place to start.

First, I would make very quick, very bare, skeletal sketches.  

1. Draw an oval for a head
2. Draw a horizontal line from shoulder to shoulder
3. A vertical line for the spine
4. A horizontal line for the hips
5. Two vertical lines outlining the outside of each leg
6. Two small lines coming off the legs to show the feet.
NOTE: the horizontal and vertical lines I suggested will not be absolutely up and down or side to side.  You may have to have them at angles and the spine will definately have to follow the natural curve of the spine.  The same goes for the legs.  These sketches are meant only to get a sense of the pose of the individual.  This can be hard when sketching someone in motion, thus the sketches need to be quick.

Perhaps, if there is a ballerina at rest, you can take a little longer.  Once you have your skeletal sketch, start drawing in an outline of each portion of the body: The shoulders, arms, torso, midsection, legs and feet.  Check your proportions and make adjustments as necessary and finish filling in detail and light and shadow (a/k/a "value").  Any part that is the lightest value should remain the white of your page.  The darkest part of the scene should be as dark as you can make it (this makes the picture almost leap from the page).  Fill in the "in-between" values in a way that reflects the differences between the lighest and the darkest parts.

Do you know a ballerina personally?  If you do, asking her to pose for you for an hour or two would really help you out.  Again, I don't know what your limitations are, but what I've outlined is a best-case scenario.  Of course, the information about quick sketches forming the basis of any figure drawing can't emphasized enough.  I would suggest you start there with any person you draw in any pose.  It helps tremendously!

Best wishes!  Have fun!  I LOVE drawing!

It doesnt matter how you draw the ballerina but i suggest you get her to be really tall so that she looks more grace full

Show all the delicate muscles of the dancer..... A ballerina's job is to make everything they do no matter how hard to look easy that's why everyone thinks ballet is easY!!!!

Dancers are really strong show all the muscles !!!

You draw a dog and then make it look like a ballerina