STUDENT WORKBOOK
3 quizzes per unit · 2 exercise challenges per unit · Interactive quiz scoring · Progress tracking. Complete each quiz before moving to the next unit to reinforce what you've learned.
QUIZ — UNIT 1
1. What does the number 0 represent in the Numerology Figure Drawing System?
2. Why is the stick figure a legitimate starting point for figure drawing?
3. A circle inscribed inside a square tells us what?
PRACTICE EXERCISES — UNIT 1
Center a dot on a blank page. Build outward: waist circle → rib cage oval → pelvis oval → shoulder line → head circle. Without drawing any muscles, you should be able to see the complete figure skeleton from one starting dot. Do this five times, each time committing to a different figure height and proportion.
Find any complex object near you — a chair, a plant, a shoe. Break it down into only circles and rectangles. Draw these shapes on the page first. Then add the details inside them. This is exactly how you will decompose the figure — everything is a circle or a box at its core.
QUIZ — UNIT 2
1. A "worm's eye view" means the viewer is...
2. In a figure's bounding box, where is the belt buckle / zero located?
3. What is foreshortening?
PRACTICE EXERCISES — UNIT 2
Draw a one-point perspective grid: horizon line, vanishing point, radiating floor lines. Now place a bounding box for a standing figure on this floor plane. Move the horizon line to three positions: at the figure's waist, below the figure's feet (worm's eye), above the figure's head (bird's eye). Sketch the same basic figure in all three. See how the same figure reads completely differently.
Draw a simple room interior in one-point perspective (use the box/floor/ceiling structure). Place a standing figure in the room. The figure must fit the scale of the room correctly — use the belt buckle as your vanishing point anchor. Add a second figure at a different distance to practice scale recession.
QUIZ — UNIT 3
1. The number 4 in the drawing system represents what part of the torso?
2. The T-LAW method stands for:
3. The "serratus anterior" muscles appear where on the torso?
PRACTICE EXERCISES — UNIT 3
Draw the number 4 large. Draw its mirror image so they share the same central vertical stroke (the sternum). Add the curved pectoral arcs between them. Add the rib cage arc at the bottom. Add the ab grid below (2 columns, 3 rows). Shade one side of the barrel and the spaces between abs. You have drawn a complete heroic torso from one number.
Draw the back view of a figure using only four marks: (1) vertical spine stroke, (2) two triangular shoulder blade shapes flanking the spine, (3) trapezius diamond connecting blades to neck, (4) lat curves sweeping down and inward to the waist. Practice this four-step back construction ten times until it comes from muscle memory.
QUIZ — UNIT 4
1. The number 3 represents what body part because of its visual similarity?
2. What is "pelvic tilt" and why does it matter for figure drawing?
3. The triangles of the figure (number 9) are best understood as:
PRACTICE EXERCISES — UNIT 4
Fill an entire page with spine strokes — aim for twenty to thirty strokes of varying length and curve. Straight, S-curved, C-curved, diagonal, dramatically arched. Under each one, write a one-word description of the pose it implies: "standing," "lunging," "recoiling," "running," "falling." The spine stroke IS the pose — this exercise makes that visceral.
Without drawing any muscles or forms, draw three complete pose blueprints using only: a spine stroke, the pelvis oval, and three triangles (two arm spaces + one leg space). Each blueprint should clearly read as a different action: standing, running, and jumping. Show these to someone — they should be able to identify each pose from the triangles alone.
QUIZ — UNIT 5
1. Why does a cursive "2" represent the leg in this system?
2. The heel of the foot is positioned how relative to the ankle joint?
3. Which is the largest muscle group in the human body?
PRACTICE EXERCISES — UNIT 5
Fill a page with pairs of cursive 2s facing inward (both legs). Vary the width between them, the angle of lean, and the size. For each pair, add the quad oval, the calf oval, and the knee zone. No feet yet — just the leg forms. Do at least eight pairs. By the eighth one, the leg shapes should be coming from your hand, not your brain.
Draw a single foot in five different angles: (1) from the outside (classic 7 shape), (2) from the inside (showing the arch clearly), (3) from the front (a wedge shape), (4) from behind (heel and calf connection), (5) from the bottom (the sole). Study the heel-to-ankle relationship in each view — the heel always extends behind the ankle joint.
QUIZ — UNIT 6
1. What shape does every major muscle in the body share with the number 6?
2. The hand has 14 finger bone segments. What is 1+4 reduced to, and what does this confirm?
3. When drawing a closed fist, what is the most important structural line?
PRACTICE EXERCISES — UNIT 6
Draw an arm from deltoid to wrist using only 6-shapes. Do not draw any straight lines. Stack: one large 6 (deltoid), one medium 6 (bicep, front), one larger 6 horseshoe (tricep, back), a zero circle (elbow), and a cluster of smaller 6s tapering to the wrist. Draw the arm straight, then draw the same arm bent at 90 degrees. Feel how the shapes rearrange.
Draw three hands in sequence without stopping: (1) open palm facing you, (2) closed fist in profile, (3) index finger pointing at the viewer (foreshortened). Start each hand with the 5-shape as the structural skeleton. For the foreshortened finger, make the hand large and wide, the wrist small and narrow. Trust the perspective.
QUIZ — UNIT 7
1. Where exactly do the eyes sit on the head vertically?
2. What does a lowered ear placement tell us about the head's angle?
3. In the face sequence, what is drawn first?
PRACTICE EXERCISES — UNIT 7
Draw the same face ten times using the full sequence 0→8→7→5→9→2→3→6→4→1. The first three: straight front view. The next three: three-quarter view. The next two: looking up. The final two: looking down. Do not skip any step of the sequence for any face. By the tenth face, the sequence should feel like breathing.
Draw the same base face six times with identical proportions and structure. Change ONLY the brow position and mouth corners to create: neutral, angry, surprised, sad, laughing, and in pain. The structures themselves — eye shape, nose, jaw — stay completely identical. This exercise proves that expression is about surface muscle movement, not face structure.
QUIZ — UNIT 8
1. The body drawing sequence starts with number 4 (chest). Why is the chest drawn first?
2. "Contrapposto" means:
3. Heroic proportions typically make figures how tall relative to head height?
PRACTICE EXERCISES — UNIT 8
Set a timer for exactly five minutes. Using the full body sequence 4→9→1→3→2→7→6→5→0→8, draw a complete figure rough. Do not refine anything — just place all ten elements. When the timer sounds, stop even if incomplete. Repeat this exercise immediately, then again. Do it five times total. Note what you placed in the first two minutes versus the last two.
Draw three complete figure roughs in different action poses. Then — using a black marker or heavy pencil — fill each figure in completely solid black. Study only the silhouettes. Can you read each pose instantly? Can you read the emotion? If not, the pose needs structural work, not more detail. Great poses read clearly in silhouette before anything else is added.
QUIZ — UNIT 9
1. What does a thick line communicate in a drawing?
2. Rim lighting means the light source is:
3. In color theory, warm colors do what compared to cool colors?
PRACTICE EXERCISES — UNIT 9
Draw a torso form. Apply shading using ONLY three values: paper white (unshaded), medium gray (applied with controlled hatching or flat tone), and black (applied only to the deepest shadow zones). No blending. No gradients. Three values only. The figure should read as fully three-dimensional with just these three values applied decisively.
Draw a complete standing figure. Place your light source behind and slightly above the figure. Apply: a bright glowing line along every outer silhouette edge (the rim), deep shadow on all front-facing planes (chest, face, front thighs), and a suggestion of reflected light in the very deepest shadow zones. This is the superhero lighting signature. Master it.
QUIZ — UNIT 10
1. A "bird's eye view" camera angle makes the subject appear:
2. When drawing armor on a heroic figure, what is the best approach?
3. The "rule of thirds" in composition means:
PRACTICE EXERCISES — UNIT 10
Draw the same hero figure three times in three different panel framings: (1) full-body wide shot with a simple ground line and horizon, (2) medium three-quarter shot from slightly below (worm's eye), (3) extreme close-up on the face only — eyes, brow, and bridge of nose. Add a simple background element to each. Notice how the same character reads completely differently at each angle.
Draw a standing figure's torso and arms completely naked with full anatomical detail — pectorals, abs, deltoids, biceps, triceps. Then, directly beside it or on tracing paper over it, redraw the exact same figure in full armor. The armor must follow every anatomical form beneath it exactly — the breastplate follows the pec curves, the shoulder plates follow the deltoid shape, the arm guards follow the bicep/tricep forms.
QUIZ — UNIT 11
1. What is the Fibonacci sequence?
2. The Golden Ratio is approximately:
3. According to the T-LAW method, what is drawn last in a complete figure?
PRACTICE EXERCISES — UNIT 11
Set a timer for exactly two minutes. Draw a complete figure rough using the full body sequence from memory — no reference. When the timer stops, immediately assess: how many of the ten elements did you place? What felt most uncertain? The next day, repeat with a different pose. Track your daily progress. The speed growth over two weeks is dramatic and motivating.
From memory only — no reference images, no notes, no aids — draw a complete figure using the full body sequence. Then add a face using the full face sequence. Add three-value shading. Add one piece of clothing or costume. Write your name and today's date on it. This is your official graduation drawing. Keep it safe. In six months, draw it again. Compare the two. That difference is your growth made visible.
QUIZ — UNIT 12
1. What is the primary purpose of Guidepost #1 — The Hook?
2. According to the 12 Guideposts pacing rule, how many pages does each story beat occupy in a 120-page story?
3. Which guidepost is defined as 'the first moment of your story you cannot remove without destroying it'?
4. In the 3 Elements of Character Appeal, what does RECOGNITION equal?
5. In the Half Joe framework, what is the FLAW?
6. What does 'ENABLING CIRCUMSTANCES' mean in the Half Joe story system?
7. A HIGH CONCEPT story idea must be which of the following?
8. According to the 6 Key Character Questions, Question #5 asks about the character's 'problem.' What four things does this encompass?
9. In the 36 Dramatic Situations, Situation #1 is Supplication. What does Supplication mean?
10. Which of the following is NOT one of the 5 Types of Story Openings?
11. In the Secret Grid, what does each column represent?
12. What is the classic story structure summary known as 'The Tree'?
13. 'Emergency causes Emergence' is a key concept in the story system. What does it mean?
14. According to the character appeal system, we care about a character when they experience which of the following?
PRACTICE EXERCISES — UNIT 12
Choose one column from either Secret Grid. Map it to a 12-page comic sequence set in your own story universe. For each beat in the column, write 1–2 sentences describing what happens on that page spread. You are not retrofitting an existing story — you are letting the sequence generate something new. Focus on making each beat feel dramatically distinct and necessary. When finished, ask: does this feel like a real story? If yes, you've internalized the structure.
Using the 6 Key Questions as your framework, write a complete character profile for a protagonist you are developing (existing or new). Answer all six questions in full sentences — not bullet points. Then specifically write out the FLAW in one paragraph and the ENABLING CIRCUMSTANCES in another. Finally, write the moment of HERO'S REVELATION in a single, specific sentence: what do they discover, and how does it break the flaw? If you cannot write that sentence concisely, the arc is not yet complete.