GRID STEP. You can print out the base construction lines and start drawing on tracing paper, or you can draw the grid layout yourself using the following steps.1) At the top of the sheet, determine the location of the head and draw its conditional size using an oval. 2) Draw a vertical line through the middle of the right side of the head. 3) From the upper border of the head, draw a segment equal to the height of the head. This marks the upper boundary of the figure. 4) From the upper border of the head, draw downward seven segments equal to the height of the head. 5) From the central vertical line of the figure, measure and draw: • One segment equal to the width of the head – to the left of the line. • One segment equal to one-quarter the width of the head – to the left of the line. • One segment equal to three-quarters the width of the head – to the right of the line. Through the boundaries of the segments we draw vertical lines. The extreme left and right segments are the vertical boundaries of the drawing.

STEP 1. Mark off the width and height of the picture. Add guidelines for the figure. Draw the head of the nutcracker and draw a line through its center.

STEP 2. Draw the shape of the body and a pedestal.

STEP 3. Define with guidelines the places for the arms, legs and shako of the figure.

STEP 4. Sketch the shapes of the shako and sleeves of the uniform.

STEP 5. Draw the shapes of the trousers. Define the places of the facial features.

STEP 6. Detail the uniform. Add the nutcracker’s boots and facial features.

STEP 7. Work on the whole figure, paying special attention to detail.

STEP 8. Contour the nutcracker, trying to vary the thickness and darkness of the line. Add more detail. Erase all guidelines.