One of the dafest things I've heard since I started to teach people how to draw people is this crazy misconception that 'only certain people (who are born with it) are able to draw people. When I first started I could barely manage a stick man and some of the people I teach are the same. It's pure nonsense, anyone can learn they just need to put the work in.
That's the thing that seems to put most of my new students off. The work. Sorry to say it kids but learning how to draw people takes more than half an hour with a pencil and a scrap of paper. If you want to do it properly it's going to take a lot of time and work - and I mean hard work. The length of time needed can vary from person to person (yes, some people do have it easier) and the amount of work you put in. The great thing about learning to draw people is that you can learn whenever it suits you to learn. Some people who have the money (and the time) can pick up all the books and DvDs, maybe a class or two, and spend all their time on learning. Others can throw a sketchpad in their bag and practice whenever they get a chance. On the bus, in a traffic jam or for the half hour before you fall asleep. Practicing takes really little which is great. You could go with as little as a pencil and a few pieces of paper or you could have the books and tools sprawled over a desk.
People learn in different ways (as in some learn betters one way than others would) and while there's no set way to learn how to draw people - trying out of a few things can certainly make it easier. The main ways are through guides (found everywhere on websites these days or from a book in your local book store) which seem to be the main kind. Heck there are some great books which are designed for you to actually draw on the book itself. Next up are video guides (again found online on places like Youtube and video bucket or on DvDs which your nearest artstore will have). If these learn for yourself helpers just don't do it for you, then ask in your local art store or community hall for a class or workshop you can learn from. Don't worry - they're usually cheap enough and you can learn a lot. There's nothing to stop you doing all three but I would suggest you try at least one.
The best thing you can do when learning how to draw people is keep motivated. Remind yourself of why you want to learn and set yourself goals to aim for. Most people get fed up with it quickly and lose patience but the ones that stick with it are the ones that learn properly. You'll need to hear a lot of bad critque when you learn (and even afterwards - art is subjective!) but just keep with it and you'll be the one writing a book on how to draw people in future.
