Show the child how to hold crayons or markers. Holding an implement near the tip allows more control. Encourage the child to sit with his or her feet flat on the floor for better control as well.
Demonstrate how to draw the head, explaining that it is a circle. Follow by asking the child what things go on the face. Make dots for eyes and a line for a mouth. Ask the child to draw lines on the head for hair.
Draw one long line for the body, followed by two horizontal lines for arms and two vertical lines for legs. Essentially, you are making a stick figure. As a child's fine motor skills develop, demonstrate how to draw a more complex figure. But keep it simple in the beginning so the child has confidence to try it alone.
Ask the child to look in a mirror. Use a hand mirror, or stand in front of a long mirror. Talk about the parts of the face and body. Then ask the child to draw a picture. If the child hesitates, start by drawing the head yourself. Ask the child to draw eyes and a mouth. Most children feel comfortable doing this part. Slowly ask the child to add more details. Soon the child will be able to draw a person independently.
Model drawing techniques for children even after they begin working independently. Provide photos, models and real-life examples of things the children draw. For example, you can bring in a small baby chick during an exploration on farm animals and set it in a box on the drawing table. Let the children examine the chick before they began drawing.