INTRODUCTION

Good girls! In today's tutorial I will help you create more fluid poses and how to stop making rigid and soulless characters with a personal trick that I discovered by chance and that has been very useful to me ever since!

 

I hope my little secret helps you a lot!

VIDEOTUTORIAL

I invite you to watch the video tutorial, as it has many more examples than the ones I show on this page and with audio in Spanish and subtitles in English! Let us begin.

MY TRICK

LINES"

 

In the vast majority of illustrations it is very common to find a curve that generally defines the direction of the character's body. This is a curve that I will call "S". With a very simple stroke we can see from head to toe the direction it will take. Even the simplest pose has a slight smooth line.

 

To make that curve, all we have to do is the following:

 

1) Draw the head with a simple circle.

2) Draw an “S” line. It is drawn from the neck, makes the shape of the spine and ends in the leg where the whole body rests.

 

With these two simple steps we have the skeleton of the character in its most simplified version.

THE BUTTERFLY"

 

With this simple skeleton we can create countless poses, now we must continue to give it volume and distribute the trunk.

 

I divide the torso at the rib cage and the hips. There are many ways to draw them, I like the S line, I am going to simplify it as much as possible. So I draw a cut oval ball and a "" butterfly "". With these two forms I have what is just and necessary to create the character. I do not need it to be exact, since it is a simple sketch that I will later retouch. Drawing these volumes helps me understand the proportions of the character, and exaggerating the proportions can help create a more entertaining character.

 

Now, I share some examples of how I have used this trick! (In the video I have more examples)

BODY LANGUAGE

Another important step that must be taken into account is to know the character that we are drawing. The expression, his personality, the context in which he is… everything counts!

 

Let's start with your character's personality. Extrovert or introvert? What is it like when you interact with others or when you are alone? Is he friendly or a curmudgeon? After solving those questions, what are you doing in the picture?

Generally speaking, characters who are more introverted or have negative attitudes tend to unconsciously tense, shrink or cover themselves more, while more extroverted and happy people tend to stretch their body carelessly, they emanate energy!

 

This is called body language, which is a non-verbal way of communicating. Our bodies and gestures almost always convey more information than words. If you do not know much about what I am talking about, you should seek information and discover what the gestures and the body say about us.

MODELOS 3D

Take advantage of Clip Studio Paint's 3D models to create different characters with difficult angles or poses that are difficult for you to draw! As for example with foreshortenings.

 

You can create exclusive models for your characters, you just have to place a figure on the canvas, modify its proportions according to your drawing style, such as the head-body ratio, shoulder or waist size ... and even its height! Once you have finished modifying the model you have to register it as a material. Very simple, endless options!

You can create different poses from 0 on your own, but in the program you already have different most frequent poses. There are even poses created just for hands!

If you already have a photograph with the pose you want to draw, Clip Studio already has the option of extracting the poses from those images, as long as the body is well distinguished from the background and does not have a position that is difficult to detect by the software. Very useful!

And if you have a hard time learning to use 3D models and you can't find a way to make a natural pose, you can always go to Clip Studio Assets and put “Poses” in filters. Many of them are free or paid with Clippys, which are sometimes earned thanks to special promotions where you don't have to use real money.

MY ADVICE

The "S" trick I learned by chance while drawing without purpose. Do just that if you don't have inspiration! Try doing any "S" and do different poses to practice!

Don't get obsessed with super detailed sketches! They are just that, sketches. If you don't get the perfect posture the first time, you don't have to get frustrated, just rest and continue later. If you are stuck, leave the illustration for 24 hours and the next day return to the drawing. You will see clearly where you have failed.

Don't hide your hands! They are perfect to emphasize emotions and poses, do not waste the opportunity. If you want to fear something ... let it be the feet.

 

And my last tip… Learn from NSFW artists (and non-NSFW artists who have knowledge of anatomy)! Although it is strange advice and perhaps inappropriate for lesser artists, these artists make a living by drawing beautiful bodies (and spicy drawings) and I assure you that by analyzing their works and following their steps you learn much more than you think. In their Patreon you can access the complete process of their illustrations, very educational! If you are an adult and can afford to support them financially, go find your favorite artist!

THANKS FOR WATCHING!

I hope my advice helps you as much as it does me! I'm pretty sure that this simple "S" trick will help you improve your poses and even help you create things you didn't think of. Try as many times as necessary, even if you are not satisfied, rest and try again later.

And before saying goodbye, if you liked this tutorial, subscribe to my channel and follow me on my most frequent social networks to see my work closer. See you very soon, bye!

 

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