Drawing Tutorial 010 - Drawing female figure(part 2)

This week we will go little further into drawing a female figure. Last week we drew the figure upto chest, this week we will see the proportions and shapes upto the hip/crotch.

Full human figure is generally 7 and 1/2 head tall, that way it is easy to demonstrate the relationship between the head shape/size and the whole figure. While facing straight, the head height is considered as from top of head to chin.

For drawing figures within permissible proportions, some more guidelines are used. The whole height is broken as below.

From top of head
Chin - 1 head
Nipple- Little below 2 head
Waist/Elbow - Little above 3 head
Naval - little below 3 head
crotch- little below 4 head

Width varies from shoulder to hip to waist. Just below the shoulder, width is little more than two heads width. It narrows down to less than two head width at hip and again widens to more than two heads width at hips.

Lets see the first sketch -

1. Lets draw the oval for the head first. The neck is around half the width of the head. The shoulder-arm joint marked with the circle is approximately two head wide.

2. The  waist points little above three head  are marked in read circle, and are little less than two head wide. A straight line from shoulder joint and waist point will make a rough contour of the upper body.

3. The hip bulges outwards upto three and a half head and then curves inwards.

4. For hands, the elbow point is almost alighned with waist and wrist joint is at four heads or little below the widest point of hip.

5. Now that we have a contour of the figure upto hip, lets add the breast. While standing straight, breast takes the waterdrop shape. but we need to draw the outer edge of the breast to suggest the shape. If not tightly hold together by an innerwear, the cleavage is not created and therefore line is not prominent.

6. The position of crotch is little above the 4 heads and almost the middle position of the figure. the muscle of lower abdomen and upper and inner thigh creates a v shaped line which is prominent.

7. The naval is slightly below the waist line.

8. The arm upto elbow is like a long rectangle. At below elbow, the forearm is wider and tapers as it approaches wrist.

We end with these basics and we will discuss more features and positions in future.