STEP ONE
Step one is basically, draw a stick figure. Trick is to get your figure properly posed and proportioned.
Though you can occasionally use the layout from the previous page, usually it's not practical -- the pose is just too complex. So, what's your average no-talent artist to do? This, alas, is where the Art comes in.
|
|
First daw a simple flowing line to represent the spine or the crease down the front of the body. Then the cross-pieces for the hips and shoulders; then the legs, arms, and finally the block for the head. You should probably stick in some simple mitten-shapes for the hands, and wedge blocks for the feet. Keep the drawing loose and flowing. All this is going to be erased later, and if you draw a stiff stick figure, your finished character will be stiff. The purpose of this stage is just to capture the pose and proportion. This is actually the hard part -- if you can get a good stick figure, the rest is easy.
|  |
| Practice. Get your favourite Manga or Sports Illustrated and do stick figures of the people, particularly in action poses. Eventually, you'll get a feel for the way the body's various weights and tensions interact with gravity. It's worth working on this, because it's almost impossible to draw good comic book art if you can't do correctly posed and proportioned stick figures. Once you can capture any pose you see with a few strokes of the pencil, start drawing from memory, then from imagination. Here's a trick I use: Draw a tiny thumbnail-size stick figure in the corner of your page before you start the main drawing. I find this particularly helpful for getting the angles of arms and legs just right |
 |
NEXT
|
|
