*some tips for drawing poses!* if a character is for example shy, the character will probably look down, avoid contact, and try to take up little to no space. If someone is confident they will look straight forward with eye contact, they will not be afraid to take up space, and the characters feet will be spread wide and pointed outwards. These are just some tricks to establish a characters personality! Some extra tips are: if someone is strict and proper draw them with good stature and straight back. someone tired will slack in the back and knees. Also remember that putting the pelvis and shoulder at different angles will make the pose a LOT more natural and relaxed looking! You almost never stand with your pelvis and shoulders at the same angle.
Kiwi Clod I agree and when you're draw a shy character it's really the only time you should do a hands behind the back pose as it kind of is as if they want to hide themselves or as you said take up less space
"Cause honestly, the real reason we draw a character's arm behind their back is to avoid drawing their hand" Aight, wasn't expecting to get called out like that
Honestly, THIS is a perfect example of why I think your content is so great for young artists. I was a stubborn lil' thing a couple years ago, and I never changed my art style, then I stumbled across your "color this not that" video, and I almost immediately changed my digital style, and listened to pretty much everything you said. It was awesome seeing someone do that sort of video in such a way that actually felt caring and sweet, not harsh "critique" that was really just insulting kids under the cover of a "This is just to help people improve I'm not being negative" disclaimer. I didn't even have a drawing tablet then, I was just using IbisPaint on my phone, using ass brightly saturated colors as possible and shading with black and a soft brush, and, honestly, if it weren't for discovering your channel, I might still be drawing like that. It feels kind of like being used to strict teachers trying to be cool to one who actually remembers being at the same point you are, an I think that's what makes your advice so good, because you clearly not only remember the pieces you made, but also remember being at that point. I dunno, that's just what I think, love your videos!
This is kinda off topic- but I love how she says "how things were back when I first started drawing and the mistakes I made" instead of "What most artists make"- because it shows that every good artist goes through these mistakes and that's very comforting
A lot of artists say that hands are hard and they hate to draw them, but personally I really like to practice them. Yeah they’re difficult but it’s also helpful to look at tutorials (and your own) to gain experience through drawing them over and over again. (edit: yall it’s been two years- i mean yes i still like drawing them but i like to do clothes better now lmao)
SylenDraws yeah. Looking at poses and maybe taking the one that is close to one you're gonna draw can help. Like from google character poses female/male and like sitting/standing or something else. You can also google "face from different angles" or look some anatomytips from ig. Also getting one of those wooden propotion dolls that can be set in one angle are good and a small one here is like 5€. Tho if you're making reference sheet, it's good to draw the character from straight front (for humans at least) so you can see what they look like and so
I don’t think it’s an issue if the character “looks at us” if it’s a profile picture. Say you have a compendium of all your characters for reference, and you flip through the book and all of them are averting their gaze in some different direction. Meanwhile if they’re looking at you, it feels like you’re being introduced to them, and not some other character offscreen distracting us and making us think “what are they looking at?” If it’s in an actual comic, then yes, keep it in universe unless you want unsettling fourth wall-breaking effects, but I don’t think it odd if they are in a “photo” type posing session for drawing reference. Anyways, I just wanted to address that. I like all the other tips you gave in the video but that one seemed off to me and is quite situational like you mentioned, but in the second half you addressed some of it but not all of it.
Teru Kisuke She does take her habbits from making comics, and puts it into just plain ol' drawing. (Making comics is still drawing, I dont know how to talk rn its like 1am)
If you want a character to look like they're posing for a picture, you should draw them looking in the camera, but I personally think it looks more natural for a character to look at a different angle. But you can have your own opinion.
You should draw the girls of Doki doki Literature club! I'd love to see your perspective on their personalities and how they change throughout the game in your art style!
We know how the girls look on the surface, so to draw their "flaws" would be interesting. Monika could be a puppeteer, Sayori might wear ankle chains, and Yuri seen with a voodoo doll, her collection of knives, or something symbolizing her obsessiveness. I feel the line between the cuteness and creepyness would be enhanced bc of Lavendertowns style
Hahaha... yeah. Hart's "manga" books are really bad, escpecially when compared to his Draw Fairies book. He can draw, but with realistic style, his manga drawings look terrible. And the sad part is that I learned to draw manga with his books, because they're almost the only "Draw manga" books that you can get here in Finland.
Thx lavender I really need help with male hips if you can help me on that I would be so grateful I mean I am grateful for this channel and this series. I’m rambling. Merry Christmas!!!
My first formal instruction in any art media was in photography, which is still probably my best media even though I am an enthusiastic hobbyist in a whole bunch of traditional and digital media now. My photography teacher had a saying, which was used for taking photographs of living (human) subjects: "If it bends, bend it!" The idea goes, if you take a portrait of somebody, or you're trying to capture an active shot, you want to end up with a photograph a lot more interesting than a person standing rigidly straight in front of the camera. You get your subject to bend as many joints as you can, within reason, to make a more dynamic, interesting photo. I've photographed some models, and you can always tell the experienced professional models because they are constantly moving, breaking up symmetry, moving their arms and legs and neck and spine and hands and feet and fingers and toes. They pause only long enough for the photographer to take a shot, and then they're striking a new pose. Good portrait photographers will also give direction, guiding the subject to take various poses, and give the subject cues on the sort of energy they should be modeling. I've always tried to bring that same sensibility to my figure drawing/painting/whatever. If it bends, I try to bend it in my artwork. I think it's especially worthwhile for any artist to have experience with lots of different media modern and traditional. You pick things up from different media and it makes all your art better.
I have the problem with the face looking at the camera but it's the exact opposite, idk how to make them look at the camera I can never get the eyes centered
I don't think I honestly agree with that notion anyway. I've never thought characters looking into the camera was a bad thing and from what I've seen, many good and famous artists don't think so either.
Laroucelle * I think she ment this: just imagine your character as an actor in a movie or something, where even their _head_ is faced towards you yeah, a character doing that feels unsettling (anime art style and semi-realism is an exception; I don't even know how they do it without weirding you out too much)
O a t s (there's always a 4th wall, it's just never broken with your characters) I suppose it depends on the style...i can think of some styles like the Timmy Turner style where every character is drawn at a sideways angle and 2d perspective, whatever their pose may be
I know what she meant and I still think so. A character would not look creepy in a drawing when simply looking in the "camera". Maybe if they kept looking straight in a comic during random times, yes! But not in just drawings. And from what I've seen, most drawers in the comments do not write comics or are making cartoons or smth.
I keep this video in mind a lot now that I think about it. I started drawing from a 3/4 perspective while ago and it was a serious adjustment from drawing head-on, so this was super helpful. I'm constantly annoyed when my characters feel as if they have no weight in whatever space they're existing in because it feels empty, and the whole "distracting from the main image" thing also plagued me to no end. I'd make my characters pointing or waving their hands in a way that attracted attention but didn't focus on the character themselves. And energetic, dynamic posing...Dear God. I can't begin to tell you how many reference images I've used to fix my old habit of just making them stand there with their hands behind their back. What I'm trying to say is, this video was great (as always!) so thank you!
I really like how you go over when it's actually a GOOD idea to do what you said was a bad idea to do. I never thought about the things you can deliberately do with symmetry that way before
Girl, this is some great stuff! I’ve been doing art for years, but there’s things I would’ve never learned/thought about without this series. Thank you so much! I look forward to seeing more of these videos- they’re one of my absolute favorites!
Im still struggling to improve my art, currently having trouble with shoulders and different angles of the face. Ive only been drawing for a little over a year now so.. im gettin there
Razzle Dazzle Dorito I've been drawing for I think....3 or 4 maybe 5 years??? You will get better, trust me. As long as you practice at least once a day, drawing absolutely anything. Even just a straight line! If you really wanna broaden your horizons, think of things you really hate to draw, and force yourself to drawn them. It will probably suck, but you will never learn if you don't make an attempt. Keep drawing the things you hate drawing. Look up tips on how to draw them while you're drawing them, look up references while you're drawing them. Using reference is not cheating. That's like saying reading a history book is cheating for your history tests. Keep going! You'll get there!
LavenderTowne you are probably one of my favorite RU-vidrs and my inspiration! You made me want to make my own comic and have helped me improve my art. I really hope you make more of these videos!
this video’s pretty old, but i just wanted to say that this is super duper helpful. i draw constantly but i’m still very inexperienced, and i’m almost always dissatisfied with my poses. i’ve been trying out different angles, but i’m really pleased to see tips on the poses themselves! this is explained so well and i’m definitely going to be thinking of this video next time i design a character :)
i have a question...or well, a request-thing... I draw ponies(no hands and stuff), but i’m kinda starting to draw humans some more(mostly Steven Universe) and your video’s are quite helpfull(still need to watch some), but there’s one thing that’s bothering me... *H A N D S* so i usually try to hide them....but i can’t keep hiding them forever and i need to learn how to corectly draw them... Could you help me with drawing hands??? ( *Could you* , it’s a request, not a command ❤️❤️)
Colorful Music I'm not Lavender, but I'll try to help. First, looking at your own hands can be really helpfull since you can turn them around and see different angles, second, when drawing hands I usually start with a rectangle for the palm and then draw the fingers as longer and thinner rectangles and at the end make everything a bit rounder. Hope I helped at least a little bit! (:
The best thing you can do to improve the way you draw anything is to look at it in real life and see what shapes it's made of and to practice practice practice. For hands specifically, you could maybe start by giving them "mitten hands" to learn how to integrate the hands. Remember that in general the middle and ring fingers are the longest, and the thumb is connected closer to the wrist than the others. Hope this helps!
That is exactly how i started drawing humans and its a tough slope but just don't stop drawing them. you'll hate it but just look at what you hate and focus on the thing you hate most about your last drawing of a hand. reading that back sounds harsh but its what i did
Honestly, your voice is so calming. Before I watched this I was sobbing, pretty much holding back screams. I was really scared of- Well, let’s just say this calmed me down quickly.
Mariam Rebai Try drawing very basic human figures, no eyes, hair etc, and then once you think you're good on that try doing more complicated things, add clothing, eyes, etc. I might be wrong though, it's just what I did. Ps: try doing poses as well
I always try to hide my hands and do lazy poses, and make my drawing stare at the viewer. And so I was drawing well watching this i started to draw okay hands and a good pose along with more detail. This video inspired me so much ☺️
I haven't seen this video in a while, and I was listening to it while drawing just now, and I just realized how much of these tips I took to heart without realizing...
One thing that helped me is bending the spine. People don't stand straight up all the time, there's a natural slouch. And when they do, the spine, even then, bends a little. This helped with my characters that had shy personalities, it brought more life to their pose. As for angle, I usually practice by drawing ny characters sideways, at a 3/4 view, etc. because it helps a lot with technique and experience for me. I have a better understanding of angle and shape that way.
i was looking at the “do this” pose, and not only does it show cheerful-ness. but it also shows power. the way her legs her so “stiff” (like a power stance if you know what i mean) radiates power and strength.
lots of people assume just because i draw i am creative, while i dont really struggle with my poses being stiff, i cant ever think of any creative or good poses
Can review this free app for art called ibis paints? It's what I use, since I don't have an art tablet yet. I find it useful for the most part,but I'm curious about your thoughts on it would be.
I am a amature artist and I do a lot of requests so many of the characters I do are OCs without a backround or a confusing backround and I usually do a position based on looks of the initial picture. I do a basic pose most of the time(what the video is telling you not to do) but everyone seems to be very satisfied with the free art they got out of it, the reactions I get are usually along the lines of "That looks just like my bunny!" Or "That is how I always wanted her to look."
6:04 I actually do puts my hand behind my back because I grab at my shirt. Its a nervous tick I have. One of my characters also have this tick so I was hoping this video would help with that. Cool video none the less
AH HA, Yes! I'm pretty new at this whole drawing characters thing, yet even I'VE managed to not get everything completely wrong! yes! (my hands still look like pieces of trash tho...)
rose girl Pretty sure shes ok with anyone copying her style as long as theyre still trying to figure out their own. Try it out and then maybe mix it with other styles you like
I feel like one of the only situations that a bland right at the camera pose would be okay is if it’s a reference drawing for the character so that people know what they look like and how to draw them, because if they have some sort of wild pose then it would be a bit more difficult to figure out how to draw them but if it’s a simple straight at the camera shot you can clearly see everything on the character and their overall design, idk that might just be me
Personally when I draw my my characters, the very first drawing of the character usually has kind of a neutral pose, I’m afraid that posing them in a more dramatic manner may block some of the details that I have for the character
lavender pls dont judge how people make art, its their style ur style isnt the only style people are allowed to do i make art like the one that u said was awful and it made me upset ur my fav youtuber
Sorry but isn't she saying that, its awful because the viewer cant really see the energy of the character and it looks boring and stiff. This video is to make artist makes pose way more expressive.
This is going to help so much! Thank you! I love your channel so much and I’m losing motivation but you and seeing your drawing have made my motivation come back, so thank youuuuu
i like drawing characters that, like, are from a series or a different world, and then, like, all of them are from that world and don't break the forth wall but ONE character does. it's like my signature thing.
I actually put my hands behind my back when I walk, and putting that in a drawing with a straight position can give an elegant feeling, and I'm not saying that as an excuse to not draw hands, I love drawing hands. Other than that, this video was really helpful
I used to do little nubs as feet because I wanted my character to look in front without it looking like it has 2 broken ankles when I was getting into art at 7-8 (no shame on people who draw like that, I did that before my art teacher commented on it;-;)
I think I’ve improved a lot in the past 3 years. I’m not happy with my art at the moment but I wanna get better. My old drawings looked like a 3 years olds drawings, but I’ve improved and I’m happy that I’ve improved
I don't know why but I feel like when u do a vidio ur explaining better then art school XD Love ur vid btw since I have started watching ur vids I have gotten better at drawing!!!
Disclaimer: this only works for digital art! A tip I have to help with poses is to go into Google or something and find a picture where the person is in a pose you like. Import the photo onto a blank canvas. Lower the photo’s opacity and make a new layer. Lightly sketch over the photo, doing the skeleton method thing. (You know, the thing where you draw circles for the joints and lines for the limbs and stuff.) This helps to make a vague outline of a natural pose and can help your arms or legs from looking extremely unnatural and weird. Obviously don’t trace the entire photo, but it’s totally okay to use it as a rough starting point. This helps with getting better at poses and stuff, just make sure to try and improve on your own, also.
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