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Notice the difference between the two picture (above). On your left is the original stick figure or the "hangman" stick figure, which is what most would think of when the word "stick figure" is mentioned.The picture on the right is how a stick figure (some called "stick mannequin" ) will look like when you draw them for comic art. It is quite similar to the "hangman" figure but with an added line for shoulder and pelvis line.With the stick figure, it is best to add upon or form shapes that represent major bone structures/muscles,which is a lot more easier to work with.
The idea in this method is to "build up" the figure with the stick figure acting as a frame.With circles representing the joints and facial features with either a cross or lines, the stick figure should be easy and quick to draw.Remember to draw the stick figures lightly(with light and thin strokes) as it will be easier to erase later.After you have finished drawing the basic stick figure form, you can start to add up simple shape to the stick figure form starting from top to bottom.Rectangle and square like shapes are great for the torso, neck and pelvis.Cylinder-like shapes is can be used for longer parts of the body like arms and legs. After you are done with the shapes, you can see that you have roughly made a basic "mannequin" figure just by adding
form to the stick figures.The male and female human figure have different proportion and features.It is vital that you understand the difference between the two to avoid confusion and mistakes in your drawing.Find out more about more about the male/female difference HERE. The next step is to outline the shape of the body.This is where you can define the shape of the body with dark and thin strokes.Remember to keep your drawing clean in this process.Start drawing the outlines of the body on top of the shapes on each body part.
Once it is finished,you can start to include aspect of the clothing or costume to your character.In this case it is a costume.Costumes are easier to draw when compared to normal clothing/attire mainly because most costumes are tight fitting which has less fold or creases.For more on clothing and armor click HERE.
Almost done!
Now for some finishing touches.You can now focus on facial features/hair to the head. Add details to the costume and start to work on the shading to give it a more realistic and three dimensional look and feel. Note that when drawing poses, you must remember that the spine/backbone or any part of the human body is never straight even when the figure is standing straight.Drawing a straight spine/backbone is one of the most common mistake made by beginners. Another thing to take into consideration is the versatility or fluidity of the human body. Here are some poses you see in most comics these days.Stick figures are used instead of a fully drawn figure so that you can see these poses in its most basic form.Afterwords, once you have gotten more familiar with this technique, you can improve on it however you like.
Stick figure works well with most proportion.Don't forget the difference between male and female figure- check it out HERE
When you are done with the placement, you can begin to sketch out the facial features using soft strokes.The top of the ears should be at the same level with the top of the eyes.As with the eyes, it should be one eye apart from each other.The nostrils can start at the same level of the end of the ears with the mouth just slightly below it.
T he Loomis Method. This method is a great way to understand the basic form of the head and especially those who have trouble when drawing the head at different angle.We recommend the Loomis method for beginners because it is a very easy and simple way to construct the the structure all the way to the facial features. It can be quite difficult to draw the head structure when you are trying to draw them through all the details and even more complicated, trying to draw them in in different angle.Andrew Loomis created a method (some called the Loomis Method) that simplifies the head structure in basic form.The first is a sphere for the cranium and the second, a block that represent the jaw and cheek bones.Check out the videos below on the process of using the Loomis method.
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T he Cranium (Sphere)
The cranium is the main structure of the skull.The cranium protects the brain and holds most of the facial structure like the eyes, eyebrow, nose, and the ears.To put it simply, the skull without the mandible (jaw bone) is a cranium. In the Loomis method, it is put in a simple for which is a sphere.But because the side of the head is flat, the sides of the sphere is cut off to represent this.The area that was cut will still look like a full circle in profile (side view) but at any other angle, it will look more oval-shaped with the sides that has been cut being less visible and is viewed from different perspective.Divide the oval area into quadrants.The horizontal line indicates the the brow line, while hairline is set at the top line of the oval and the nose at the bottom end of the oval. See image for example.
Mandible (Block) The mandible provides structure for the chin and teeth.The mandible completes the skull when put together with the cranium.Facial structure that the mandible holds include the mouth, cheek, chin, and the jaw line.A block is now used to represent the mandible and is attached to the sphere.The top end of the block is attach to the brow line of the sphere.See image.
Different Angles. The angle of the head should be determined at the beginning of drawing the sphere. Here are some of the axis that affects the angles that you are going for.
Dividing T he Face. After you have established the angle of the sphere (cranium) and added the block (mandible),it is time to divide the face into three section.First is from the the hairline down to the eye brow.You will notice that the hairline is aligned with the top of the oval.Second is from the eyebrow, which is aligned to the middle of the oval, to the nose just under the ears and the third is from the end of the nose down to the chin(which is about the same length of the other two section).See image for example.
The most common mistake beginners make with using this method is to make the third section which is around the jaw/chin section longer that it should be.The length of the third section that ends at the chin is similar to the length of half the oval shape.The length changes depending on the perspective you are doing. Now that you have the proper head structure established, it is easier to add the facial features to the head.
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