Proportional Analysis

The other day I intentionally made myself analyze women’s body shapes while walking to the mall.

If you’ve drawn people, even if they’re cartoons, you’ll know mental torment of drawing hands, feet and body parts just “right”.

Back in high school, I used to skip hands and feet by either making my characters always put their hands behind their back and putting shoes on them.

(Or just leaving them blank).

My body proportions, were hit or miss.

So, recently I decided to work more on these and drawing female bodies ain’t no joke.

Breasts, ass, hands, feet.

Anyway, just like any other skill I just need cycles of repetition.

The funny thing about sucking at drawing (which doesn’t feel funny when you’re actually experiencing it) is how it feels like you’ll be there for eternity.

Perpetually wallowing in the netherworld of the intermediate sketcher.

I remember the same feeling when I learnt how to cut a deck of cards with a single hand or rolling a coin over my knuckles.

It feels impossible potentially for weeks and then…and then you “get it” and it’s simple afterwards.

Matter of fact, I just did a coin roll on my right hand right now.

I actually did it a couple more times, almost got carried away.

The skill went from conscious to the subconscious.

Anyway, the reason I spoke about observing women in the real world was because drawing human cartoons comes from having actual humans as “source material”.

This lead me down a research rabbit hole of learning about human anatomy (as much as I hate seeing humans without skin on them…where it just shows the muscles…I think it’s because of being disturbed by that Robbie Williams “Rock” music video and the movie “Hollow Man” as a kid…)

It would be awesome to be consistently be able to draw the same characters from different angles all in the right proportions…

But hey, I must remind myself that this is a 30 day experiment so I can lower the pressure on myself lest drawing becomes (too much of) a new source of frustration.

Anyway, I’ll practice more anatomy basics, perhaps I’ll do what I’ve always hated doing….tracing.

Until Next Time

Thomas Lekhanya

P.S. I did the day 6 of the daily video challenge. It was more mellow. No special effects.

P.P.S Day 20 of the drawing challenge was a “oh shit I forgot to draw so I’m going to rush it before sleeping” which doesn’t make the experience as fun. But hey, it’s better than missing a day right? Right.