Hey guys!
Back at it with my monthly post!
I'm still "playing it safe" with my "Sticky Bone" poses. I have yet to explore the full scope but I'm slowly raising the bar in places (on the pose front). Ironically, when it comes to poses the harder ones to draw tend to be the ones that are less dynamic (or If I draw it from a condensed angle).My weakness is still very much foreshortening but I'm hoping when I start playing with lighting that helps a little more. Drawing shapes first using sweeping motions tends to broaden the range of the pose but it still requires adjustment. Finding the angles of the shoulders/pelvis is a good start though. Anyway, the journey this month has been slow and steady but I'm gaining confidence. So, here we go!
The pose/angles for "Week 1" were a big challenge (because the body is leaning forward slightly). To push this I would have had to angle her shoulders more and further ahead of her pelvis. I didn't even manage to achieve this with my "Off Pose" (she still doesnt look like she's leaning forward slightly). It's actually easier to see in my on stream pose for "A" but that's because its from a side/back shot. I tried quite hard with this series and despite getting some "okay-ish" results ("C" is probably my favourite) it didn't work out unfortunately. I'm gutted I still don't understand foreshortening well... I really need to remedy this issue because my poses need it... badly. Wish me luck lol!
I probably should have done better with "Week 2" I actually like this pose. I had a similar issue in "Week 2" in February... (maybe this is going to be my unlucky week every month, I don't know lol). "A" very clearly got the lions share of the attention but "B" and "C" feel a way-less developed then the rest of my drawings this month. I may have had people in the stream on this one? I tend to waffle on stream if people chat to me and I lose focus. That is not a dig at them I just know what I'm like. I can gab once I get started. "A" is the only one I like despite the others showing (slight?) promise... maybe I should see If I can clean one of them up? Food for thought.
Here we go "Week 3" - a good effort overall. I liked that I was exaggerating the shape of the forms a little more and keeping things more loose and sketchy (less refined). They don't all line up perfectly but they do communicate the different angles of the same pose (at least I feel they do). Despite spending the longest time on "A" I actually prefer "B" but that could be because it's an angle I'm getting more proficient in. I'm a little annoyed the "cocking" of her hip isn't communicated well in "B" or "C"... I need to study that more and stop relying on simple rotations of the form once I have drawn them in. My eye's need to start understanding this better in 3D space.
"Week 4" is probably my favourite this month. I got a little more experimental and dared to raise one of her legs (I know It's crazy). I've also started organising things better and writing in times for each pose ("1.5, 1, 0.5"). I know I am putting plenty of time in place for just 3 poses but its more of an in-depth study session. Things get more erratic if I speed things up (which I will do down the line). Pose "A" I loved structurally and it came out quite well. Pose "B" I thought expressed her figure well but I'm not sure I feel the weight on her right leg. "C" is probably my favourite as the hips feel very tilted/load bearing. I may have pushed it further then I should have but it feels more dynamic to me... best I can describe it.
Experience My March streams in timelapse form:
I'm glad I FINALLY managed to deliver a full month's worth of poses. My work schedule at the moment has been a bit all over the shop and I often suffer with insomnia when somethings on my mind. I've been working on a rather important animation project for work and a lot was riding on it. Thankfully, it's passed (they liked it) but there will be more. It's actually been good to lose myself in drawing/poses and fixate on that for brief interludes. I always feel anxiety before things start but once I'm there I suddenly lose myself in the "theory of it all". It's like things go quiet and I'm there in the zone just to get that little bit of progress. It's freeing in a way, I should do them more often I'd probably sleep better... or worse.
I appreciate you reading this (and my various ramblings) I hope to see you tonight (04/04/2025) for my next Twitch sesh - https://www.twitch.tv/hellartstitch 7:45PM GMT (late dinner - apologies). See you there or in another month for the next post!
Over & Out,
xXStItChXx