"What Strikes You?" - Cézar Brandão

It's time again for"What Strikes You?" , where experts on the female form share their impressions of random cheesecake.  Digital sculptor Cézar Brandão was asked to share five things that struck him about this image.

1) "The first thing that I see here is her eyes. I mean, they're very open, so it looks like she's surprised or seeing someone, or in this case, someone took a picture of her and she's surprised about that.  Anyway, why this called my attention is because I see a lot of drawings and sculptures of girls with very big, open eyes, and they always look scared or something.  For me it looks soulless, and a lot of times that's not what the person wanted to transmit in his/her sculpture or drawing.  The eyes are so important in a character.  They transmit what they are feeling at that time."

2) "I don't know why, but I keep looking at her arm.  It reminds me of a chicken wing!  Haha ! It makes a very cool silhouette but, at same time, it's really weird if you pay attention to that."

3) "The colors are trying to indicate a grape with the purple and green, so I immediately associate this with wine. I could be wrong, but that's what pops in my mind."

4) "I see curved lines all along her body (right side of the image), and then the arm there breaking those curves, making a nice change of silhouette."

5) "When I look at her face and the leaf, it's almost like she's thinking, "Oops!  That leaf fell on me.  Can you grab it?" Haha ! That's weird.  You know that leaf is there for a reason.  Your eyes will always be there! Haha!"

Thanks Cézar!


Babe Lab Disclaimer : Non-proprietary photos and illustrations featured on Babe Lab appear for the sole purpose of review.

Re-crop

Working from a photo?  Try to recompose and re-crop the image to your liking, rather than merely replicating the shot.  All elements can be played with.

In this Photoshopped treatment, we've left-justified the figure, which gives more "headroom" for her look, reinforced further by a diagonal spotlight.  The lines of her dragging garment can also be manipulated to point the viewer to a desired location.  This is just one of many possible solutions!

Original photo by Marcus Ranum.

"What Strikes You?" - Jon Troy Nickel

In this new segment, "What Strikes You?" we ask top artists to reveal their observations and thought processes.  This time we've asked 3D artist Jon Troy Nickel to list five things that come to his mind when presented with the following image.  Take it away, Jon!

1) "The hair, handlebar ribbons and lack of significant grounding shadow gives the impression she’s just come off an epic ramp and got some wicked air."

2) "The whimsical grip on the handlebars is interesting because of my number 1 observation.  It makes me think that’s all she needs to control everything that’s about to happen on the landing, and is totally confident of maintaining posture / poise / persona and carrying on her merry way after completely sticking the landing."

3) "Her left leg is obstructing view of anything resembling a seat at all, which is both curious and exciting, especially given her posture and expression."

4) "Red, white and blue color combo screams ‘USA’ to me."

5) "My eyes always fall back on the prominent silhouette of her breast on her right hand side (left side of image). The saturated red on her pale skin makes it the clearest line in the whole image for me."

Thanks, Jon!


Babe Lab Disclaimer : Non-proprietary photos and illustrations featured on Babe Lab appear for the sole purpose of review.

More or Less? - Mons Pubis

Women aren't Barbie dolls down there!  The mons pubis is a subtle rise that has curvature, and thus is especially prone to the "more or less" spatial division discussed in our previous tutorial.  Though symmetrical, there is rarely a mirrored repetition in its halves.

Note how, when tilted away from us, or when the legs cross, the center split is pushed more to one side, or becomes partially enveloped by the fatty tissues acting against it.     

More or Less?

The next time you see an advertisement like this, do a quick size comparison of the constituent parts.  Which side has more?  Which has less?

By virtue of how we typically see things (i.e. not straight-on), you will notice a general trend of 'more on one side, less on the other.'  When we remember to differ these sizes in our drawings, a more natural look results.      

Babe Lab Disclaimer : Non-proprietary photos and illustrations featured on Babe Lab appear for the sole purpose of review.

Pure Vs. Impure

Compare these three images. What do they have in common?

The anteater, the man at the bar and the long piece of fabric are simple on one side...


...and complex on the other!


The simple sides could be said to be "pure" because of their lack of abrupt changes.  They form smooth curves and straights.
The complex sides could be said to be "impure" because of their many lumps and corners.


Seeing "pure" and "impure" sides can aid us in our depiction of women (both observed and imagined), for once one has been identified, the other is never far away!  First, look for the "pure" sides.  Because of their relative simplicity, they usually stand out.


Next, find the "impure" sides.  When combined, their contrasts create immediate impact!


Reasons for purity :
-extension (stretch)
-anatomy (spine)
-resting on a surface (floor, wall)
-gravity flattening out the top of something
-gravity forcing something directly down
-streamlining/aerodynamics
-momentum being gained

Reasons for impurity :
-compression (squash)
-objects pushed upward by surface impact
-gravity drooping fat/muscle down
-momentum being lost

This happens on a micro level as well as a macro level.  Look for the "pure" and "impure" sides of limbs, necks, fingers and toes.



How many "pure" and "impure" sides can you spot in these images?


Not everything about drawing women should be complex.  Seek "purity." The rest will take care of itself, resulting in a more pleasing, balanced design. It's everywhere!

Babe Lab Disclaimer : Non-proprietary photos and illustrations featured on Babe Lab appear for the sole purpose of review.

Normal Nachos

You don't know it yet, but this nacho chip is going to help you draw better arms and legs.

If we think of a nacho as a flat, 3 sided polygon, the direction its top is pointed is referred to as its 'normal.'  [facing up here]


Tilt the nacho, and its normal points in another direction. [facing down here]


Now, imagine that nachos came in all different triangular shapes, some lopsided, others razor-thin.


What happens when we map nachos to the triangular shapes of the arms and legs?  What are the sizes and shapes of these nachos?  In which directions are their normals pointing?


Knowing 'the normal of a nacho' will help you determine which planes of a limb are top planes, and which are side planes.  The axis of the elbow/knee runs parallel to the direction of the normal.


Knowing the size/shape of a nacho will help you determine how much a limb is foreshortened.  An 'equilateral' nacho, for instance, will be less foreshortened than an 'isosceles' nacho. [pictured below]


Note the variety of nachos and normals present in most poses.


Also note that, while the nachos are composed of straight lines, the arms and legs they represent also contain curves.  Use the 'normal nacho' method to establish proportion and better understand form, not as a means of rigid construction.


¡Vaya con nachos!

Babe Lab Disclaimer : Non-proprietary photos and illustrations featured on Babe Lab appear for the sole purpose of review.