Greater Than, Less Than, Equal To

When trying to send a message about your subject, camera angle counts.  You may find that, subconsciously, you prefer certain views more than others.  Why?

 

Consciously making your pinups 'greater than', 'less than' or 'equal to' will thrust the observer into a dramatic role, whether they realize it or not.  They will revere or be intimidated by that which they look up to, subjugate or treat with more care that which they look down upon, or relate to that which is on their own level.  Observe these relationships in the following photographs.

 

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

The Canopy Effect

You might wonder what tree canopies and beautiful women have in common.  True, they share an organic nature, composed of many broad and subtle curves, but their simplest geometrical outlines reveal other similarities.

Look at how, in each instance, we are able to break the tree into flat, sawed-off diagonals.  Notice the very few (if any) incidents of 90 degree angles, and how the diagonals oppose each other strongly.

 

Compare that to a similar treatment of the images below.  Again, notice the deficit of 90 degree angles and the abundance of opposing diagonals.

 

Once an angular 'girl canopy' is established, it is easier to introduce subtle curves to the outline / interior while maintaining the very structural -- and very natural -- shape of the figure.  

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

The Cleavage You Know

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

Action / Repose

Think of someone driving a car with automatic transmission :  One foot works the gas/break pedal while the other stays idle. One hand grips the steering wheel while the other rests on their leg or by the window.  Many activities are like this -- with some parts of the body in action and some in repose.

We can use this knowledge when inventing poses for our pinups.  In these photos by Bunny Yeager we can see these action/repose states in evidence.

A) The model's upper body is in action while her lower body is in repose.
B) The model's left leg is in repose while her right leg is extended, tensed -- in action.
C) Here we see the model's right side in action, with a comparatively reposed left side.

When every part is active, the body will appear to be in spasm.  When every part is in repose, the body will appear limp and dead.  By balancing active parts with reposed ones, we wind up with a more natural look.

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

Full Tilt

If you're looking to up the "cute factor" of a girl, a very effective way is to tilt her head and feet.  It shows a reaction -- veers the drawing away from static neutrality and more toward "Awwww!"  As a compositional bonus, the inward-tilting feet create a "closed circuit" which keeps the eye moving within the pose, and the tilting head combines with the tilting torso to form a graceful arc.  See how far you can push this!

"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.

"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?

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.

Amplification Exercise

In our ongoing quest to understand the poses we're drawing (rather than simply reproduce them) we must be real with ourselves about what we're seeing.  Once aware of these realities, we're free to amplify them.

Let's identify some of the things going on in the photo below...



It's a girl sitting on a couch, fiddling with her garment.

We can see she's leaning over, and that there's a high/low shoulder and knee relationship.  Push these things further and what happens?

Front/back relationships : The thing that's furthest from us in the photo would appear to be her right elbow, and the thing closest to us would appear to be her left foot.  Therefore, we have license to push that elbow even further back and pull that foot even further forward.

In the photo, it's unclear as to whether her garment is being slid off or pulled on.  In the drawn version, we can make a decision about this.  We can also tilt her head down even more, so it looks like she's focused on the action.

Finally, we can tell the couch she's sitting on is soft.  Would sinking her into it more sell that better?

Drawings don't have the fidelity of photographs, so they must speak louder to be noticed. Amplification is communication!

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

The Body At Rest On Itself

pose analysis



Between activities, the body strives to conserve energy by using itself as a brace, a platform, a pedestal. A hand cradles the head so the neck can rest. An arm settles at the side rather than being permanently suspended. Alleviate puppet-like stiffness from your poses by letting go of (or at least loosening) some of the "strings."

Drawing notes : Drawing contact is a challenge, but don't be afraid to obscure/overlap large parts of the body to achieve a look of relaxation. Accept that you can't show everything; in fact, it's best that you don't.

Hand / Face Combos

pose analysis



What's on display : face (Babe Lab also threw in other stuff for good measure. You're welcome.)

Why it works : Getting the hands into the facial area creates an expressive frame, and draws attention to yet another area where a woman is soft and smooth.

What's important : As with overlapping the face with hair, we need to come to terms with the fact that, by introducing hands, we ADD TO and SUBTRACT FROM the head. The hands and head fuse into one positive shape, and what's left of the face is a broken, negative shape. Be bold about these overlaps and let go of drawing every part of the face the way you're used to. Your audience will fill in a missing lower lip, cheek, jaw etc.    

Get physical : This is a splendid opportunity to showcase physics/tactility. In an aghast expression, you may have the hands physically lowering the jaw, whereas a pooped expression may show the hands smushing the face up. If you've ever seen a model tug at her lower lip, it's hot. Use it. Also, depending on the position of the arms, there are all sorts of ways the bust will contort, which you may find infinitely more interesting than the standard droop. The more fun you have with physics in the softer areas, the more fun your pinup will be to look at.

What exciting hand/face combos can you think of?

Over The Shoulder

pose analysis



What's on display : buttocks

Why it works : The voyeuristic audience has been caught in the act! In this electrifying moment of discovery, the subject seems to affirm with her expression "Yes, I see you checking me out. No, I don't particularly mind." Or, alternately, "What the -- HEY!" Either has a distinct attitude.

What's important : We see many parts of the body in dynamic opposition to each other. The torso twists in conjunction with the neck. There are creases at the trapezius and the back. Eyes are looking at the viewer, whatever it is (sometimes us), in a flirtatious or startled manner. The shoulder nearest the chin presents a good opportunity for overlap. The breast is often seen in profile or semi-profile.

Hair for cover : Don't like drawing necks or backs? Let her hair down! Hair tends to whoosh around slightly when the head turns, so this can be exaggerated and otherwise exploited to the lazy artist's advantage.

Both Arms Crossed, One Arm Grip

pose analysis



What's on display : breasts

Why it works : These are, for the most part, guarded positions. Depending on how high the shoulders and hands are raised, they serve either to obscure or frame the bosom. Models with pendulous, u-shaped breasts will often hoist them up in such a fashion to de-emphasize the drooping effects of gravity, or any cosmetic scarring on the undersides (obviously not a concern in the pinup world).

What's important : Bosom heaves and is squashed. One or both arms make contact with the ribcage and each other. Particular attention is to be paid to overlaps. Flesh is pinched in and pooched out at all contact points, particularly with a voluptuous model.

Mood Implications : Different postures, head positions and facial expressions accompanying these actions indicate different emotional states -- pride, indigence, squeamishness, shyness, boredom, patience or impatience. Add to this the physical state of being cold.

The Crawler

pose analysis

What's on display : eyes, arms, breasts, legs

Why it works : This pose taps into the animalistic side of human nature. The prowling model is the predator and we are her petrified prey.

What's important : This is an action pose! Alternating limb configuration, high/low shoulders, alternating high/low hips. Her head being raised shows a catlike alertness that's preferable to her head being lowered like a sniffing bloodhound. The above illustration shows her looking ahead, but she could (and probably should) be staring us down.

Twisted movement : If you're feeling extra adventurous, you needn't choose a one-way crawl. She could be changing direction while crawling, causing her torso to twist, and her hair and breasts to lurch back.

The Sitter (variations)

pose analysis

What's on display : legs, breasts

Why it works : These low-to-the-ground, up-gazing, sitting poses imply patience, tranquility, obedience and/or submission.

What's important : Since both arms are supporting her upper body, both shoulders are raised and we see some hyperextension at the elbows. The waist is twisted and the hips are resting on a peculiar axis. Ribcage is low and pointed down, so breasts are likewise low and pointed down. The head can be doing whatever, but avoid cloning the hands and feet!

Touchdown : Be especially mindful of the ground plane in such poses, as extremities will appear to "clip" into it if not properly positioned.

Flexibility : Women are more flexible than men, so it's not implausible to see stretched-out sitting poses like the one above.

The Dual Hip Plant

pose analysis

What's on display : breasts & legs (forward), buttocks & legs (reverse)

Why it works : This is a confident, powerful stance. "I am woman, hear me roar!"

What's important : Bosom heaves, butt goes up, shoulders are back and the hands are at rest on the hips, or otherwise hooked around the waist area. Weight is more evenly distributed than a contrapposto (though this can fluctuate) as the legs are further apart and pointed at opposing angles. Note that the knees are fairly locked, creating a stair-stepping effect. Since this is a fairly symmetical pose (unless you cock the hip), it will help for the head to be facing in a different direction that the torso, and/or tilted at a different angle.

Interesting note about the arms : This is an opportunity to show off your foreshortening abilities by not making perfect, repetitive clones of each arm. Since they're angled out and away from the body, but also going backward, we will see one more in profile and one more dramatically foreshortened at this 3/4 viewing angle.

The Pushout (Upper Body)

pose analysis

What's on display : breasts, buttocks

Why it works : Again, it's an offering. "Look at what I have going on upstairs." As a bonus, the buttocks are pushed out. When the arms are placed together, behind the body, we are give the impression of someone bound.

What's important : The shoulders are flung back, staging the breasts, and the pelvis is now behind. We see the top and bottom of the ribcage. The bosom heaves!

Trouble spots you'll encounter : Giving the hands something to do in a pose like this will be difficult unless you give your girl a prop -- a flower, a hat, anything. The alternative is to have her grabbing her butt or twiddling her thumbs, which looks awkward in the above illustrations. A better solution would have been to have one hand grabbing firmly onto the fingers or wrist of the other. To accurately draw such a complex interplay would most certainly require the use of reference or a mirror.

The Pushout (Lower Body)

pose analysis

What's on display : hips, genitals, legs

Why it works : This is basically another version of the contrapposto above, but since contrappostos can be seen in a number of poses, it should be noted that the lower body pushout (like its counterpart, the upper body pushout) is meant as a sort of offering. "Look at what I have going on downstairs."

What's important : The shoulders are extended back to their limit, and the pelvis is thrust forward. Nude, we are afforded a gracious up-shot of the mons pubis and labia majora. Notice how all the "meat" of the pose is given to one side, literally pushed there by the arms (hands contact hips). Hair has been directed to compensate for this, compositionally.

Variations include... : (1) a lowered chin, with eyes staring down the barrel of the torso, the head angled in opposition to the drastically tilted ribcage (2) a non-contrapposto version with wider-stance legs, both feet planted firmly on the ground.

The Recliner

pose analysis

What's on display : hips, legs, breasts...pretty much the whole package

Why it works : Recliners are luxurious and relaxing. The figure is either just settling down or in the process of getting up. The viewer is given the impression of someone sprawled out on a bed, couch, beach blanket or whatever. It's a somewhat vunerable moment you don't typically get to witness unless the subject is incredibly comfortable. It could also be interpreted as a prelude to intimacy, and the perfect opportunity to draw a coy or "come hither" expression.

What's important : Tactility! We are looking at a collection of forms (mainly) at rest, so there is resulting contact with herself and the surface she's reclining on. Parts lie on top of each other, wrap around each other, smush together (B), get hooked on each other (C), etc. Also, if one arm is bracing her up, it should show a little hyperextension at the elbow, and have a higher shoulder (A).

Watch out for... : extremely foreshortened, fully-reclined views that don't create pleasing or readable silhouettes, extreme up-angles on faces that emphasize the chin and nostrils (not flattering). Plan your pose and camera angle accordingly!

The Contrapposto

pose analysis

The eraser marks in this hip-jutting contrapposto are left in to demonstate just how much difficulty a generic pose like this can present when drawing one from scratch.

What's on display : hips, legs

Why it works : (1) In a contrapposto, we see weight shifting from one side to the other, an alluring action in-and-of itself. (2) A good hip/waist ratio is an indicator of health and fertility. (3) There's some nice opposition between the hips and shoulders, getting us away from the redundancy of symmetry and into the exciting realm of angles.

What's important : (1) Center of gravity runs from the weight bearing foot to the sternum. (2) High left hip, high right shoulder. (3) We see some mild hyperextension in the weight bearing leg. Hyperextension is something women's limbs can do, and it should be exploited when drawing them.

How to improve : In the above shot, her visible hand appears to be pushing her hip out, so we really ought to play that up and, while we're at it, overlap her thumb. Since her left shoulder is so low, we can also safely drop her left breast slightly, placing it behind her ribcage, which is facing away from us. As a bonus, this eliminates an ugly tangent (A). Finally, since her left leg is locked and carrying most of her weight, we can freely bend her right, getting a bit more motion into it.

Rear contrapposto : Note the high, tensed buttock on the weight bearing leg and low, slack buttock on the non-weight bearing leg.