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silly Hands Tutorial
Computer Coloring Tutorial by
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cathybitesOkay, as I was trying to prepare for this tutorial, I realized that trying to show how-to's of foreshoretening is hard. So, I've pared my goals down to basically just showing how it's used, how often it's used and some small tips and tricks to create dynamic figures.
Notes:
1) If I don't stress it enough in other tutorials, I'll stress it now: PRACTICE. Lord, it took me ages to figure out how to do it, and I'm still no where near being confident with it.
2) This is my version of accomplishing foreshortening. There are other methods, some technical and some...technical. I use a lot of estimation and trial and error. And crying.
3) You must have a decent grasp of anatomy and figures before doing decent foreshortening.
4) As always, feel free to ask questions, add tips and tricks, correct me if I'm wrong. I'm learning as much as you are.
What is foreshortening? It's the process you use to successfully translate a 3D figure onto a 2D canvas and still make it look like it's 3D on paper.
Basic stuff-- -- Foreshortening and perspective go hand-in-hand. But! I still say you can do a pretty nice foreshortening without yet perfecting perspective. Because I suck at perspective too. --Foreshortening also is combined with limb alignment. *Read ani_bester's explanation!* See fools_trifle's visual example!-- Foreshortening is awesome. Ok, this isn't educational, but! It's true! It makes drawing-time fun and happy. Practice and perfect! |  |
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 | One technical thing I have to mention, is the key of getting well-placed lines. Yes, foreshortening can be accomplished without them, but lines give illusion and that's what foreshortening is all about. The animated example on the right shows how lines can aid foreshortening by creating the illusion of lots of land-gap between the trees. |  |
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Foreshortening can also help you create really dynamic, high-action poses (above). You can take full advantage of crazy poses and twist your people in all sorts of ways. And if you know your stuff, then they look kick-ass doing so.
However, it can also be used for more mundane things - folding arms, drinking from a cup, sitting down. These sort of actions are more likely to appear in fanart (ie, Harry Potter fanart), so it's always important to know in everything you draw.
Foreshortening does not only apply to full bodies either. It is used when drawing heads, feet and, of course, hands.
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When trying to wrap your head around foreshortening, there are two main techniques to keep in mind: blocks and circles.
 | One way to view the human body is in blocks. I'm sure you've all heard this before, and it's true, especially when it comes to applying foreshortening. Once you see bodies as little building pieces, you'll understand how a leg muscle should curve or the perspective that an arm should be raised. Each limb cylinder is tilted in a certain way, and when you build the body and clothing (optional, of course) around them, you adhere to the curves each cylinder tilts to. Does that make sense? Check out the animation to see what I mean. If you look at the elbow bend of the left arm (the one closest to you), for example, both the foreshortening of the forearm and the sleeve that folds around it conform to the curve of the tilted cylinder. Watch each of the joints to see how the eventual clothing folds curve around them. They correspond to the curve! (hopefully!) |
I am a huge fan of thumbnails, outlines and rough sketches before going on to the detailing and clean copy. Therefore, when I do foreshortening, I draw a lot of circles. Or rather, ovals. The ovals sort of 'slice' the limb cylinders at key points so I can get an idea if I'm placing the arm high enough and foreshortening it properly. These circles are purely for rough use only, although clothing folds can also abide and follow their curves. I find circles fantastic, actually, for making sure your random clothing folds look natural and believable. |  |
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And now to apply the methods! Via my
I Have Mutant Powah! - showing foreshortening of the arm, hand and head. The shoulders are FAR too slim, and if I was actually finishing this, I'd either broaden the shoulders or shrink the head.
Snobby Snob - showing foreshortening of the head. Of course, doing portraiture from any angle is a whole different story.
So Lazy - showing foreshortening of the legs. I put color to indicate the separate cylindrical leg parts, and how the jeans would curve around it.
Are You Talkin' To Me? - showing foreshortening of the torso, arm and legs. Circles, circles circles!
Anyway, I hope that's some sort of help, and pelase, if you have questions or confusions, please feel free to ask.
 |  Yup, shoes too!   |  |
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October 29 2005, 06:36:51 UTC 6 years ago
I wanna buy the book when it comes out =P
It's interesting with forshortening, I'm usually ok up until I try and turn the circles and such into actual body parts. Somehow between the intial form layout and during the form into actual human shapes, something always goes horribly wrong. It's like I have rouble translating the circles and such into actual parts.
That's why I usually go for the scribbly method, in which I just build up scribbles until I get it right. It's an interesting way to get mass, but it also insures my slavery to a lightbox if I want "clean" pictures.
It also makes for a lousy tutorial (well just you know scribble, see, after 42 hundred random lines, it's almost an arm!)
Ohhhhh one good thing to cover if you are taking tutorial suggestions. How to use align knees and elbows in perspective.
October 29 2005, 06:37:35 UTC 6 years ago
Or name of place where I can get books ^__^
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October 29 2005, 06:40:36 UTC 6 years ago
i cant wait for FEET!!
i have so much trouble with 'em.
October 29 2005, 06:56:00 UTC 6 years ago
October 29 2005, 06:51:07 UTC 6 years ago
suckpractice endlessly.... :)October 29 2005, 06:56:45 UTC 6 years ago
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October 29 2005, 06:51:25 UTC 6 years ago
*g*
Thanks for doing these!!
October 29 2005, 06:58:09 UTC 6 years ago
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October 29 2005, 07:03:21 UTC 6 years ago
Foreshortening is HARD. But a fun challenge... and, if you can do it, makes your picture look awesomerz. Feet are tough, too! I look forward to that one, because feet are probably my least favorite things to draw - oh, and also NOSES.. I hate noses! And arms. .. .Why do I draw at all?? Hehe
October 29 2005, 17:12:23 UTC 6 years ago
Foreshortening is TOTALLY hard.
*lol* You hate everything! You perfectionist you. *SMOOSH*
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October 29 2005, 07:10:24 UTC 6 years ago
and yay for feet tutorial!!!
October 29 2005, 17:13:14 UTC 6 years ago
FEET! EIW. But yay!
October 29 2005, 07:18:41 UTC 6 years ago
And yes, feet, looking forward to that--you draw the sexiest feet ever. *grins*
October 29 2005, 17:25:02 UTC 6 years ago
And thank you, awwww! Feet are still somewhat my bane, so the next tutorial will give me some well-needed practice too!
October 29 2005, 07:22:16 UTC 6 years ago
*adores*
October 29 2005, 17:25:35 UTC 6 years ago
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October 29 2005, 07:30:41 UTC 6 years ago
Neat!
One of the better tutorials on foreshortening I've come across both in print and online. (I learnt foreshortening from how to draw comics the marvel way). I really need to pull out my pencils and sketch pad. You're making me want to draw again! :DI like the chatty style, and the clean uncluttered lay out of this, well done! :D
October 29 2005, 17:28:57 UTC 6 years ago
I was tempted, actually, to do research and scan in books and stuff, but then I figured that that would be somewhat redundant and boring and unfeeling. So I'm reallyreally glad this is working out for you!
October 29 2005, 07:34:13 UTC 6 years ago
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October 29 2005, 07:40:01 UTC 6 years ago
dude, are you going to the lumos thingy?? Cause the pictures you guys posted of TWH looked super cool and I'm tempted to sign up!! Probably not to take part in the games cause my head tends to be a magnet for balls but, ah! To see glorious fanartists at work would be such a treat. Plus my brother lives there so maybe I can bunk with him! ^__^
October 29 2005, 17:32:29 UTC 6 years ago
I AM TOTALLY DOING LUMOS!!! I know Fiendling and Cathybites are going as well, so, YAY! If you could come, that would RULE, OMG!!!! Witching Hour was killer-fun, man.
October 29 2005, 07:44:15 UTC 6 years ago
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October 29 2005, 17:33:45 UTC 6 years ago
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October 29 2005, 17:36:18 UTC 6 years ago
And yay that you love feet, cause I hate 'em! So if you have any pointers for the next tutorial, don't hesitate to pipe in, babe!
October 29 2005, 08:03:12 UTC 6 years ago
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October 29 2005, 17:43:07 UTC 6 years ago
What sorts of problems do you have with arms? *curious*
October 29 2005, 08:13:38 UTC 6 years ago
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October 29 2005, 08:34:32 UTC 6 years ago
What I found useful to reduce the number of completely horrifying trials especially for arms and legs though was to first pay close attention to where the joints actually are in space for a pose, figure out where that point would be on the 2D plane of the paper and then draw the limbs, instead of trying to figure out how long or short the actual body parts ought to appear by perspective rules for geometrical objects. Also to figure out the 2D positions of joints mentally turning a body sometimes helps me, like when I want to draw someone reclining in a front view, the "mental image" of the pose might be much clearer/easier in the structure when drawn from the side, because you'd see more, and then I first sketch that, and afterwards figure out how far apart the key points of the body would appear vertically were I to look at it from the front (you know, like with those projection lines you do for perspective, only not quite so elaborate?). Somehow when I try to place cylinders right away, some part of my brain never wants to believe how little you sometimes see of a limb or the body, and tries to make all parts of it visible even when they really aren't. But when I'm sure where the joints are, the part of my brain that's stuck at the stage of a five-year old drawing stick figures representing concepts of objects and people rather than their actual look will shut up faster. Well sometimes anyway. ;)
October 29 2005, 17:48:46 UTC 6 years ago
And I am TOTALLY with you about trying to show the entire limb, even when it's foreshortened. It took me SO long to break out of that habit, because it's so hard! thank god for staring at awesome fanart and learning that no - I can indeed hide and not show parts and the image will still be understood by viewers. *G*
Thank you for sharing! That's awesome, luv.
October 29 2005, 10:51:14 UTC 6 years ago
Thanks!
And feet! My favourite bits! Can't wait. :)
October 29 2005, 17:53:22 UTC 6 years ago
Feet are evil!! If you like them, maybe you can share some tips as well. ;D
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October 29 2005, 11:30:27 UTC 6 years ago
I've never had any art lessons and had no idea of blocks and circles; I just draw by instinct. So this is most useful. Thanks! :)
October 29 2005, 17:54:37 UTC 6 years ago
Drawing by instinct - high five to that! I'd love to take some formal art lessons myself one day, but hey - trial and error ain't that bad if it got me this far. Yays!
October 29 2005, 11:57:41 UTC 6 years ago
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October 29 2005, 12:17:50 UTC 6 years ago
I also find indicating the center line of the torso, legs, etc, helpful - especially when the body is twisted.
Otherwise - the mirror is my friend. It shows me just haw little of my thigh is actually visible, when I sit with my legs out stretched before me, and how much of my torso is covered by an outstretched hand :)
Illustration of the perspective line thing:
Hope it's okay for me to comment with this...
October 29 2005, 16:41:47 UTC 6 years ago
Eee, this is so awesome. *cheers*
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