Hello Redline! I was wondering if you guys have any sort of tips for drawing different body types, or have given tips on this in the past?
Thanks for asking these questions! A lot of people struggle with drawing characters that are not the “default”, such as more muscular, bulkier, or fatter body types. Don’t let this be a subject of guilt, but instead an opportunity for learning!
I’ll be focusing on drawing people with more fat. As in any drawing of mass, you have to take in the holistic (whole) view of the figure. Do not think of this person as a basic body with mass added to it, but as a complete figure in and of itself.
I can never stress this enough. Always study whatever you want to draw first. Want to draw cars? Study real cars. Want to draw heavier people? Study heavier people. I approach this the same way I approach my drawing with other body types.
1: Finding the line of action gives you a starting point. Then, I like the start with the head. Some people like to start with the entire shape of the body. Do what works for you.
2: Simplify the mass into shapes. Don’t think of the thigh as a thigh; think of it as a tapered, rounded rectangle. Simplifying into shapes removes the internal bias you have of what an arm, a leg, a torso, etc. should look like.
3: Refine. This is where you emphasize on the curves of the body. Fat deposits in different places depending on levels of estrogen and testosterone. The stomach, hips, and arms are telltale places of fat, generally.
Stylization is a big part of drawing. I’m using it in a very broad sense. It simply means emphasizing or de-emphasizing certain aspects in order to create an appealing look for your character.
For example, one of the biggest no’s you could do (in my opinion) is to draw their limbs as “pinching” at the joints. This creates a very jarring look for your character. See below.
Some good guidelines to follow:
-The extremities (away from the center of the body, i.e. the hands and feet) will have very little fat.
-The majority of fat lies in the stomach, hips, and thighs area.
-Avoiding cinching (”pinching”) the waist in a semi-realistic style. Again, this creates a jarring look. More cartoony ways of styling fat characters take more liberties with this.
