What would you recommend to someone who wants to improve their dynamic poses? I just find it hard to draw a character who isn't just standing there.
Think about what’s happening in the moment! What’s the character doing?
Just wanting to draw the character is fine, but if that’s all you think about drawing, that’s all you’ll ever draw – just the character. Here, I’ll use some of my own drawings and sketches as examples…
The main character from that one college film, “Diamond Jack!” She’s in the middle of skating her way to freedom, probably dodging bullets or something – she’s off balance and in motion, and her body language suggests she’s just rounded a corner and is in the process of redirecting her momentum in the direction she’s looking: her torso is bent to absorb the forward momentum, and her entire body leans to the left, because that’s where she wants to go next.
Spidey! Similar to above, Spidey here is in motion, right in the middle of yanking his web thread downwards to pull himself forwards. His legs are in a position similar to running, because, also like the above pose, he’s shifting his weight from one direction to another.
A couple of old Sonic doodles! Each one of these poses implies that the character is in the middle of doing something. Top left; Tails is just floating there, his body posture accounting for the shifted weight. He may even be slowly moving forward. Middle, Fleetway Super Sonic is laughing maniacally, with a puffed chest and clawed hands. The position of his feet tells us he’s effortlessly floating in midair, and the open overall posture tells us he’s bold, confident, and withe verything facing upwards at an angle, possibly dangerous. Top right, Knux is leaning WAY forward as he walks with purpose – probably looking for something that he JUST found, as his entire posture points in the direction he’s looking. Bottom left, Sonic the Werehog is in the middle of a lunge, having just slammed his hand down and already gearing up his other hand for another swipe. Bottom right, Super Sonic’s posture tells us he’s moving up or backwards and coming to a stop in that direction to dive forward again – every curve in his body is a U-bend, which implies a redirection of momentum.
A bunch of old sketches of Miguel, from Coco - these are much less action-y, but you can see he’s DOING something in each one. Top left: nervously glancing around. Top middle: recoiling in disgust or fear. Top right: jamming to a tune in his head. Bottom left: staring up at something (his eyes are focused) in joyous awe. Bottom middle: sassily explaining something. Bottom right: staring at something in a mix of confusion and disgust.
In each of these examples, the character is DOING something, be it expressing an emotion or in the middle of an action. Having what the character is DOING in mind when planning out a drawing, pose-first, will help add a lot of life to your art!
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