How to Draw: Weight + Balance (Patreon)

Capturing Weight + Balance in Gesture Drawings

Do your gesture drawings often feel a little off?

Do your character designs seem like they’re floating in space or about to topple over?

If so, the issue might be the lack of believable weight.

Gravity is always at work on the human figure, and incorporating this into your drawings can make a world of difference.

Here are some tips to help you capture the feeling of gravity and weight in your gesture drawings...

Standing Poses

When drawing a standing pose, notice that the model is usually standing on both feet, but the weight is not always evenly distributed. Often, most of the weight is on one foot. This affects the entire pose.

Feet

• The foot bearing more weight will show more pressure, flattening and squashing against the ground. Use a heavier, flatter line to depict this.

• The foot carrying less weight will appear more relaxed and natural in shape.

Legs

• The leg with more weight engages the muscles to support the body. Use more angular and tense lines for this leg.

• The relaxed leg will have less noticeable muscle tension, which can be shown with softer lines.

Hips

• When most weight shifts to one foot, the hips tilt to maintain balance. Emphasise this shift to enhance the sense of weight.

• This tilt creates tension in the supporting hip, which can be exaggerated to convey weight.

Torso and Shoulders

• The tilt of the hips affects the torso, causing asymmetry. One side squashes while the other stretches.

• The shoulders will tilt in the opposite direction of the hips to balance the body.

Head

• Don’t forget the head!

Download the reference images below to practice your understanding of weight and balance in a pose.

Gillian

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