how to draw female comic characters (according to Wizard)...

[ratcreature]

brown_betty asked for examples "to illustrate the exactly how and why female comic characters are illustrated differently than the male." And I thought, really, what's better to illustrate these things than the books teaching the style in the first place?

A while ago I posted some scans from Wizard How To Draw series on drawing female superheroes (here and here), and I thought I'd post a bunch more from the first book of the series on "How To Draw: Heroic Anatomy".


As everything, it starts with the basics, i.e. proportions. First the male superhero


The female example is similar, but slightly different, notice how he stands firm and straight, wheras she stands with her hips cocked a little and the leg thrust forward?


Also notice in the direct torso comparison below, how the male one is ramrod straight, but she curves and leans just a little bit in the same pose?


Now onwards to the chapter "Sultry Women". It even cautions you against overposing! Yes, it's not as if Wizard wasn't aware of the problems! (Their definition and mine of which poses are already overposed might differ slightly though, heh.)





Next, Michael Turner explains "Sex Appeal". (Or what he thinks sex appeal is.) Incidentally it also illustrates the meaning of "overposed" that was brought up in the previous chapter very effectively...





Finally for compare and contrast purpuses the chapters on "Superheroic Men" and "Superheroic Women". For the male superhero it is all about more or less ridiculously enlarged muscles as we learn:





Female superheroes don't have it that easy, they need to worry about tilting their shoulder, nipple and pubic lines attractively at all times, not to mention legs, breast size, eye make-up and hair:

Comments

and one more thing

[hennalounge.livejournal.com]

Oh yeah, exaggerated artwork has been around for millenia. Check out some of the temple sculptures of India - those ladies have serious bolt-ons for boobs. And Michelangelo's David is pretty ripped. So this is nothing new, are you people going to boycott the classics too?

Re: and one more thing

[mulato1.livejournal.com]

Hennalounge,
Damnit YOU ARE ON POINT!!! When you start with "liberated female" Notice the "Not threatened by big boobs" statement. That is the BEST comment i have read in a long time. It is all about CONFIDENCE. Those that are offended, are not so because its demeaning because its not. Its glorifing the sex and sexiness of the women form which is another issue. Its a celebration of the human form. If all the women were realistic or fat they'd be complaining about how they are always portrayed in a condesending way. Needless to say bitches and people with self issues will always have something to say as if they are always the victims.

To the ones offended:
Leave the art alone and stop feeling threatened by what you do not have or by what is exaggereted. It seems that the majority that have a problem with this art have self-esteem issues. (sacrcastic tone for you morons)Yeah im a sexist for being a realist. Go complain about south-park cartoon. I am not sexist in anyway. I believe in not being a pussy and complaining about everything and trying to destroy art because feminists or some weak women which say its sexist. Women are strong and sexy, and personally if you are weak and threatened by this, it may be a reason why you are alone or have a pussy-ass submissive mate.

Re: and one more thing

[rurouniidoru.livejournal.com]

I think it's apples and oranges, really. Stand-alone pieces are meant to be looked at only aesthetically. Characters in comics (and movies and what have you) are meant to be seen as people, and fairly realistic people (personality wise) if done well. If all these women are here to do is look pretty with a side of cool personality, then they're really nothing more than...Paris Hilton. (Well. If she were pretty and had any discernible personality.)

Also, the pieces you mention are religious in nature. As a rule, religious mythology and art surrounding it are incredibly superlative. They don't need to be attainable physically because they're usually unattainable religiously. They serve instead as something to shoot for. After all, it's unlikely that God will choose you his prophet, but if you're pious and good, you stand a much better chance. Why not make them as beautiful on the outside as they are on the inside?

Art is hard, everybody.