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

Blind Ignorance

[(Anonymous)]

Really hope I just didn't type a double negative title.

The sheer stupidy is just to much to bear that I'm hoping I manage to leave something coherent because I seriously want to hit all of you in the face with a brick repeatedly... Okay I'm ready deep breath.

I like to say this, it's fantasy things are exagerrated. I'm aspiring artist more accurately a comicbook artist I own about 10 'How To' comic anotomy books similar to these. What I can't take is the hypocrasy and man hating feminist that know nothing of the genre, in all seriousnes what is with the constant spamming of basically "OMG it's NOT REALISTIC". No way!? Did Superman tell you that after his battle with Lex Luthor of coarse it isn't! It's targeted at hormonal social recluses/ that nerd you turned down in highschool.
But I'm not reaching you am I? I'm not nailing the spike of what I'm trying to say through this rage into your forhead? Comics with plain looking girls vise versa like the one's you leave out of your little social circles don't work not action comics anyway. Because superheroe comics are not about real life, real life sucks that's why most of you have a facebook/myspace and pretend your opinion matters. Their windows into a world where losers are givin an opportunity of greatness.
If reality ever made it's dirty contradicting fingers into comics Batman would be your typical celebutant rich boy, Superman a mass mudering dictator of earth and Wonderwoman would of stayed in her feminest paradise.
It's like your treating this as real world guide to female anotomy!

Re: Blind Ignorance

[(Anonymous)]

AMEN!!!!!

i full heartidly agree with you, ITS A COMIC!!!! REAL LIFE IS BORING!!!! THESE ARTISTS PULLED THESE STORIES FROM THEIR FANTASIES AND DREAMS