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

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:

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Sure is a good thing you've all read comics with Michael Turner's work in it!

If you hadn't, it would seem like you were making baseless claims!

OH WAIT.

Yeah, I agree that it's hugely stereotypical,

BUT

look at the god damn medium of art that you're examining!

MAINSTREAM COMIC BOOK ART!

If you hate something, don't look into it!

I hate punk-ey rock like Yellowcard. HATE it. It fills me with rage. What do I do about that hatred? Nothing. I especially don't go around looking for albums to listen to until I want to punch an emo kid in the throat.

But there are people that find something to love in that. I can't. But I don't go around bashing it and Ryan Key.

I go listen to Children of Bodom.

I suggest that you find your Children of Bodom and let people draw what they want, how they want.

The problem with the "then don't read it!" advice is of course that I actually like the *superhero* part of mainstream superhero comics. Which kind of surprised me, since the first two decades I collected comics I didn't bother to read any superheroes because I thought it was all crap. And it's not like they are the most common comics here. But I actually like superheroes. You know, vigilantes in bright (or dark-n-gritty) costumes fighting crime, emo teenagers with secret identities etcetc. I just don't like having sexist porn squished into it. Which is why I complain, as fans do, to make it heard that there are people out there who like the superhero part, but not so much the sexism. The two are not inseparably linked.

Heh, but as long as sex sells, I do believe we'll all have to deal with a rather buxom and muscled lady on them covers.

And again, Rat, I must thank you for posting this stuff. It got me through a couple tough spots this quarter in some assignments as well as making a rather tough critic that is one of the more advanced students recognize my skills. :) (Even though he was more a Spawn comics man, he still liked that I would emulate and build off from Michael Turner and others.)

If you don't like what we're posting, stop complaining about it and go start your own blog!

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

Wow.

Re: Wow.

Re: Wow.

Re: Wow.