A tutorial on meatspace I made for my patrons last year! Making things exist in the same space believably is a difficult process, but hopefully this will help drawing softbodied subjects interacting together a little easier!
It is! I always make sure to try and break the pose into shapes and work from there. I also like to use arrows to show the flow of the pose!!! I then open it next to my picture and draw the shapes scaled up in size as I draw on a 4000px x 4000px canvas usually. You can also use posemaniacs.com for referencing,
if you scroll down the right side and click “model” it has hands, a torso, and a head for practicing with.
As a trans guy who’s been working out for a few years now and has learned a lot about their body and building muscle and whatnot in the process, here’s something I don’t see mentioned, like ever.
Abs don’t really look Like That™
when they’re relaxed.
I rarely see male body positivity posts in general but I’ve never seen this mentioned, and honestly? Call me stupid for it if you want, but I genuinely thought that super defined look was something that was achievable in a relaxed state, simply because I’ve never seen anything to the contrary.
As someone with body dysmorphia as well as dysphoria, you can imagine the damaging effects that might have had on my mental health trying by to achieve the impossible. I can only imagine how many other masculine folk out there could be struggling with the exact same thing.
Anyway like, this is mostly to point out for masculine folks that might be pushing themselves too hard, that you’re probably doing better than you realise.
Anecdotal stuff aside, this is an important thing for artists to remember as well! This is something I never realised despite being an artist that goes to figure drawing classes on the regular and having modelled for them myself- because of course people with abs are flexing for the poses! I was doing it too!
Can you please do tutorials on how to draw bellys?
Answer:
At least 3 people have asked me for belly tutorials recently so i figured why not!! Ive never done a tutorial before so…?
Something important to remember is ALWAYS look at references!!! There are plenty of really great blogs with people who post pictures of themselves ect that you could use to reference off of.
Another important thing is dont be afraid to edit! If something doesn’t look quite right and you can’t find a reference, then play with it till it looks more natural~
And if anyone is practicing and you can’t get something right, feel free to message me!! I’d love to help you improve your art through critique or example
Thank you to the Patrons who voted for this Tutorial! If you would like some bases to use freely for exercising your new knowledge, you can download them HERE.
If you would like to check out my reference Pile that I used for this tutorial, check that out HERE!
Hope this helped somehow in your journey to drawing plump and fat and chub folks c:
Meg here for TUTOR TUESDAY! Today has been hectic so I apologize for it’s lateness. But let’s look at male bodies and body types. I cannot stress enough that this is meant to be provide a few base body types that can then be compounded on as there are a MILLION body types out there. I’ve made anatomytutorials and muscle/fat distribution tutorials that may help understand this one. This was recommended by @flowerlion-today , send in your recs here or my personal! Keep practicing, have fun, and I’ll see you next week!
Well, I’m still learning myself, but here’s a few tips I usually keep in mind!
1.) “Fat” is not just a big belly!
Fat distributes everywhere, but not necessarily equally! Like at
any weight, every body is different and has an unique shape! Some keep a
hourglass shape, some become more pear-like, some are shaped like
teardrops or apples… but the basic thing is, fat doesn’t just choose
one place where it WON’T gather. It may not be as visible in some area
compared to another, but in real life, it’s reeeeaaaaalllllyyyy rare to
just find a person whose fat only stores in their bum, thighs and tits,
leaving their waist, arms, neck and etc slim. Keep the body pleasant and
thick all around, not just in the places where the weight-gain is the
most imminent!
Keep the round shapes in mind!
2.) Rolls! Folds! What are they?
What are they? Not something to be afraid of, that’s for sure!
Basically,
don’t hesitate to give your characters fat rolls. Skin folds, stretches
and moves along with the body, and so does the fat under it! However, a
lot of people who draw rolls tend to give the character many super
small ones — this is not how rolls work! Usually, the thicker the
person, the thicker the rolls — they increase in size, not necessarily
in number.
Rolls are the most preminent in places where the body moves the most, AKA the joints. Fat folds over itself and creates creases and ‘rolls’.
3.) HOWEVER….
(No references here, sorry!!!)
When we age, our skin loses its elasticity and it can’t keep the rolls and folds thick and perky. In our youth, our weight can be held up way better than in our elderly days due to the stength and adaptivity of our skin which disappears as we age. Thus, fat tends to droop lower with older people, and the rolls appear thinner. This can also happen if someone who has had a LOT of weight packed up suddenly losing a big chunk of it — the skin can’t adapt and will begin to “droop“ down and lower. Make sure to keep such factors in mind when drawing and planning how the weight of your characters should be carried!
And then, a lil tip that;
4.) Study references and real life!
If you yourself pack some weight or have access to internet, libraries or just life on the street, you will see how bodies at different weights and shapes work and move. Use references, see for yourself — try to find how fat distributes and especially, HOW IT FOLDS! Folds and rolls seem to be one of the biggest problems many have while drawing thicker characters, and that’s ok — we’re taught as a society that fatrolls are inherently bad and disgusting, therefore there are not many situations where we’d find ourselves just… staring and studying how the fat in our bodies works and moves. You’ll learn quickly, though!
I’m still learning myself, but especially since every body is different and the weight we pack acts in unique ways, it can be really challenging to find the ‘absolute’ right way to draw thicker characters. Don’t give up! You’ll get the hang of it eventually!!
