Beanbag models for a Torso

[Triclone]

Well, Frank wanted one so here you go. :wave:

This tutorial is for the basic use of overlapping lines and shapes for fleshing out a figure drawing to define the volume, perspective and fluidity of the human body.

Basic Overlapping Shapes

http://members.aol.com/cliveiii/tut/over1.gif
As you can see on the first column there are two circles apart from each other... the composition is very neutral and both just lay there on the 2D plane. On the next column they are touching each other at a tangent point… a very bad setup in a composition for you cannot tell which shape is closer and which is farther or if they are simply stacked up one on top of the other. On the third column overlapping is used to finally show that the top circle is behind the bottom one is the place. Simple enough right?
http://members.aol.com/cliveiii/tut/over2.gif
What if the two circles were to merge into one object? By simply taking out a small side of the circle you can form different molds of 3d shapes.

Why did I just take some time off to explain this? Because this is the basic essence of the bean bag exercise used for the basis on defining the gesture on a human torso. I was told that this is actually and elementary art exercise so the more familiar you are to this one the better.
http://members.aol.com/cliveiii/tut/bbturn.gif
Imagine if you will a plump bag full of beans or potatoes or even a pillow and tied above and bellow its ends are two sticks. The bag represents the volume of the torso while the ends of both sticks are where your shoulders and hip tips are. Imagine turning the top stick from a central axis (your spine) but keeping the bottom sticks still. A diagonal shift of volume will follow the frontal tip as turns to 90th degree. This demonstrates a torso twisting counter clockwise.

A few examples of other twists and bends.
http://members.aol.com/cliveiii/tut/bbset.gif
Here are examples of how this bean bag can turn into a human torso using the ones from above. Those poses I used an illustration reference of live nude models. They look crap right now because I've honestly missed a couple of months of doing life drawing (damn animation taking my time :razz: ) Oh and I guess a Nudity Warning is in order even though they're just nudes:
First (http://members.aol.com/cliveiii/tut/1.gif)
Second (http://members.aol.com/cliveiii/tut/2.gif)
Third (http://members.aol.com/cliveiii/tut/3.gif)
Fourth (http://members.aol.com/cliveiii/tut/4.gif)

http://members.aol.com/cliveiii/tut/poly.gif
Here I converted the first pose into a fanart of Poly by our very own Polykarbon delivering a crater full of Unicef pennies :p. I think I missed on her face… damn scanner didn’t pick up the shading on her nose :p. Notice that the compression of her waist is still preserved by the tight squeeze of the folds of her shirt pointing onto that direction.

Hope this helps much more understandable... Bah my lines are a mess... looks like a need some refresher... Questions? comments? concerns?

Notes:

The twist of the fats and muscles shown only represents those of a classical built body. Knowing how much the squeeze is shown on a corpulent body versus an anorexic one versus a bodybuilder and which fat will come obvious first I’m afraid you’ll have to find out on your own by drawing and observing people of different statures.

Know your subject or character. When drawing you character using the bean bag method this about his or her posture, mannerism, what he/she won’t do or act like and preserve that spirit within the pose. Additionally determine your character’s build as I’ve mentioned above.

Draw from the general to the particular but keep in mind what style you’re adhering into. Most fluid style might most likely preserve the twists, compressions and stretches but some economizes the detail on the character’s design.

Get the feel of the characters body first by sketching the bean bag several times before starting (heck it’s just a bag afterall).

Finally as Vilppu said “There are no rules just tools” this is just a small chunk of the process which contributes to the whole.

[Ninja Frank]

Thanks a lot! I think this will really help with my characters being too stiff. Excelent job, I appreciate it. Do you use this method a lot?

[Reign of Tears]

That is a very helpful tutorial, I was playing around a little using your ideas just now and I can see them being very helpful to my amazingly stiff style

[Jeanox]

[applause] :D :D :D

[waisenkind]

Thanks O_O

[Antisocial Anomaly]

That's an interesting approach to a torso tutorial. Very interesting.

[Nopolinman]

I never thought of using a bean bag for a torso. Great tutorial. I'll go try that out...thanks

[Augustus]

Thanks, Maybe Ill force myself to do some life drawing now... :crying:

[Triclone]

Thanks for the replies everyone :D . Actually The real purose of the beanbag is for defining the compression and stretches so yea I just go straight for that one. But it's not how you do it but what you get as a result.

[Painting My Words 04]

Great tutorial! Thanks a lot, now I might start using this method.

[Hiltz]

When your drawing a chest of a character, is it made up of one large circle or two? Like with those pillows as examples.. oh.. nevermind I think I just answered my own question. :eek2: how embaressing. :tear:

[ReddDragon7]

GREAT TUTORIAL. I have always heard of the bean bag method being used, but me with little to no actual art teaching did not really know what it was all about. Thank you very much for this very informative look into how its done, and now that I know, I know this will help me tons.. in my realism and Manga art....

[Geki Keinfelt]

Wow interessing, I've never think like that before, I'll give a try at that way of drawing. Thanks for sharing

[Sir GreenSock]

Cool tutorial, I like the visuals.
This is similar, but more in depth, to Pats tutorial over here. (http://www.polykarbon.com/tutorials/torsom/tosom.htm)
I think it would also be helpful to alot of people if you were to do another set of the beanbag drawings, with basic shapes of the ribcage, spine and pelvis to show a more practical approach instead of pillows. :)

[Vallera]

wow this is so helpful. This will really help in my drawings.

[afroXcore]

This is a good tut. it's definetly easier to draw torsos, especially if you follow through with greensocks suggestion.

[Sterlin]

Well done, this is what a lot of begainers should know.

[CityRose]

Superb tut, Triclone. The flour sack is one of the best ways to illustrate the movements of the torso. I've heard that to become an animator for Disney, you need to be able to animate a short flick featuring.....you guessed it......a flour sack. If they know how to animate that, then they've got the basics for movement in human and animal bodies.

*claps*

[Ryuuk]

this really has nothing to do with this particualr tutorial, it really has everything to do with one that doesnt even exist, but i fear something has to be said......SOMEONE HAS GOT TO PUT OUT A HALFWAY DECENT ANIMAL DRAWING TUTORIAL!!!!!!! IVE BEEN SURFING THE WEB FOR 3 HOURS STRAIGHT AND I HAVENT SEEN A SINGLE ONE!!!! DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[acountddd]

Check the dates man, you shouldn't bring up such old posts, I did that once and for shame.

[billiegene]

It's usually not a bad thing to bring back a tutorial thread, because if there's a question about it, the OP may still be around to answer it.

However, bringing it back with a post like that is definitely a shameful act.
As acountddd said: FOR SHAME!