Admin Post: Drawing Challenge #15 - Body Type

[goss]

This is the second in our series of Diversity challenges. The goal here is to break out of defaulting to the 'ideal' body type when drawing, by focusing on those who are normally left out of common portrayals. (eg. fat/disfigured/gender non-conforming people/etc.).

Challenge #15: Body Type Diversity

Create a drawing featuring someone of a different body type or size than the 'ideal' that is usually seen in media.

You can challenge yourself to draw a human/humanoid body type that's completely different to your own, or a body type that you identify with but rarely see in media, or even one that you've never attempted before. The comment section of this post may be used for discussion of the prompt (ie. ideas, suggestions, questions, etc.).

A round-up post for submissions to this challenge will be done on Saturday 7th April, 2018.

Happy Drawing, everyone! :)

Comments

[mific]

Just to clarify - as some of us are into sci-fi fandoms, I assume we shouldn't include alien body-types! I'm assuming that, kind of like the last one, the point of this challenge is to celebrate human diversity and get us to draw people we might not usually depict?

[goss]

I was just thinking about that...

The ethnic diversity challenge was specifically about portraying humans, because creators of fantasy and aliens worlds sometimes tend to fall back on featuring marginalized ethnicities in ways that are often dehumanizing/animalistic/exotic and ultimately "othering".

I don't think this should be an issue for the Body Type challenge though, since ethnicity/DNA make-up isn't the focus of this challenge. I could be wrong though. What are your thoughts on this? Would love to hear from others on this matter as well.

[mific]

I’m fine with it being wider open, although that does make it very wide, like sandworms and crystal-beings and the alien from Alien and werewolves and merfolk, ooh, and the creature from Shape of Water. Lots of options, as well as good old humans!

[goss]

Once they're not the default state of "hollywood" physical perfection. :b

Like maybe they have a double chin and thick waist.

Or a short, skinny dude with chicken legs.

Or maybe a total buff female, with actual muscular limbs and smaller breasts. It would be cool if someone does a female superhero with a realistic body builder shape.

I'm probably going to try a subject matter who isn't thin, lean and long-limbed, since that's my own personal default for drawing.

[syntheid]

Well, the reason 'body diversity' as a movement exists in art is that there are people who get left out of common portrayals. Specifically they tend to be fat/disabled/disfigured/gender nonconforming people, and even fantasy creatures get exemplary physiques comparable to a fit human (e.g. the creature from Shape of Water). So these people end up rarely being able to see themselves portrayed in art/media as anything but monsters or jokes.

I don't think it's an issue to include fantasy creatures, but if the goal is to break out of what most people end up drawing a lot as 'default ideal' body (aka thin, fit/athletic, acceptably curvy for women), I'd encourage people to try to draw things like fat mermaids or creatures with facial disfigurements or non-binary creatures that aren't just androgynous by way of having a flat chest and feminine face.

But if it's just to draw something different than you usually do then I guess it doesn't matter? I don't know, personally when I see a prompt like this I'm definitely going for breaking my own default ideal mindset, but I'm not really sure what your intentions were with this.

(Fwiw, I think it could also be fun to do a separate 'creature design' prompt more about just pushing creative boundaries on weird creatures.)

[goss]

it could also be fun to do a separate 'creature design' prompt

OOOH, YES! That sounds like an awesome and definitely fun prompt. Maybe you could post your suggestion to the prompts list with any further details. :)

if the goal is to break out of what most people end up drawing a lot as 'default ideal' body (aka thin, fit/athletic, acceptably curvy for women), I'd encourage people to try to draw things like fat mermaids or creatures with facial disfigurements or non-binary creatures that aren't just androgynous by way of having a flat chest and feminine face.

Agreed!

[syntheid]

Maybe you could post your suggestion to the prompts list with any further details. :)

Done! I ... totally did not remember that post existed for some reason, ahah.

[goss]

*g* Thanks for letting me know though. I'll re-post a link to the Prompts list the next time we have our monthly Check In post, as a reminder for others as well.

[goss]

Thanks again for your input, since you articulated my original intention quite well. I'm going to paraphrase some of your quote above and add it to the challenge description - hope that's okay. :)

[syntheid]

I never responded to this, sorry, but it was definitely okay!

[amberdreams]

Maybe this one could be human bodies and a celebration of our variety of forms, and then you could have another challenge to draw (or create!) something alien, because that would be fun too.

[goss]

I think fantasy bodies should be okay (eg. a fat mermaid) as long as the human/humanoid parts don't default to 'physical perfection'.

[amberdreams]

Right - so humanoid, not necessarily human. Cool!

Examples of Different Body Types

[goss]

Here's a page of sketches showing a variety of body types you could try.



Feel free to post other images to this thread, or links to drawing exercises/reference pics of various body types. :)

More on Different Body Types

[goss]

Re: Examples of Different Body Types

[syntheid]

From this post on varying body types, which also shows some examples of how to vary bone structure.

More on how to use basic shapes to vary body type.

Also not directly related as a resource, but fyi #AdventureApril is happening right now with a bunch of prompts for character design which may help if you need some additional inspiration.

Re: Examples of Different Body Types

[goss]

This chart with the bone structure and gradual changes in body weight is really useful! Thanks for posting it. :)

I also love the first point made in the Giving Your Characters Unique Features page, about how you might think all 5 characters are physically different, but when it comes to body type, they're all identical, which in no way reflects real life.

As a creator, I definitely fall into this trap, so it's good to be able to recognise and then break out of that default.

[minoanmiss]

Oh this will be fun! *contemplates*

[goss]

I'm really looking forward to this one as well. :) :)

[minoanmiss]

Heh, I have never discarded so many tries before. I didn't realize how ingrained my mental templates are!

[mekare]

Hey thanks for the clarification on the prompt and the helpful examples!

[goss]

Glad you found the examples useful! :)