Help - Attempt at drawing women

[cReative]

Hi,

I can't draw women. I've tried many times and it always ends up looking messed up.
This is not my first attempt.
Constructive feedback and paintovers/edits would be greatly appreciated.


Notes (these are just some notes, please dont limit your constructive feedback to these points):
1. I don't know how to draw hair. I was just messing around and got something that I sort of like (sort of).
2. Face - as you can tell by the rest of the picture, its kinda on the downlow when it comes to details. Whenever I do faces they always suck.
3. I dont know what I'm doing with the arms either. Especially the girl's right arm (your left). I kind tried to make it look like its going behind her back but again thats why its not detailed.
4. Hips - I know they are asymmetrical... That was my attempt to show the pose she is standing in
5. Feet - I dont know what to do hear either. I was trying to make show her feet with toes pointing towards the camera.
6. I made this in MS Paint and edited it slightly using another program. But I dont think its worth it to use another program until I get the basics down correct.
7. I don't know how to do the coloring or shading either. Ive tried before to take a pen and paper drawing and scan it and try to color using a graphics program, but it always looks messed up.

Thanks in advance and looking forward to constructive feedback.

- cReative

[Theeph]

Hi. I think you've done a fantastic job already. (Especially in MS Paint only. O_O)

Here's a few guides that would, in my opinion, improve:



The hair is just a suggestion based on my own preference.

Female faces tend to be more elongated and have pointed chins (as opposed to male chins which are broader). I fiddled with the nose a bit too but it's not that great.

I think you have the left arm looking good. I'd make the bit from the forearm to the fingertip a bit longer though... stand and put your hands by your sides, then watch where your hips come up to on your forearms and you'll see what I'm getting at.

The hips have good lean to them, and I did a rough idea on how the arm would go.

The blue lines on the legs are to give you an idea of (what I think) the way she is standing. It might help when doing feet. Just imaging the lines are bones.

Anyway, a brilliant effort for paint. I thought it was a scanned sketch until I zoomed in on it.

Also: What's your issue with scanning paper art? Does it mess up during the scanning process itself (comes out junky) or is there a different problem?

[Elric]

It really is a very good sketch. But I've pointed a few things to show you a set of rules following painting the female figure. It's a common practice in the field of illustration to depict the male and female figure in an ideal fassion. This means, 6,1 feet for men and 5,8 feet for women with heels, which are considered the ideal proportions.

The first thing you do, when figure sketching, is to build a manequin with just form and proportions, with no detail at all. You draw the shape of the head ( again without details ) and measure it from top to bottom. This will be your guide for the figure. An ideal figure will be 8 head spaces from top to bottom.
I tend to draw all women in the 8-head rule, and just add the extra height necessary with a proper set of heels. Now, as you can see in your drawing you have a division of 7 head units, which instantly presents a "flawed" woman. ( which is not bad, but I personally find the 8 unit separation much more pleasing to the eye ) If you want to present flaws in a woman, add some weight to the thighs and waste, something in the face, but it's a generally good idea to leaveÃ,  the height in 8 head units. I've marked the divisions in your image with straight uninterrupted lines and the proper order should be : ( From top to bottom, the description fits the END of a certain area i.e. the third division will be where the 3rd unit ends, and that's where the elbow line and the waist is located. )

First Division : Head measurement
Second Division : 1/6 of a head unit over the nipples
Third Division : Elbows and Waist. ( this is where the minimum distance between the waste points is found )
Fourth Division : Middle Point of the image, 1/3 of a head unit above the crotch
Fifth Division : Middle Thighs
Sixth Division : Bottom of the knees
Seventh Division : Middle calfs
Eight Division :Ã,  Bottom of the shoe/foot

Now I've made some notes on the image you provided :
1. This is the where the shoulders should be in the figure, 1/3 of a head unit below the head.
2. This is the shoulder width and also the maximum width of the figure, located in the conjunction of the bicep/bone complex located there. This is considered to be ideally 2 head units wide for a woman.
3. The nipples should be located here.
4. The bottom breast line should be located here.
5. This is the minimum width of the figure, located in the waste area. This is also the conjuction of the bottom part of the elbows. This is considered to be ideally 1 head unit wide for a woman.
6. This is the navel line.
7. This is the end of the crotch, where the thigh opening starts.


I'm sorry I couldn't provide a paintover but I'm still waiting for my new tabletÃ, 

Once more, this is just an "ideal" guide, and what would appear more pleasing to the eye; You can always use different guidelines and proportions if the result makes you happy. Remember, Flaws in a woman can make her even more appealing, they don't have to cause repulsion to the viewer. Experiment a bit and I'm sure you'll do even better. Other than that, great work for an mspaint sketch, you have quite the skill

[cReative]

Thanks for your comments, everyone.
This is attempt #2. Please give constructive feedback and paintovers as before.



Notes:

- Mirrored left side hair to right, still not sure if I like the results, I cant draw hair very well.
- Added bang to hair, not sure if I like the effect.
- Made face shape less "blunt" (?)
- Proportions have been altered and are marked
- Changed proportion of neck, shoulders, arms, hand, breasts, waist, positioning of breast area.
- Total height is 7 heads.
- Added feet (not sure if I like the result)
- Still don't know how/what to do with other arm.
- Something is still not right with the breasts

Further assistance is appreciated.

Thanks.

[cReative]

Hi.
Any assistance/feedback with attempt #2 still greatly desired.
btw the numbers marked in attempt #2 are relative to the height of the head. so for example 2/3 means 2/3 of the height of the head.

Thanks,

cReative

(Sorry for the double post, but its almost been 1 month).

[Fizzii]

From crotch to the feet should be half the total height. At the moment it looks like you've done four heads from head to the crotch, and three heads from crotch to foot. I'm not sure the left leg (our left) looks correct - it seems to look like it is bending inwards (also because the hip is squashed) but the rest of the body is pretty much straight. Maybe drawing the legs without the skirt first might help.