To create fierce bent arms, draw two trapezoids to represent an angled torso.
Add armholes on either side. Mark the figure’s center front line with a dashed line to keep the body even.
On each side, sketch a bent arm using two lines and a circle to represent the elbow.
Each arm line is a little longer than the upper torso. The bottom half of the arm is slightly longer than the upper half, but you can choose to keep them the same length. When the arm is bent, the elbow falls slightly above waist level.
The figure’s left arm in this sketch extends farther down the body because the model is leaning to her left.
Draw cylinder shapes over the lines to create arms.
Leave the circles between the cylinders to indicate the elbows.
Sketch in a head and outline the woman’s torso, arms, and neck.
Erase the circles, trapezoids, and center front line.
To create a pose with one arm bent and one arm straight, draw two trapezoids to represent an angled torso.
Add armholes on either side. Mark the figure’s center front line with a dashed line to keep the body even.
Create a bent arm on the longer side of the torso using two lines and a circle to represent the elbow that connects them.
The elbow of the bent arm should fall slightly above the waist.
On the other side of the torso, draw a straight arm by connecting two straight lines with a circle.
Keep the upper arm and forearm lengths about the same, and line up the elbow with the raised hip. (If the hips and shoulders weren’t tilted, the elbow of the straight arm would fall at the waist.)
Draw cylinder shapes over the arm lines to create the arms.
Keep the circles intact between the cylinders to represent the elbows.
Outline the woman’s torso, arms, and neck.
Erase the circles, trapezoids, and center front line.
(Optional) Experiment with drawing the bent arm on the short or bent side of the torso and sketching the straight arm on the longer side of the torso.
You can see what this pose looks like.
To rest a slightly bent arm along the body, draw two trapezoids to represent an angled torso.
Add armholes on either side. Mark the figure’s center front line with a dashed line to keep the body even.
Sketch a sharply bent arm on the longer side of the torso using two lines and a circle to represent the elbow that connects them.
For the slightly bent arm that curves with the body, draw straight lines and a ball for the elbow right along the torso.
Keep the elbow at the waist. Sketch in the beginnings of her legs as well.
Draw cylinders over the arm lines.
The cylinders over the slightly bent arm overlap the torso to show that the arm is lying against the body. Be sure to leave the circles to represent the elbows.
Outline the woman’s torso, thighs, arms, and neck.
Erase the circles, trapezoids, and center front line.
You can draw both arms straight, but you tend to lose some of the edgy attitude. If you want attitude, you want to bend an arm!
