Character Design: Posing Women for Greater Appeal with Tom Bancroft

This character design and animation course is an extension of the Designing Animated Women by Tom Bancroft course where you learned the basics of how to create an attractive “animation style” woman with greater appeal. With Posing Animated Women, Tom Bancroft explores the dynamics involved in making attractive poses for those designs.

• How do Opposing Angles help make a more interesting pose?
• What is the difference between Rhythm and Flow in a drawing?
• How do I create more flow in my poses/drawings- even in the most basic phase of thumbnailing out my thoughts?

These concepts and more will be taught and you will put them to play in a fun assignment that Bancroft will also draw.

Suggested Prerequisite Course: Designing Animated Women by Tom Bancroft

Video Lesson 1
Introduction to the subject of POSING attractive women.

Where to start? Ask the questions first

Get reference together! Answer the questions with as much photo reference and research as you can.

General thoughts on posing appealing women and the three most important elements of a female pose: TILTS/ TWISTS, FLOW & RYTHMN

Exaggerate your pose. (But don’t over do it!)

Use the shoulders! Its an often overlooked part of the anatomy, but can really improve the body language and weight of your pose.

Soft and rounded shapes and corners

Remember silhouette in all the elements of your pose!

Character Design Assignment
Draw your own female character sitting on a beach ball in a fun, feminine pose.

Video Lesson 2
Tom creates a drawing showing how he would accomplish the assignment. The student should consider if there are elements to their drawing they should change to improve it and then (optionally) continue the drawing to final ink and color possible portfolio piece.

• Introduction
• Lesson 1 part A
• Lesson 1 part B
• Your Assignment
• Lesson 2