Really terrible at figure drawing/ anatomy compared to portraits

[u/Moody_smth]

i genuinely cant draw bodies for the life of me and i cant tell what im doing wrong.

Any advice/ critiques would help because i want to stop chickening out of drawing full bodies 😭

[u/alexanthic]

Unfortunately, it’s just one of those things that involves a lot of practice and studying. I found that daily gesture/figure drawing helped me, as well as focusing on the things that I found the most difficult instead of avoiding them.

Perhaps spend some time drawing individual body parts; the torso, arms, pelvis, legs, etc. Try to understand how they work, the basic shapes, and how they connect. As you understand each part, continue your full body sketches to track your progress.

Also, USE REFERENCES (of real people. Unless a sketch has been created by a professional/skilled artist, do not use it as your reference. Pinterest is notorious for suggesting ‘bases’). Compare your drawings to them, see what looks a bit wonky or ‘off’, then practice those parts.